ADELAIDE, Australia (Southern Launch PR) — Southern Launch welcomes today’s announcement of a $65m Space Infrastructure Fund by the Australian Federal Government. As Australia’s sole company with space launch facilities licensed to undertake space launches, today’s announcement broadcasts to the world that Australia is serious about a vibrant space launch capability in our nation. Launch creates a centre of gravity that underpins an enduring broader space industry, and today’s announcement […]

SINGAPORE, 10 February 2022 (Rocket Factory Augsburg PR) – Rocket Factory Augsburg AG (RFA), Europe’s leading launch service provider, has partnered with Southern Launch, a South Australian rocket launch service provider. The partnership allows for the German launcher RFA ONE to be launched from Southern Launch’s launch sites; the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex in South Australia. Southern Launch’s orbital complex provides direct ascent into sun-synchronous and polar orbits. 

SYDNEY (Hytera PR) – Hytera partner D2N in Australia supplied a multi-site Hytera XPT radio network with real-time GPS tracking across a large rocket launch site with difficult terrain for space company Southern Launch.

Southern Launch is a rocket launch service provider based in Adelaide, South Australia. Its goal is to develop a space launch capability to send satellites into orbit from its Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. The company also has a suborbital testing facility at the Koonibba Test Range.

ADELAIDE, S.A. (Southern Launch PR) — In a historic announcement the Koonibba Test Range, developed by Southern Launch with strong support and involvement from the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation, has been approved to host rocket launches to space.

Australia’s first ever Launch Facility Licence was signed by the Hon Karen Andrews MP Federal Minister for Industry, Science and Technology after Southern Launch completed the licensing process through the Australian Space Agency, which in January 2021 welcomed its new Head, Mr Enrico Palermo.

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

Suborbital launch used to be a sleepy field that rarely attracted much public attention. Let’s face it, atmospheric research and student experiments are not front-page news. Sounding rockets don’t have the majesty and power of a Falcon 9 or Atlas V.

In recent years, exciting new entrants in the field and widespread streaming of launches have made suborbital flights exciting. Last year saw important suborbital flight tests by SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and Skyrora that garnered worldwide interest.