Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA) has revealed completed designs for its Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) buildings – assembly, integration and testing facilities for up to seven rocket launch companies to be based at the Arnhem Space Centre (ASC).
The delivery of the HIF designs completes the company’s designs for its Space Launch Complex (SLC) – a designated area of the spaceport at which each resident launcher will locate for all preparatory work prior to and including lift off – and is comprised of up to two launch pads and one HIF building for each launch company.
“We wanted to guarantee we were building a Spaceport of the Future for our customers and so we invested a significant amount of time and resources analysing and planning to ensure we could be as adaptable and as supportive as our customers required, while also aiming to set the bar for best practice in spaceport service and design,” said Michael Jones, Executive Chairman and Group CEO, Equatorial Launch Australia.
“It’s our aim to be the spaceport partner of choice where we can work with our customers to give them the absolute best chance of repeated successful missions.”
Key features of each HIF include a 20 by 40 metre rocket assembly area, an ISO 8 cleanroom for vertical payload integration, a 20-tonne full-space overhead gantry crane with a second 2 tonne capacity hook for payload movement, and an enclosed workshop space to undertake minor repair, prototyping and fabrication work.
ELA stated that whilst functionality and cost effectiveness are critical in these designs, the company wanted to make a statement in terms of finishes, aesthetics and functionality.
“We wanted more than a ‘Colorbond box’ or a just hangar, so we ensured our architects went a little ‘edgy’ and used plenty of angles and a mix of finishes and materials," said Jones.
"Each of the seven buildings will also be a different colour and be sympathetic to the land in orientation. We are putting a lot of effort into the landscaping and vegetation to harmonise with the NT environment."