SA space companies join forces for upcoming rocket launch

Four local companies are joining forces to build and launch a 10 metre rocket 200km above Earth over the Southern Ocean near Port Lincoln.

Four South Australian space companies have joined forces for an upcoming rocket launch near Port Lincoln.

The VS03 mission in November will test the ‘Kestrel I’ rocket under different conditions, while launch data collected during lift-off will be used to inform the future operation of Southern Launch’s Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex at the tip of the Eyre Peninsula.

ATSpace chief executive Dr Yen Sen Chen and Asension chief executive Ian Spencer with the Kestrel rocket. Picture: Mark Brake

ATSpace has manufactured the Kestrel I rocket at its Wingfield facility, and on board will be a spacecraft developed by Inovor Technologies, integrated with payloads designed by Southern Launch and Mawson Lakes technology firm Asension.

The 10 metre rocket will be launched over the Southern Ocean, and will reach an altitude of more than 200km above Earth, with a total flight time of approximately 10 minutes.

Southern Launch chief executive Lloyd Damp said the launch would enable all four local companies to test their technologies.

“The VS03 mission is incredibly exciting,” he said.

“It is a realisation of the incredible work and collaboration that is happening right here in South Australia and testament to our position as the space capital of Australia.”

Southern Launch chief executive Lloyd Damp inside a mobile control centre. Picture Mark Brake

The Southern Launch payload will use existing satellite phone technology to track the rocket as it travels through space, removing the need for traditional ground-based infrastructure.

ATSpace chief executive Dr Yen-Sen Chen said the sub-orbital flight would enable further testing of the Kestrel rocket in preparation for future orbital launch attempts.