South Australian launch operator Southern Launch will attempt Australia’s first commercial space re-entry early next year at its Koonibba Test Range after receiving clearance from the Australian government.
The local firm is partnering with Varda Space Industries to attempt re-entries of the Californian company’s capsules, which have already landed safely in the United States.
A series of missions will begin from early 2025, with the first to include payloads from NASA and other US government partners.
The announcement on Friday confirms the first return authorisation ever granted under Australia’s Space (Launches and Returns) Act 2018 and comes as a boost for the South Australian company as it awaits approvals for construction of its larger Whalers Way facility.
The authorisation and US partnership is also one of the first signs a Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) signed with the US last year and in force since July is bearing fruit for the local sector.
Australian Space Agency head Enrico Palermo said Australia has always been a desirable launch location and the TSA is accelerating growth in the local commercial space sector.
“It generates investment to enhance local infrastructure, scale our sector, and expand market access for Australian companies — bringing economic opportunity across our nation but particularly to our regions where these launch and return facilities are often located,” Mr Palermo said.
Southern Launch’s re-entries will be attempted across a series of missions starting from early 2025 at the Koonibba Test Range, which the company operates in partnership with the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation,
The company is waiting on environmental approval of its larger rocket launching complex at Whalers Way near Port Lincoln, with critics warning it is a threat to local wildlife. A decision is expected to be released later this month.
The approval process is also slowing the launches of fellow Australian space firm Gilmour Space Technologies in Queensland. The Albanese government has moved to amend the current rules to bring down approval times and allow more room for innovation.
Southern Launch chief Lloyd Damp said the latest re-entry approval is a testament to the companies’ work.
“Gaining approval from the Australian Government is testament to the incredible work the Varda and Southern Launch teams have put in during the approval process,” Southern Launch chief Lloyd Damp said.
The US partner bills itself as a pioneer of commercial space infrastructure, offering both products and infrastructure that aim to take advantage of falling launch costs.
One of its orbital manufacturing capsules tries to take advantage of the microgravity environment by producing pharmaceutical formulations that cannot be produced on Earth, according to the company.
“Australia is clear-eyed about the promise of orbital pharmaceutical processing, and Southern Launch have led the way for the future of space infrastructure on Earth,” Varda chief executive Will Bruey said.
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