Kiruna is the northernmost city in Sweden (latitude 67 deg 51’ north) with a population of about 20 000. It is the location of the Esrange Space Center with a downlink station and a rocket range for sub-orbital sounding rockets (and soon small satellites!) and launch sites for high-altitude balloons. The Swedish Institute of Space Physics has facilities in Kiruna, and that is where the CHEOPS Science Team meeting #27 will take place.
The mean temperature mid-March in Kiruna is -8 deg C, but the actual temperature can deviate as much as 10 deg from this value (in both directions). Please check the local weather forecast for current conditions and dress appropriately.
March is the driest month of the year, and if the night is clear there is a high chance for northern lights (aurora forecast service, live cam) . Here are some tips if you want to attempt aurorae photography.
Swedens currency is Krona (SEK) and not Euro (EUR). The exchange rate is currently 11 SEK = 1 EUR. Sweden is essentially a cashless society, so do not bother to exchange cash. Major credit/debit cards (visa/mastercard) are accepted everywhere and Google/Apple pay in many locations (but not everywhere). Power sockets are of German type (“Schuko”, Type F)
Eduroam works at all airports in Sweden, including Arlanda and Kiruna. The venue IRF also has eduroam.
