South Australia is set to benefit from economic expansion into low Earth orbit after Adelaide based company Southern Launch completed a world-first achievement landing the first ever commercial spacecraft to a commercial test range.
The return of the W-2 capsule to South Australia proves that manufacturing materials in orbit and returning the materials safely to Earth is not only possible but can become as common as space launch. It’s a giant leap forward in an emerging industry that will ultimately benefit everyone on Earth through improved health and materials science.
The opportunity for South Australia is immense with international space companies lining up to return spacecraft to the Koonibba Test Range, located 40km from Ceduna. Low sea and air traffic, good year round weather and large expanses of land make the Koonibba Test Range the number one place globally to return in-space manufacturing spacecraft.
Space re-entries to the Koonibba Test Range will support jobs and manufacturing on the Eyre Peninsula, bring global investment to the Koonibba community who operate the Koonibba Test Range in partnership with Southern Launch and continue to grow the world-class space sector in South Australia.
It is predicted that in 10 years’ time everyone will be using something that contains an element that is manufactured in space. For South Australia, this is an opportunity to build on the state’s strong manufacturing heritage and take core materials that are manufactured in space and returned to Earth at the Koonibba Test Range and create advanced technology that will shape the future of humanity around the world.
California based Varda Space Industries enlisted the expert services of Australian space mission services provider Southern Launch to partner on the W-2 mission. The W-2 capsule returned to Earth safely at Southern Launch’s Koonibba Test Range in the early hours on Friday 28 February, completing a dual-purpose mission with payloads from the United States Air Force, NASA and Varda’s own expanded pharmaceutical reactor.
Southern Launch is Australia’s leading space mission service provider and was responsible for sourcing all of the regulatory approvals and permitting for the W-2 mission. During re-entry operations the Southern Launch team also worked to ensure air and sea space remained clear for public safety and employed advanced tracking telescopes to watch the capsule reenter and land under parachute.
