Dear Members of Parliament, Ministers, and Esteemed Space Enthusiasts,

It is a true pleasure to be here in Milan at this prestigious event, surrounded by such a distinguished group of space-politicians. It’s equally exciting to meet colleagues with a shared passion for exploring new opportunities in space, all driven by the same mission: to figure out how space can help us become better guardians of our stunning, blue planet.

Space and satellites are absolutely indispensable when it comes to monitoring and understanding climate change, particularly in the northern regions. Where I come from—Norway—this is especially relevant, and things are changing fast. Very fast.

Norway is, as you all know, both a coastal and an Arctic nation. Nearly half our land lies north of the Arctic Circle. And our ocean territory in the Arctic? Well, it’s as big as the landmass of Spain, France, and Germany together. So, yes—we’ve got quite a bit of chilly waters to keep an eye on!

In many ways, the Arctic and space are the perfect pairing.

The Arctic is vast, sparsely populated, but some of the harshest weather you can imagine.
This makes satellites an invaluable tool for monitoring developments and activities in the region—because, trust me, you don’t want to be up there with a clipboard taking notes for too long.

This is also why Andøya Spaceport in northern Norway is an ideal location for launching satellites. Perched right on the coast, just north of the Arctic Circle, and we are now eagerly awaiting our first launch, which we hope will happen in just a few weeks. Fingers crossed! Hopefully the rockets don’t freeze!

Now, if you’re looking for another remarkable place, Svalbard should be on your radar. The Norwegian group of islands just 600 miles from the North Pole. It’s a place you all should have on your bucket list!

It’s not only an extraordinary place to go for your next vacation, it’s also home to the world’s best-positioned satellite ground station.

Thanks to its extreme northern location, Svalbard Satellite Station provides support for all the daily orbits of all polar satellites. Not to mention, the station itself is also a pretty spectacular place to visit—complete with 160 antennas keeping a watchful eye on the skies. The views are amazing!

Why is this relevant? It is relevant because when it comes to climate change, monitoring the Arctic is crucial. Temperatures there are rising at four times the global average, causing dramatic changes, and, taking lives. But, my dear friends, these changes also have global ripple effects. What is happening in Norway, is happening to you.

Melting sea ice, shrinking glaciers, and thawing permafrost is dramatically changing the Arctic Region. And will dramatically change the world.

A warmer Arctic Ocean also plays tricks with global weather patterns. We have all been following the damages of both ‘Helen and Milton in Florida the last weeks.

The warmer ocean also influences the polar jet stream, sending the infamous polar vortex further south, which is how our friends in Canada and the US get to experience some Arctic chills of their own. And let’s not forget the Greenland ice sheet, whose melting contributes to rising sea levels worldwide.

This is why international cooperation is essential. We need regional data to be shared and placed in a global context. Europe has been leading the way with initiatives like the Copernicus program contributing significantly to Earth observation and climate monitoring. A recent highlight is the launch of the Arctic Weather Satellite this past August, which we hope will provide valuable insights into Arctic weather patterns.

Satellites have revolutionized how we collect data, and our ability to transform that data into actionable information is constantly improving. Truly, the potential is limitless—and space, as it turns out, is a pretty big place to work with!

In Norway, we’re starting to recognize the importance of space more than ever before. We expect to see a new space law introduced to our Parliament soon, which will be a major milestone for us. We’re also seeing a growing number of space-related startups and a clear political focus on space priorities – across party lines.

We’re learning to look up a little more—literally. This is especially important as we approach the long, dark winter ahead, where the Northern Lights will give us plenty of reasons to keep gazing skyward.

Thank you all for your time and attention. And thank you for keeping your heads in the clouds—where they belong when it comes to space!