NASA to launch rockets from NT in world first
NASA has chosen the Northern Territory as the location for its first ever rocket launch from a non-government owned site
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NASA has chosen the Northern Territory as the location for its first ever rocket launch from a non-government owned site.
The American space agency will work with Equatorial Launch Australia to send rockets into space from the Arnhem Space Centre early next year.
ELA chief executive Carley Scott said the launch was significant.
NASA confirms its Territory ambitions
“This is the single most important event to date in putting the Australian space industry on the global map and will open the doors to growth and job opportunities in the Australian space industry,” Ms Scott said.
“NASA has not launched from a non-government launch site anywhere else in the world and the decision by NASA to partner with ELA in Australia firmly embeds Australia as a serious part of the global space sector.
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“The significance of ELA locking in NASA’s first commercial space launch means that the Australian Space Agency’s goal of 20,000 additional jobs and tripling the size of its industry to $12 billion is increasingly achievable.
“It’s exciting to be pioneering the development of commercial space launch services in Australia and it’s even more rewarding to be doing it with one of the world’s leading space agency and one synonymous with cutting-edge space exploration.”
Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the space industry would create “long term jobs” for Nhulunbuy.
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“The Territory is not the final frontier but the destination to the final frontier — NASA will launch rockets to space from Nhulunbuy next year,” he said.
“Arnhem Land — that most ancient of places is now at the cutting edge of human endeavour.”
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