Rocket inauguration at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics

Centaure 2B and a picture of Bengt Hultqvist inaugurating the rocket with a champagne bottle 50 years ago.

Bengt Hultqvist giving a short speech.

EISCAT Kiruna staff participated in the inauguration of the rocket, Centaure 2B, that Esrange Space Center has “lent out” to the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF). The rocket and the rocket launcher were first inaugurated by the former director of the institute, Professor Emeritus Bengt Hultqvist, 50 years ago.

Bengt Hultqvist, now turning ninety, was in honor of his work for the institute and the space research in Kiruna and Sweden, invited to inaugurate the rocket once more.

The present director of the IRF, Stas Barabash, and the director of Esrange Space Center, Lennart Poromaa held short speeches.

Bengt talked a little of his work and of his first inauguration of this rocket and then crushed the traditional champagne bottle on the rocket, as he once did 50 years earlier.

Afterwards the staff of IRF and EISCAT Scientific Association, and other participants, were invited for a lunch in the open. The chef of IRF and his assistants treated the lunch guest with the traditional Sami dish, Gurpi.

A very nice inauguration.