As Sweden ramps up its ambitions in space exploration and defence, its northernmost rocket base, Esrange, is drawing growing attention. But not everyone welcomes the increased activity. Sámi communities living near the base in Kiruna say rocket launches are putting their land and way of life at risk. Space debris has already fallen on their territory several times, and they fear the situation will only get worse.
“It’s like we don’t exist,” says Ol-Johán Sikku of the Saarivuoma Sámi village in the documentary Inblick: Raketer och renar.
Increased Launch Activity Worries Indigenous Communities
Esrange may become the first site in Europe to launch satellites into orbit. This comes as space technology becomes more crucial in modern military operations. Since Sweden joined NATO, interest in Esrange has grown. Last year, Foreign Minister Tobias Billström (Moderate Party) announced plans to launch military satellites from the site.
However, Sámi communities living nearby are uneasy. Debris from previous launches has already landed on their territory multiple times. In the same documentary, Sikku explains how dangerous it feels.
“These are quite large rockets, up to ten metres long. Imagine the force when they hit the ground. I have friends who were out in the forest when a rocket landed just a few hundred metres from them. They found it quite unsettling,” he says.
Space Debris Concerns: “It’s Like We Don’t Exist”
Sikku says the rocket launches show a lack of respect for the Sámi way of life.
“Our work goes on all the time. We can’t move from here just because they’ve picked a few weeks to launch rockets. They talk about our area and their space plans without us being involved at all. It’s like we didn’t exist,” he says.
The falling debris is also damaging the environment.
“Our people find a lot of space junk. It causes big craters where it lands. We’ve also found massive balloons spread out across streams,” Sikku adds.
Esrange Defends Its Approach
According to Esrange, the risk of someone getting hit by falling debris is one in a million. They say they could launch rockets a million times before anyone is likely to be harmed.
Lennart Poromaa, head of Esrange, says there is strong cooperation with local Sámi communities.
“The four Sámi villages and we have worked together from the start. We share the same interests. When there are plans for test mining, we will say no. We plan activities together and carry them out safely. We now have slightly better safety measures in our space operations and will use that to everyone’s benefit. I truly believe that together we are strong,” he says.
A Wider European Challenge
The concerns on space debris raised by the Sámi in Sweden reflect a broader European struggle to balance space development with the rights of local communities. In Scotland, SaxaVord Spaceport’s launch trajectories pass over the North Atlantic, with rocket stages potentially falling into areas near Iceland’s exclusive economic zone. Icelandic fishing communities have expressed fears that this debris could disrupt marine ecosystems and threaten their livelihoods. These tensions highlight the need for more inclusive, environmentally conscious planning as Europe’s space ambitions grow.
*Quotes have been translated
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