South Australian-headquartered Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA) has signed a deal with leading French rocket company, Sirius Space Services, to support the launch of orbital rockets from Australia’s Arnhem Space Centre, starting in 2026.
The multi-year, multi-launch contract, announced at World Space Business Week in Paris, will see Sirius become a resident launcher at the East Arnhem Land spaceport, taking up their own Space Launch Complex.
Under the agreement, Sirius will take advantage of ELA’s full suite of launch and mission support services and facilities, highlighting the company’s world-class launch capabilities at the site, which includes access to a range of orbits, including medium and low inclination orbits, SSO and equatorial.
ELA’s Group CEO Michael Jones welcomed the collaboration as a testament to the local company’s leading advanced engineering and technology solutions and flexible launch services.
“Sirius will become the second resident launcher at the Arnhem Space Centre which means they will leverage ELA’s advanced commercial spaceport concept,” Jones said.
“They will take advantage of our comprehensive suite of launch solutions, innovative commercial offering and the best customer service and support to increase efficiency, safety, mission assuredness and commercial benefit to Sirius.
“It was key for Sirius to have the ability to access unique orbit options to service their clients and we are probably the only place on the planet that could provide access to these orbits, the support level required, and access to the scope of launch services in the timeframe required.”
Artist impression of SIRIUS 1 rocket on an Advanced Launch Pad at the Arnhem Space Centre
Sirius Space Services Co-founder & CTO François Maroquene-Froissart said ELA’s commitment to safety, operational excellence and service aligns with the company’s mission to deliver agile and competitive launch solutions for its global customers.
“Our decision to select ELA was driven by their advanced commercial spaceport concept, which includes state-of-the-art infrastructure, innovative commercial offerings, and exceptional customer service and support,” he said.
The first campaign will kick-off with the development and test flights of SIRIUS 1 in 2026, followed by launches of the larger SIRIUS 13 in 2027.
