Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA) has signed a multi-year, multi-launch contract with Korean aerospace company, Innospace, for a series of orbital launches from the Arnhem Space Centre (ASC) on the Gove Peninsula in the Northern Territory.
The agreement will see the launch of several Innospace rocket variants each carrying between 50kg and 500kg payloads into low earth orbit from the ASC across a five-year timeframe until Dec 2028, with the first launches expected to commence in early 2025.
ELA has been working with the Australian Space Agency (ASA) to expand its existing launch facilities licence to support orbital launches from the ASC with a range of orbital rockets, differing azimuths and trajectories and a much wider array of propellant mixes and rocket configurations as part of its Phase 2 Development Plan.
“Innospace is one of the first of the next batch of “new space” rocket companies to launch and with increasing congestion at major spaceports globally, Innospace has recognised the unique launch/geographic, infrastructure and commercial benefits of launching from the ASC,” said Michael Jones, Executive Chairman and Group CEO of ELA.
“Last year’s three successful launches with NASA allowed us to showcase the skill and capabilities of both the ELA team and the Arnhem Space Centre to the world. We’re excited to embark on that journey again - this time with Innospace. It is a very important part of our ethos and culture to be known for what we achieve and not what we predict, and this contract again shows this aspect of ELA.”
As one of up to seven planned ‘resident launchers’ Innospace will be allocated a space launch complex, comprising two modern launch pads customised to their rocket requirements and an extensive horizontal integration facility which allows for rocket assembly, payload integration and has overhead cranes, offices, workshops and system test facilities in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment.
“We are thrilled to have secured an optimal launch spaceport, the ASC, which has the benefits of launching from an equatorial spaceport and brings launch efficiencies through this multi-launch agreement with ELA," said Soojong Kim, CEO of Innospace.
Our goal is to offer customers greater flexibility for their launch schedule and orbit access with frequent dedicated launch opportunities. We expect to enable our satellite customers to achieve significant innovation with our orbital launch services by launching from the ASC.”