"With Andøya, we are poised to become the first European country to launch from its own territory. Another important perspective is that smaller countries increasingly become space nations. Norway now has five satellites that satisfy national needs, but now we have the opportunity to enter into dialogue with other countries", Hauglie-Hanssen told NRK. The third aspect he singled out is the importance for Europe to have its own launching capacity.
"It is predicted that traditionally expensive large satellites will face competition from smaller and cheaper ones. This is due to the technology getting smaller. There is a lot to be gained from this being simplified with smaller satellites, especially for those who are going into polar orbits. If the predictions come true, there will be a need for new bases to launch small satellites", Knut Robert Fossum, head of research at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Space (CIRiS), told NRK.