Equatorial Launch Australia to set up headquarters at Lot Fourteen
The groundbreaking company behind Australia’s first commercial space launch will set up its HQ in Adelaide, bringing with it dozens of new jobs.
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The space company that hosted Australia’s first commercial space launch will set up its headquarters at Lot Fourteen, and has kicked off a local recruitment push for engineers and other specialist roles.
Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA) will be handed $100,000 by the state government to set up its base in Adelaide, via the South Australian Landing Pad program, which provides financial incentives to lure companies to the state.
The company, which owns and operates the Arnhem Space Centre in Northern Territory, will initially employ up to 15 people, with that number expected to increase to more than 40 over the next three years.
The move puts ELA closer to the Australian Space Agency, the regulatory authority that grants launch permits for every launch from Australia.
ELA executive chairman Michael Jones said its new Adelaide headquarters would become a hub for launch preparation and safety assessment activities, which would attract space-related engineering, project management and safety analysis talent to the South Australia.
“Adelaide and South Australia will be an essential base for our world-class space engineering in support of our planned high-tempo space launch operations from our Arnhem Space Centre in the Northern Territory,” he said.
“We look forward to taking a leading role in the development of the Australian space capability as we work towards achieving our mission to deliver world-class launch services supporting testing, launch and recovery of vehicles and payloads flown to and from all space orbits.
“We intend to build strong working relationships with the local universities, and other space companies clustered in South Australia with a clear plan to foster emerging talent.”
ELA’s Arnhem Space Centre hosted three rocket launches for NASA in June and July, representing the space agency’s first rocket launch from a commercial spaceport outside of the US and Australia’s first commercial space launch.
ELA is one of a handful of Australian launch companies that have emerged in recent years. Others include Southern Launch, which has two testing and launch sites on the Eyre Peninsula, and Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space, which is planning its first launch next year from its spaceport in the Whitsundays.
To support further development of the Arnhem Space Centre, ELA is recruiting for several roles, including engineering, digital, business development and managerial positions.
Trade and Investment Minister Nick Champion said the arrival of ELA in Adelaide reinforced the city’s reputation for being “the centre of gravity for all things space-related in Australia”.
“ELA are a welcome addition to South Australia’s space ecosystem and will provide fantastic opportunities for our graduates looking to enter the next frontier of their career,” he said.
“The South Australian Landing Pad program is about attracting companies to our state that will stimulate and grow our economy, create jobs and grow new industries. The space ecosystem in South Australia is continuing to grow and evolve and is attracting some of the world’s best talent.”
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