Southern Launch has signed an agreement with US aerospace company SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. to host multiple orbital re-entry missions at South Australia’s Koonibba Test Range.
The agreement will support SpaceWorks’ growing portfolio of atmospheric Re-Entry Devices (RED), designed to safely return spacecraft and high-value payloads and reinforces Koonibba’s position as a leading global location for spacecraft and payload re-entry and recovery.
Southern Launch Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Damp said the partnership highlights South Australia’s capability in the fast-growing re-entry and in-space manufacturing markets.
“SpaceWorks are developing re-entry capsules for the return of payloads manufactured in space,” Mr Damp said.
“Southern Launch offers world-leading expertise and infrastructure to support their missions. We look forward to welcoming their capsules back to Earth at the Koonibba Test Range.”
The first recovery under this agreement will support SpaceWorks’ upcoming Commercial Orbital System for Microgravity Crystallization demonstration mission. The project has received partial funding through a NASA TechLeap Prize and a Phase III SBIR contract.
SpaceWorks Chief Executive Officer Dr John Bradford said the collaboration is a key step in bringing its technology to market.
“This partnership with Southern Launch represents an important step forward in the commercialisation of our RED re-entry systems,” Dr Bradford said.
“The scale, favourable conditions, and operational flexibility of the Koonibba Test Range provide a world-class environment as we deliver reliable and cost-effective re-entry and recovery services to the commercial space market.”
SpaceWorks’ RED product line consists of small, cost-effective re-entry systems designed to return high-value payloads from space, supporting a range of commercial, scientific and defence applications including material testing, flight environment profiling and in-space manufacturing.
Under the agreement, Southern Launch will provide end-to-end range services including regulatory approvals, range operations, airspace and maritime coordination, tracking and recovery operations.
The Koonibba Test Range, operated in partnership with the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation, has rapidly emerged as a premier destination for commercial re-entry missions, with multiple successful orbital returns completed over the past year.
