The US space agency NASA is heading to Down Under this month for a series of rocket launches in Arnhem Land.
Key points:
- NASA will launch three rockets from the Northern Territory
- It has been 25 years since NASA last launched rockets from Australia
- NASA wants to observe space phenomena that can only be seen from the southern hemisphere
Three rockets will be launched in a month from the Arnhem Space Center on the Dhupuma Plateau.
The government says the rockets will be used to investigate heliophysics, astrophysics and planetary science phenomena that can only be seen from the southern hemisphere.
This is the first time that NASA rockets have been launched in Australia in more than a quarter of a century.
The traditional owners, the people of Gumatj, have been consulted about the campaign and NASA will collect and remove all spent engine boxes and payloads when the launches are finished.
Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic says it marks a new era for the Australian space sector.
“This is an important milestone that will further enhance Australia’s position as a launch destination,” he said.
NASA will launch three rockets from the Arnhem Space Center. (ABC News: Jesse Thompson)
PM will announce the release to Darwin today
Seventy-five NASA staff members will travel to Australia for the launches, scheduled for June 26-July 12.
At launch on June 26, the rocket will travel more than 300 km into space.
The Arnhem Space Center is located 12 degrees south of the equator in the Gulf of Carpentaria and “the only commercially owned and managed multi-user equatorial launch site in the world,” according to Equatorial Launch Australia. ELA).
ELA chief executive Michael Jones said the site’s geographical location, proximity to the equator and extensive services nearby make the area “very attractive to global rocket companies.” “.
Three rockets will be launched in a period of one month from the Arnhem Space Center. (ABC News: Jesse Thompson)
“The ASC offers Australian space companies and international rocket and satellite companies a unique opportunity to launch from a location that offers cost-effective access to virtually any orbit they want,” Jones said.
Enrico Palermo, head of the Australian Space Agency, says the launch will “further consolidate” Australia’s reputation as “a nation with which global space players want to do business”.
“The growth of launch-related activities in Australia is helping to open up the entire space activities value chain, which will grow the industry and create new business and job opportunities here at home,” he said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will officially announce the launch of Darwin this morning, back from his first bilateral talks in Indonesia.
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to search, up and down arrows for volume. Clock time: 12 minutes 56 seconds 12 m Why go to the moon again
Posted 4 hours, 4 hours ago, Tuesday, June 7, 2022 at 6:35 PM, updated 41 minutes ago, 41 minutes ago, Tuesday, June 7, 2022 at 10:13 PM