Page 91 - SAMENA Trends - February 2020

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Australian Launch Industry Looks to Government for Regulatory and

Financial Support

Australia’s nascent launch industry says it would like to see the state governments have invested in launch sites. Australia does
country’s government provide more financial and regulatory have regulations for licensing commercial launches, but how
support to help it get established in the global market. In a panel they’re applied can be an issue. Scott said she’s run into issues
discussion during the Ninth Australian Space Forum in Adelaide involving environmental regulations for her launch site. “We
Feb. 18, leaders of launch vehicle companies and spaceport needed to apply ourselves and our practice and align it to what
operators in the country emphasized the benefits of their industry the mining industry does,” she said. “Not only is that a very heavy
in creating jobs and overall economic development, and that process, it also isn’t fit for purpose.” She and other panelists also
Australia was well-positioned to capture a share of the growing said that launch licenses should allow vehicles to switch launch
demand for satellite launches. “Australia is actually an excellent sites, or make minor modifications, without having to file for a
place for launch but also for investment more broadly, and launch new application. That has been an issue in the United States,
in itself is a critical enabler of future growth economically in where ongoing regulatory reform proposes to allow a single
Australia,” said Carley Scott, chief executive of Equatorial Launch launch vehicle license be applicable from multiple launch sites.
Australia, which is setting up a launch site in the Northern Territory. “That will save a lot of time and a lot headcount,” said Gilmour.
Other panelists emphasized Australia’s capabilities both in terms The speed of the regulatory process is another issue for launch
of available land to support launches but also its economic and operators, said Lloyd Damp, chief executive of Southern Launch,
political situation. “You need a geopolitically stable country and a a company establishing a launch site in South Australia with
large land mass,” said Blake Nikolic, chief executive of Black Sky South Korean small launch vehicle developer Perigee Aerospace
Aerospace, which provides launch vehicle, propulsion and related as one customer. “It’s not really for us so much the content of
services. Australia is one of the few countries in the Southern the approval process,” he said, “it’s about the timeliness so that
Hemisphere that can offer both, he argued. To be successful, Australia as a whole can do safe launch from our lands as well as
though, companies said they were looking for government reap the financial benefits that we as all Australians would like to
support that parallels what is available in other countries. Adam see.”
Gilmour, chief executive of small launch vehicle developer Gilmour
Space Technologies, said that while most of the customers for
his company’s vehicle are from outside Australia, his company
can’t compete for contracts from government agencies in
some countries, like the United States, where they have to buy
domestically. He called for a similar policy in Australia. “We can’t
compete for U.S. government launches because, in America, they
have to use an American launcher to launch a U.S. government
payload,” he said. “We don’t have that here, so that would really
help.” Gilmour also advocated for the Australian government to
support development of launch infrastructure like spaceports,
citing examples like the United States where both federal and

Astrocast Inks Sixth Cubesat Launch Deal With Spaceflight

Rideshare launch provider Spaceflight to have experienced partners deploying (L-band) data from IoT devices around
will send 10 additional nanosatellites into our constellation,” said Kjell Karlsen, CFO the world. The constellation, however,
orbit for Internet of Things (IoT) network of Astrocast. “Spaceflight has proven to be will target mobile networks operating in
developer Astrocast in late 2021, the a reliable partner from our very first launch. remote regions. The constellation will
companies announced Feb. 6. The new We couldn’t ask for a better launch and provide 256 bit encryption with multi-level
contract represents Astrocast’s sixth mission management service.” Astrocast security. Airbus helped Astrocast develop
launch order from Spaceflight, which is is currently engaged in a partnership with a low-cost Application-Specific Integrated
now slated to launch 30 of the 100 planned the European Space Agency (ESA), Airbus, Circuit (ASIC) and data-protocol that
satellites all in late 2021. “Access to space and Thuraya to develop an advanced provides the most power efficient satellite
is the number one challenge for this nanosatellite IoT network powered by a modem for IoT applications.
industry. Astrocast is at an accelerated constellation of 100 cubesats designed
phase in company growth where it is critical to transmit and receive low bandwidth

91 FEBRUARY 2020