A remote part of Australia will light up tonight at a historic event as NASA launches a rocket from red earth.
For the first time in Australia, the US space agency NASA will launch a rocket on Sunday night from a remote area of the Northern Territory.
The rocket will be launched from the Arnhem Space Center, near Nhulunbuy, into the lands of the Gumatj village which was consulted throughout the process.
The rocket will be launched from the red earth around 10.45pm on Sunday, but will only be visible for ten seconds before disappearing.
It is a 13 m “sound rocket” that will carry an atmospheric observation platform to examine the constellations Alpha A and B. The rocket is expected to travel 300 km during the 15 minutes it moves through space. .
It will be the first time the internationally renowned space agency has launched a rocket from a commercial port outside the US.
The rocket will also be the first to leave Australian soil in 26 years, since the 1995 launches from the Royal Australian Air Force’s Woomera Range complex.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles called it “an iconic occasion for the Top End.”
“NASA is adding capacity and putting East Arnhem Land in the global focus of investors; this will help our industry grow, create more jobs for locals and more opportunities for businesses to expand,” he said.
The rocket is the first of three NASA-designed rockets to be launched from the remote NT space center, which will not enter orbit but will collect valuable scientific information about the Sun’s physics, astrophysics and the type of planetary science that it can only take place in the southern hemisphere.
In a joint announcement between the NT government and the federal government, rocket launches were hailed as a key moment for the Australian space industry.
“This project will bring together the global and local industry to take Australia’s space sector into a new era,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Both governments hope that the collaboration with NASA will encourage future joint scientific efforts between Australia and the US.
The head of the Australian Space Agency, Enrico Palermo, said the launch marked a significant milestone in the growth of space activities.
“This is another sign that Australia is on the move and will further consolidate our reputation as a nation with which global space players want to do business,” he said.
The launches mark a historic collaboration between some of the world’s foremost scientists and the world’s oldest living continuous culture.
The launch pad is on traditional ground, which NASA has promised to clean up after launch by returning all material and debris to the US.
The Arnhem Space Center is owned and operated by Equatorial Launch Australia, which hopes to dramatically increase its capacity to accommodate 50 launches a year by 2024.
CEO Michael Jones said the site’s geographic location and proximity to the equator would attract international space agencies.
“Our proximity to the equator at 12 degrees south offers us an astrodynamic and physical advantage over many launch sites around the world and is highly desirable for large and complex orbital solutions in space,” he told SKY News.
The launch will be broadcast live on ntnews.com.au starting at 10pm on Sunday.