Recent articles
Sweden i Space - What now?
Text and Photo: Bård Kringen, NordicSpace, Norway
Sweden is often mentioned as one of many high-tech countries in the world. Through decades of industrial development they have achieved a solid reputation worldwide through renowned brands such as Volvo, Saab and Ericsson. Additionally, excellent work within the field of space activities has further demonstrated an outstanding ability to develop, build and manage highly advanced space projects, not to mention small satellites. Industrial companies such as Volvo Aero, Saab Space and Swedish Space Corporation were once leading in their special fields of rocket engines, space qualified electronic and separation systems, and for developing and building small satellites.
Space Weather in Focus
Text and Photo: Bård Kringen, NordicSpace, Norway
Generally speaking, it is a fair assumption that the sun is a blessing for Mother Earth and without this source of light and heat no life would have exited here. For most people there are few serious dangers when it comes to the sun, because through generations and increased solar research humans adjusted. Having said that, it is equally true that our modern way of life is sensitive for some of the effects of the sun, although most commonly used devices of today's modern society can be adjusted accordingly.
Operating Satellites - Important and Challenging Profession
Text and Photo: Bård Kringen, NordicSpace, Norway
Developing, building and launching satellites is only a small part of the job. Operating satellites in space is another, and most certainly not always a routine job.
Not all satellites function perfectly during their expected life span; some have different lacks during launch, some are in a wrong orbit, some stop functioning before the end of their expected lifetime, whereas others have flawed sensors or processors etc. The challenges are many and complicated and - without physical contact with the satellite.
Satellites for Meteorological Data
Due to the launch of three new earth observation satellites this summer, European meteorologists will gain access to better weather forecasts, in addition to improved knowledge about the physical phenomena at Earth
Europe "Steps Up"
List of articles:
Satellites for Meteorological Data - Europe "Steps Up"
EUMETSAT - Today and Tomorrow
Meteorological Data for All
ESA's Living Planet Programme
SAF - What Is That?
Norway - a Meteorologically Pioneer
Improving the forecasting
Allround Meteorology
- Creating a Weather Report
- Internet Based Forecasting
- StormGeo - the Alternative
- Knowledge to the People
Feeling the Pulse at the US 2012
Text and Photo: Bård Kringen, NordicSpace, Norway
The USA is known as the high technology stronghold regarding nearly all fields of science. No other part of the world can refer to as many winners of the Nobel Prizes as the Americans and a very large part of the technological development is related to research carried out at American institutes. Space research and technology are no exception. Through the space race and the competition with the former Soviet Union, the USA took the lead in almost all fields.
Related article:
Erik Tandberg - Following the whole space era
An International Centre for Science and Research
Text: Bård Kringen, NordicSpace, Norway
The Region of Øresund
The region of Øresund, common for Sweden and Denmark, marks itself more and more as a region for science and research. Two universities, the University of Copenhagen and the University of Lund lay the groundwork for this collaboration and the European Spallation Source is on its way to be built on the Swedish side of the Øresund Strait.
VTT - Seventy Years of Research
Text: Bård Kringen, NordicSpace, Norway
Finnish research and innovation is well- known in the world, not least through the Nokia adventure, an adventure that also showed the Finnish ability to change from times with traditional industry, which the old Nokia represents, to the modern high technology society we now live in. Nokia is not the only example of Finnish high technology companies with large international success. However, it is all based on a very well reputed educational system and a well reputed research community.
A Part of the World's Largest Radio Telescope
Text: Bård Kringen, NordicSpace, Norway
LOFAR at Onsala Space Observatory
The Onsala Space Observatory by the coast of western Sweden expands further, and with inauguration of the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) late in September, the observatory becomes a part of the world's largest radio telescope. The 192 new radio antennas, at an area like a football field, is not very imposing, but together with 47 other arrays in Europe the radio telescope can map radio signals from several billions light years back in the Universe to only few hundred light years after the Big Bang.
Polar Communication and Weather Mission
Text: Bård Kringen, NordicSpace, Norway
Canada Plans National Solutions for the Arctic Area
The polar area does not have the same satellite coverage as the more central parts of the world, mainly because much of the services the satellites provide are based on use of geostationary satellites. Due to the orbit geometry, parts of the Canadian territory cannot be covered at all by the GEO satellites.
Swedish Institute of Space Physics – Built at Old Research Tradition.
Space Physics Research at high latitudes has a tradition in Sweden that extends back several hundred years. In the 1740s the famous Swedish scientists Celcius and Hiorter discovered the connection between the Aurora Borealis and disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field. However, it was not until 1902 that the first research station was set up north of the Polar Circle, near the railways between Sweden and Norway and near their common border. After a catastrophic fire the station was rebuilt at Abisko, some kilometres closer to Kiruna, mainly a place for biologists and geologists, but the geomagnetician, Bruno Rolf, stayed here for long periods and he discovered the "Giant Pulsations" in the geomagnetic fields.
In 1944 the Swedish government had set up a committee in order to make proposal to bring together the physical observations in a common geophysical observatory. The report from the committee proposed to build an observatory at a site eight kilometres east of the populated area of Kiruna.
Through a planning and financing phase the necessary area for the research activities was established and the construction of the first facilities started. The main building was inaugurated the 2 July 1957 and is still the core of the research facilities we know today.
Read more:
Swedish Institute of Space Physics - by Dr. Rick McGregor, rick@irf.se
Research at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics
- by Dr Hans Nilsson, hans.nilsson@irf.se
Remote Sensing for the Northern Areas
Remote sensing from satellites is a very valuable tool for monitoring and managing sparsely populated area as the Arctic, the far islands in the north and forest areas that cover much of the Nordic mainland and not least the large oceans around the countries.
The Remote Sensing Days in Tromsø show some of today's possibilities and applications and what future sensors in space may provide.
We have collected some different articles about this topic:
Remote Sensing - Invaluable for Inaccessible Areas
Remote Sensing Applications
Barents Watch - where Remote Sensing Play the Main Role
Tromsø - a Centre for Arctic Research
Equipment and Service for Data Sampling
Danish Space Compass Towards Jupiter
Text and photos: Bård Kringen, NordicSpace, Norway
When the American Juno probe enters the orbit around Jupiter in 2016, one of the key elements to secure a successful mission is the small Advanced Stellar Compass from Denmark Technical University (DTU Space).
Navigation by Satellite - Now also for Aviation
Text and photos: Bård Kringen, NordicSpace, Norway
EGNOS Safety-of-Life – declared available for aviation, a new milestone at the "European Single Sky" has passed.
Accurate positioning and navigation has been a must, and for centuries it has been applied by ships, however, today more and more areas apply it in our modern society. The reason is the introduction of satellites.
