Space Centre Australia teams with Orbit Boy to provide autonomous access to space for Australia and UK
Asia Pacific Launch is a joint venture to provide customers with autonomous access to low earth orbit.
Space Centre Australia has joined forces with UK based horizontal space launch company Orbit Boy PLC and the UK’s Department for Business & Trade to focus on low earth orbit (LEO) access to space using a technology known as Asia Pacific Launch.
The unique air-dropped horizontal launch system has been heralded as a “ground-breaking” launch-as-a-service offering providing customers with autonomous LEO access for up to 200 kilograms per launch, including ride share and multiple payload configuration options.
It is expected to generate opportunities for manufacturing, employment, research and development and the acceleration of economic growth within Australia’s space industry and manufacturing sectors.
The collaboration is being offered additional support and facilitation by the UK-Australia Space Bridge Framework Arrangement introduced in 2021 to grow the space industries of both countries.
Exciting Times
Space Centre Australia chief executive officer James Palmer said the new joint venture represented an “exciting time” for the nation’s space industry.
“With the introduction of Asia Pacific Launch, we will soon see access to space become more unified, more affordable and more readily available for payload owners seeking cost-effective, time-efficient and safe access to LEO from Australia,” he said.
“Additionally, this joint venture will add a complementary capability offering to our own operations in the LEO market.”
He said Asia Pacific Launch would allow businesses to utilise inter-governmental initiatives such as Space Bridge to complete LEO missions and enhance the highly-competitive global space industry value chain.
On-demand air-launch system
Orbit Boy is an on-demand microsatellite air launch system which can be flown wherever needed to pick up and integrate a customer’s payload and launch it from a local airport in 24 hours. Its solution can be modified to multiple carrier craft that has air lift and air drop capabilities.
The rocket is based on time-proven technologies combined with state-of-the-art aviation and payload deployment systems and includes solid fuel technology allowing for launches to occur utilising standard international runways globally.
Orbit Boy co-founder Volodymyr Usov welcomed the partnership with Space Centre Australia.
“This collaboration will bring a totally new capability and mechanism for launch to LEO to the Asia Pacific region and provide much-needed access to the rapidly-growing LEO launch sector in Australia and Asia Pacific,” he said.
“Access to critical launch infrastructure globally is becoming highly-competitive … proven, safe and reliable technology with stable critical launch infrastructure and a diverse offering of launch providers is key to successful LEO launch missions and LEO space domain management.”