Ibadan, 16 February 2024. – Singapore’s rocket company, Equatorial Space Systems (ESS), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA). The MoU will consequently see ESS become a resident launcher at the Arnhem Space Centre in Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory. The MoU covers upcoming suborbital launches onboard the Dorado sounding rocket family – carrying science experiments and technology demonstrator payloads – and extends towards orbital launch services for satellite clients onboard the company’s Volans launch vehicles.
ELA is on a mission to become the pre-eminent multi-user commercial space launch company, providing world-class launch services supporting the launch, recovery and testing of space vehicles and payloads flown to and from all space orbits. Furthermore, it owns and operates the Arnhem Space Centre (ASC) in East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. The proximity of the ASC to the equator offers rocket companies and their payload customers operational freedom and simplicity for their launch and mission design.
Speaking on the MoU, Michael Jones, CEO of Equatorial Launch Australia, said, “Australia’s geopolitical stability, mature economy, supportive regulatory environment, as well as our remoteness and access to multiple orbit options, are attractive to the global space industry, and our ability to relieve the launch congestion overseas also puts us in a great position to service growing demand”
ELA’s CEO also added, “We have a cost-effective solution for both small and larger rockets; we have facilities for assembly, integration and test of both engines, sub-systems and the entire rocket. The other obvious advantage is our remoteness. This makes recovery and operations for sub-orbital launch and testing easier, and when offset by the access to the area via a jet-serviced airport and a deep-water port, our customers are all seeing the key attributes that set us apart from other spaceports.”
