Norway has been engaged in space activities since the 1960s, well before the agency's founding. On 18 August 1962, the first rocket was launched from the
Andøya Space Center in
Vesterålen, Norway; this facility has been in regular use as a launch site for space-bound vehicles ever since. Norway was reportedly the first nation to use satellite communicates inland, enabling it to better support its
oil industry and remote sites in the
Arctic wilderness. One of its roles is to manage and distribute funding to most efficiently support the space sector and benefit Norwegian interests. Proposals produced by the body are overseen by the
Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry. Norwegian-built components have been integrated into many satellites in addition to the
Ariane 5 heavy-lift launch vehicle and the
International Space Station; various space-based missions have also sourced technologies from Norway. During the 2010s, the agency has been a partner in the development of the
Nucleus hybrid sounding rocket, which is intended to be safer, cheaper, and more environmentally-friendly than prior models. During February 2019, the Norwegian Space Centre was formally renamed as the Norwegian Space Agency; according to Communication Director Marianne Moen, this change was enacted to reduce confusion over the organisation's function and to clarify that its status as a government body. == Space Norway ==