Southern Launch has signed an agreement with South Korean launch service provider INNOSPACE to support future space missions from South Australia, including operations at the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex and the Koonibba Test Range.
Under the agreement, INNOSPACE will be able to conduct a range of activities from the two sites, spanning orbital satellite launches and suborbital test and technology demonstration missions. Operations are expected to commence from 2026 and continue for at least the next decade.
The arrangement expands INNOSPACE’s available launch locations while reinforcing South Australia’s role as an emerging launch and test destination within the global space sector. Southern Launch operates both Whalers Way, designed for orbital launches over the Southern Ocean, and Koonibba, which supports suborbital testing and re-entry activities.
Southern Launch Chief Executive Lloyd Damp said the partnership would support a broad mix of mission profiles across the two sites and reflects growing international interest in Australian launch infrastructure.
INNOSPACE has steadily progressed its launch capabilities in recent years. In 2023, it became the first private South Korean company to successfully launch a test launch vehicle, HANBIT-TLV. Since then, the company has continued work on engines and systems intended for orbital missions, alongside discussions with commercial and institutional customers on future launch services.
INNOSPACE Founder and Chief Executive Soojong Kim said access to additional launch sites would allow the company to respond more flexibly to different mission requirements, including satellite deployment, technology demonstrations and space-manufactured product return missions.
For Southern Launch, the agreement adds to its growing portfolio of international customers and supports its strategy of enabling higher-cadence suborbital and orbital activity from Australian soil. The company said the partnership demonstrates the readiness of its infrastructure to support sustained launch operations for global providers as demand for responsive and diversified access to space increases.
