One of Australia’s largest commercial rockets is set to launch from Koonibba Aboriginal community
Australia will take another step forward as a space faring nation when it launches an 11.5-metre-tall single stage rocket from the state’s Far West on Thursday.
SA News
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An Aboriginal community in the state’s Far West will become a focal point for the country’s space industry, when the largest commercial rocket to ever launch from Australian soil blasts off from there on Thursday.
Koonibba, which sits 40 km northwest of Ceduna, will house a 11.5-metre-tall SR75 rocket owned by German rocket manufacturer, HyImpulse, launched to an altitude of 50km before parachuting back to earth.
South Australian space company, Southern Launch, partnered with the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation (KCAC) in 2019 and has since built the world’s largest privately owned rocket test range.
CEO of Southern Launch Lloyd Damp said the event would further prove to the global space community that Australia’s launch capabilities were on an international level.
“This launch will be a momentous occasion for Australia as a nation,” he said.
“It signifies to the world that we are capable of launching large rockets and positions our nation as a key player in a global space industry worth billions of dollars.”
It will be the third launch from the Koonibba Test Range, with two conducted by Adelaide-based DEWC Systems in September 2020.
Co-CEO of HyImpulse Christian Schmierer said it was the first time his company was launching the SR75 rocket, which combined paraffin wax (candle wax) and liquid oxygen.
“A key reason behind the development of this propulsion technology is so we can offer a rapid, efficient and responsive rocket that can be launched anywhere around the world,” he said.
“The Koonibba Test Range is a fantastic option for our first launch.
“The facilities provided by Southern Launch and the Koonibba community have enabled our team to focus on launching the rocket which is an incredible milestone for our company.”
The hybrid rocket engine is non-explosive and offers a greener alternative to traditional rocket fuels, which is a potential game-changer for the space industry.
The Koonibba Test Range is the world’s first permitted by an Indigenous community, which allows companies, universities, space agencies and other organisations to pay for their rockets to be taken to the site, launched and recovered with their payloads.
KCAC Chairperson Geraldine Ware said the partnership with Southern Launch was aimed at bringing employment to the community and hoped it inspired future generations to pursue careers in the space industry.
“The kids haven’t seen anything like this first-hand except for on TV, so this is something new to them and I’m sure they’re going to be talking about it for a long time,” she said.
‘This is an exciting time for the Koonibba Community and the Ceduna region as a whole.
“We will benefit from this and it will generate an income for our community members and our future uprising children who are at school.”
The launch is set to be a spectacular sight over the SA outback, with a dedicated viewing area established at the Koonibba township for members of the public wanting to watch.
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