Norway criticises Sweden's response after research rocket goes awry

Sweden has got into blistery h2o with Norway aft 1 of its probe rockets malfunctioned and landed successful its neighbour's territory.

The rocket was launched astatine 07:20 section clip (05:20 GMT) connected Monday from the Esrange Space Center, earlier plunging into a Norwegian upland range.

The Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), which owns and runs the centre, has apologised and is investigating.

But Norway has criticised Sweden for failing to formally notify them.

According to the SSC, the rocket reached an altitude of 250km (155 miles) and made it into zero gravity, wherever they person been conducting experiments.

It past landed 40km northwest of the planned landing site, successful the Malselv municipality successful Norway's acold northbound - astir 10km from the closest inhabited area.

Nobody was injured and nary worldly harm has been reported.

The technological instrumentality onboard the rocket, known arsenic the payload, has since been recovered successful "good condition" and returned to Esrange by helicopter, according to the SSC.

"This is simply a deviation that we instrumentality seriously," said Marko Kohberg from the Esrange Space Center.

"It is inactive excessively aboriginal to speculate astir the cause, and we await much accusation from the existent investigation."

The SCC has said that Norwegian and Swedish authorities were contacted soon aft the incidental "according to routine".

But Norway's overseas ministry has said that it was not decently informed astir either the rocket's landing oregon the betterment of its payload, and that it takes immoderate unauthorised enactment wrong its borders seriously.

"When specified a borderline usurpation occurs, it is important that those liable instantly pass the applicable Norwegian authorities done the due channels," it said.

The rocket, known arsenic Texus-58, is portion of a European programme commissioned by the European Space Agency.