SSC is a global company but has local presence in many geographical areas to maintain close relationships with its customers. As we are broadening our activities and our presence, we continue to deliver personal and customized services to our customers worldwide.
Our customers are space agencies, institutions, authorities and commercial satellite owners or operators around the world. Here are some examples:
European Space Agency (ESA)
ESA is one of SSC's prime customers of the ELIPS program (European Programme in Life and Physical Sciences), making use of the sounding rocket programs MASER and MAXUS. SSC develops experiment payloads and rocket systems, and provides launch services from Esrange.
SSC also provides space operations and engineering services to ESA through its branches LSE Space and Aurora. LSE Space takes responsibility for satellite operations engineering services at ESOC supporting ESA missions from "cradle to grave". At ESTEC, LSE Space and Aurora take joint responsibility in providing experts to the Directorate of Earth Observation, and Aurora staff provides support to the Directorate of Science and Robotics Exploration. Aurora also supports the System and Software Engineering for Science Operations at ESAC.
Through ECAPS, we are planning a qualification programme of a HPGP (high performance green propulsion) thruster under ESA contract.
ESA entrusted SSC to deliver SMART-1, the first European spacecraft to travel to the moon.
Swedish National Space Board
The Swedish space program is conducted mainly in international cooperation - in the frames of ESA and through bilateral collaboration. The access to the sophisticated facilities at SSC's Esrange Space Center makes Sweden unique in rocket and balloon programs. The Swedish National Space Board supports the rocket and balloon activities at Esrange through the Esrange Andøya Special Project (EASP) agreement between five ESA member states, and the REXUS/BEXUS student program for scientific research on rockets and balloons.
SSC has delivered seven scientific satellites under contract by the Swedish National Space Board, among them the Odin space observatory the two formation flying satellites of the Prisma mission.
CNES
SSC has provided satellite operations services to most French missions. The French space agency CNES was a driving force when we established the PrioraNet ground station network, seeing the benefits of getting global coverage through one single point of contact. Recently, SSC and CNES have formed a partnership regarding the establishment of new satellite antennas at Esrange and Inuvik.
CNES performs annual balloon campaigns at Esrange. Esrange's location on high latitutes, along with the possibilities to perform long-duration flights, are beneficial for the scientific research that CNES conducts. Our agreement with CNES also covers assistance to balloon launches from other bases than Esrange.
NASA
The beneficial geographical location, favourable wind conditions and well-equipped facilites have made NASA return to Esrange Space Center many times to conduct scientific rocket and balloon campaigns. The largest NASA balloons that we launch have a volume of 1,2 million m3.
Through our US branch, Universal Space Network, we are also the leading supplier of commercial ground network services to the NASA community. NASA missions that USN supports on a daily basis provide science in support of space exploration and the origins of our universe, understanding global climate change, and providing new knowledge of the Earth, Moon and Sun.
DLR
The German space organisation DLR is both our customer and our partner. Through DLR, German scientists come to Esrange to perform research on sounding rockets and balloons. DLR and SSC also cooperate in the EuroLaunch program, offering rocket and balloon services to be performed both at Esrange and elsewhere around the world.
JAXA
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, is responsible for Japan's space research, industry and operations. SSC provides satellite management services services to JAXA, and hosts Japanese antennas at our stations. We have relations with several Japanese institutions such as the Tohoku University, which has performed groundbased measurements at Esrange.
Transport Canada
Transport Canada has acquired three of SSC's MSS 6000 Airborne Maritime Surveillance systems in the period between 2006 and 2008. This has enhanced the effectiveness of Canada's National Aerial Surveillance programme and provided them with an outstanding tool to enforce their domestic pollution legislation. In 2010 Transport Canada also very successfully used the MSS 6000 system to support the oil spill clean up operation in the Gulf of Mexico.
