Åpningen av Andøya Spaceport

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Har dere det bra?
Noen fra Andenes skole her?
Og fra Bleik Montessoriskole?
Og Åse Montessori?
Risøyhavn?

Og da skifter jeg over til engelsk, sånn at vi også får med oss våre engelsktalende gjester:

A long time ago, when our ancestors followed the ice ridge northward, they gathered around campfires – for the warmth, good company, and the exchange of knowledge.

They travelled from near and far and brought along different cultures. Andøya was precisely such a meeting point.

One of our time’s campfires is space technology. Exploring the universe and studying earth from space works best when we work together.

Today, here at Andøya, we stand at “Čilgen” – a land art installation that, in miniature, shows what the completed spaceport will look like, with its Space Village.

In Sámi, I understand that "Čilgen" means when the weather clears. It can also mean when people figure out how to solve a challenge.

Space knows no borders, and “Čilgen” can work as a hub for the exchange of knowledge, or a place to ignite inspiration.

“Keep your eyes on the stars, but your feet on the ground”, President Eisenhower once said. More than 60 years ago, Norway became a space nation. Andøya Space has been a cornerstone in the development of this sector– here on this island in Vesterålen. All these years of hard work have led to today’s opening of Andøya Spaceport. The activity here will help us monitor, analyze, and connect. We can gain vital knowledge, and together we can find better solutions for all.

I wish you the best of luck in the years to come, and I hereby declare the Andøya Spaceport officially open.