New Earth observation satellites, Arctic industry events and international scientific missions feature in Norway’s autumn programme as the country seeks to strengthen its position in Europe’s space sector.

Norway’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Cecilie Myrseth, has designated 2026 a national space year, aiming to raise the profile of Norwegian space capabilities at home and internationally. The initiative accompanies work on a new government white paper setting the direction for the sector, including Norway’s role in the High North.

The importance of space to security, situational awareness, preparedness and competitiveness also featured in discussions at Arendalsuka, the largest annual political gathering in Norway, held every August in the coastal city of Arendal. Norway’s geography, northern infrastructure, industrial capabilities and research expertise were highlighted as strengths supporting its contribution to European space activity.

For the remote sensing industry, the autumn programme brings particular interest in new environmental observations, Arctic applications and international cooperation.

September: Arctic applications and new Earth observation missions

Arctic Space Week, 9–11 September, will bring industry, investors and other stakeholders to Bodø and Andøya. The programme includes a visit to Andøya Spaceport, a seminar examining space applications for the Arctic, oceans and security, and a Tech Tour Space investor event. For businesses working in remote sensing, the themes provide a connection between satellite capabilities and the needs of maritime and Arctic users. See the Arctic Space Week programme

Attention then turns to the resilience of satellite navigation. Jammertest, 14–18 September, will take place near Bleik on Andøya, allowing participants to test how positioning technologies withstand interference. The event examines both jamming, which disrupts or blocks signals, and spoofing, in which false signals mislead receivers. Its aim is to support safer, more robust navigation systems. Visit the Norwegian Communications Authority website for more.

September also brings a major milestone for European Earth observation: the planned joint launch of ESA’s Fluorescence Explorer, FLEX, and Copernicus Sentinel-3C from French Guiana aboard a Vega-C rocket. Both spacecraft have arrived at Europe’s Spaceport for launch preparations. See the ESA launch update

FLEX will detect the faint fluorescence emitted by vegetation, providing information about photosynthetic activity and plant health. Its observations will help researchers understand how carbon moves between plants and the atmosphere, and how photosynthesis interacts with the carbon and water cycles. For remote sensing companies, the mission offers the prospect of new evidence to support agricultural and environmental applications. See ESA’s FLEX mission for more and BARSC will come back to this mission in future articles.

Sentinel-3C will continue observations supporting ocean and land monitoring. Norway’s space-year programme highlights applications including sea-surface temperature, water quality, snow and hydrology—areas with clear relevance to operational environmental services. See the full Norway space-year calendar

October: industry connections and weather-monitoring capabilities

In October, Spaceport Norway will meet in Oslo on 27–28 October, with a programme focused on the Arctic, artificial intelligence in space and international collaboration. Planned sessions cover technical developments, investment and the growing role of satellite information in decision-making. The event is also marking its tenth anniversary, according to Norway’s space-year programme.

Another milestone on the autumn calendar is Metop-SG B1, which Norway lists for launch in October or November. The satellite forms part of Europe’s next generation of polar-orbiting meteorological spacecraft. National calendar

Its instruments will support observations of ocean winds, soil moisture, precipitation, sea ice and snow. An Ice Cloud Imager will add information about ice clouds, while the Argos-4 system will collect data for applications including oceanography and wildlife monitoring. Together, these capabilities will broaden the observations available for weather forecasting and environmental services. See the EUMETSAT programme overview

November: Earth observation coordination and planetary exploration

Norway’s programme lists the country taking a leadership role in the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, CEOS, in November. The international body coordinates civil Earth observation programmes, making this a milestone of particular relevance to the satellite-data community.

Beyond Earth observation, two European missions are approaching significant stages of their journeys. The joint ESA–JAXA BepiColombo mission is targeting Mercury orbit insertion on 21 November 2026. The arrival will begin a sequence of manoeuvres to position its scientific orbiters for investigations of the planet and its surrounding environment. See the ESA mission update

Meanwhile, Hera is scheduled to rendezvous with the Didymos asteroid system in November. It will investigate Dimorphos following NASA’s DART impact, helping scientists understand how an intentional collision can alter an asteroid’s motion and inform future planetary-defence techniques. See ESA’s Hera mission

December: sector performance and Norwegian technology

The year is expected to close with new statistics for Norway’s space sector, covering 2025, due in mid-December.

Norwegian organisations CENSSS and Integrated Detector Electronics AS also plan to deliver an early version of electronics for ESA’s ARRAKIHS telescope towards the end of 2026. The mission will investigate galaxy formation and evolution, including the influence of dark matter.

For BARSC members, the programme offers several developments to follow: new sources of environmental data, opportunities to discuss Arctic and maritime applications and advances in the infrastructure supporting satellite services. Norway’s national space year provides a useful view of how these activities connect across the wider European space sector.

Dates reflect published plans and remain subject to change, particularly launch schedules.