University of Southern Queensland propels the district forward in Australia’s space industry, what’s next?

The announcement of satellites set to be launched from the Darling Downs in the next 18 months has shone a spotlight on how far the region has come in the space industry. Find out what has happened here.

The announcement of Wellcamp’s future satellite launches has shone a spotlight on the region’s future growth within the spacing industry, with milestone discoveries already marked in the district.

The Darling Downs’ critical location has proved vital for out of this world research, with the nearby Mount Kent Observatory the only facility in the Southern Hemisphere supporting NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite mission.

The University of Southern Queensland’s Astrophysics team has operated the Mount Kent Observatory since its construction in the 1980s, and has led the way in unique discoveries, including more than 100 new planets orbiting stars other than the Sun.

“We are the leading group in the southern hemisphere doing this kind of work, working with NASA and people right across the globe,” UniSQ Centre for Astrophysics professor Jonti Horner said.

“It’s just breathtaking and so exciting to be part of that kind of global endeavour to answer these really fundamental questions.”

Last year, UniSQ also partnered with Rocket Technologies International to establish a privately-owned, static rocket testing site in Toowoomba’s own backyard at a sandstone quarry in Helidon.

A Brisbane-based business has used the nation’s suborbital launch facility near Goondiwindi, in which it successfully launched a rocket in 2021.

Recently, UniSQ was granted $50m in a trailblazer fund to green light their Innovative Launch, Automation, Novel Materials, Communications and Hypersonics (iLAuNCH) Hub.

The iLAuNCH hub will help lead the way in the Australian space sector.

The project, valued at $180m, is expected to turbocharge the nation’s space sector with 20,000 jobs by 2030, and an estimated economic boost of $3.65 billion to the region and nation.

“The work we’ve done to date, and continue to do, has put us on the map globally,” UniSQ Institute for Advanced Engineering and Space Sciences’ Dr Fabian Zander said.

While the 2024 satellite launch demonstration is locked in for 2024 at the Wellcamp Airport, multiple projects are in the works from across the Downs, which has opened the region up to leading the way in Australia’s space sector.

Several sectors are working closely to take advantage of the region’s prime location, including Government, Defence and academic industries.

“The state is well advanced in the overall development of a space industry that could potentially contribute up to $6 billion to the state’s economy by 2036 and 6000 jobs,” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.