Image: The SR75 rocket before being shipped to Australia
South Australia’s first permanent spaceport is nearing completion as the finishing touches are made on new launch facilities at the Koonibba Test Range.
The sprawling testing range, the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, sits northwest of Ceduna. The range is being developed by Southern Launch, who are working alongside the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation in this partnership, which began in 2017.
Once completed, the site will host the sub-orbital test launch of German manufacturer HyImpulse’s SR75 rocket, which, subject to final regulatory approval, will go ahead at the end of April or early May.
The rocket’s journey is expected to reach an altitude of 50 kilometres before returning to Earth via parachute for testing. The test will see HyImpulse’s hybrid propulsion technology in action, a combination of paraffin wax and liquid oxygen. This fuel mix revolutionises logistics and rocket handling, as it is non-explosive.
Beyond serving the global space industry, the Koonibba Test Range will provide local employment, investment, and education opportunities. These will primarily benefit members of the Koonibba community and the wider Eyre Peninsula. A new Astronomical Centre and Observatory is also to be developed on the site. It is projected to attract tourists, global space companies and more than $500,000 annually to the local community.
A transportable rocket launcher used for testing at Koonibba has been built by the South Australian steel company Ferretti International, and hydraulic engineers at Hydroil. The range offers the unique ability for local and international space companies to launch and land on the same facility. This facilitates post-launch data analysis and recovery of technologies. It also provides capacity for sub-orbital missions to the edge of space for conducting various experiments and supports re-entry of space technology from orbit.
Space Minister Susan Close expressed her pride over these advanced facilities. “Having permanent facilities at the Koonibba Test Range helps brings together South Australian space companies and the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation to develop a spaceport that we can be proud of. This marks a pivotal moment for South Australia’s space industry,” she said. She also added that this partnership will facilitate “remarkable missions” and will stand as a critical testing ground for local and global space groundbreaking achievements.
CEO of Southern Launch, Lloyd Damp is equally excited about this development. He said “The permanent, world-class facilities at the Koonibba Test Range will put Australia on the map as a space-faring nation. We have a long list of global customers ready to use the range and we’re excited about the incredible opportunities this presents for Koonibba and South Australia.”
For more information visit https://www.southernlaunch.space/
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