Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA) has signed a multi-year, multi-launch contract with Korean aerospace company INNOSPACE for a series of orbital launches from the Australian spaceport, Arnhem Space Centre (ASC).
“We are delighted to announce this multi-launch and long-term agreement with INNOSPACE and what we hope is the first of several launch agreements which we have been developing for some time,” said Michael Jones, the Executive Chairman and Group CEO of ELA.
The agreement will see the launch of several INNOSPACE rocket variants, each carrying between 50kg and 500kg payloads into low earth orbit from the ASC across a five-year timeframe until Dec 2028.[1]
ELA, widely regarded as the world’s most advanced multi-user commercial spaceport, is the Arnhem Space Centre (ASC) developer, owner and operator on the Gove Peninsula in Australia’s Northern Territory.
The signing of this contract has validated the business concept and development plans by securing INNOSPACE as the first commercial company to become a ‘resident launcher’ (long-term tenant and regular launcher) at the Australian spaceport.
What Does the Contract Mean for INNOSPACE?
The first launches by INNOSPACE, the only hybrid-fuelled rocket company worldwide to successfully launch into space, from the ASC are expected to commence in early 2025. ELA previously had a three-launch contract with NASA.
Dr Soojong Kim, CEO of INNOSPACE, said, “We are thrilled to have secured an optimal launch spaceport, the ASC, which has the benefits of launching from an equatorial spaceport and brings launch efficiencies through this multi-launch agreement with ELA. Our goal is to offer customers greater flexibility for their launch schedule and orbit access with frequent, dedicated launch opportunities. We expect to enable our satellite customers to achieve significant innovation with our orbital launch services by launching from the ASC.”
ELA has been working with the Australian Space Agency (ASA) to expand its existing Launch Facilities Licence (LFL) to support orbital launches from the ASC with a range of orbital rockets, differing azimuths and trajectories and a much wider array of propellant mixes and rocket configurations as part of its Phase 2 Development Plan.
This work with the ASA will now expand to assist INNOSPACE in obtaining its first Australian Launch Permit (ALP).
This ALP approval process is expected to take between 6 and 14 months, commencing later this year.
As one of up to seven planned ‘resident launchers,’ INNOSPACE will be allocated a Space Launch Complex (SLC), comprising two modern ASC launch pads customised to INNOSPACE’s rocket requirements.
It will also have an extensive Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF), which allows for rocket assembly, payload integration (in an ISO 8 clean room).
It also has overhead cranes, offices, workshops and system test facilities in a temperature and humidity controlled environment.
Each SLC is fully enclosed and encompasses a range of ITAR compliance measures, including video and movement sensor security, extensive fencing, and access control.
References
- Equatorial Launch Australia, ‘Equatorial Launch Australia signs multi-launch contract with INNOSPACE to conduct orbital launches from Arnhem Space Centre’, 17 August 2023, https://ela.space/ela-signs-multi-launch-contract-with-innospace-from-asc/?_gl=1*1fsqnqf*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTcxMzgwNzkzNy4xNjkyMzc2NTIy*_ga_NWY7RZGD6H*MTY5MjM3NjUyMi4xLjAuMTY5MjM3NjUyMi4wLjAuMA..*_ga_T80GK2J7B2*MTY5MjM3NjUyMi4xLjAuMTY5MjM3NjUyMi4wLjAuMA[↩]
