From its facility Esrange Space Center in Northern Sweden, the SSC launches sounding rockets and high-altitude balloons for research in the areas of microgravity, astrophysics, astronomy and atmospheric studies. One notable program during the late 1980s/early 1990s was a joint project with the Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies using SSC's MASER rocket to lift aloft various experiments requiring microgravity environments, at a low cost. This was during a period when U.S. Space Shuttle flights along with associated planned experiments were still being disrupted by the aftermath of the Challenger disaster.