Former prime minister and Space Centre Australia chairman Scott Morrison has told the Australian Space Summit and Exhibition the company’s Atakani Space Centre, near Weipa, represents a “project of great national significance”. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
A Sydney conference has heard the space centre proposed for western Cape York is a “project of great national significance” as its proponent announced the facility’s name last week.
Space Centre Australia (SCA) used the Australian Space Summit and Exhibition 2025 on 27-28 May to reveal the 300 square kilometre base, which will be built about 40 kilometres from Weipa, will be called the Atakani Space Centre.
Named after the Luthigh word for “lily pad”, the facility is currently in advanced planning and is expected to reach initial operational readiness by 2029, with full-scale commercial launches expected to begin soon after.
Former prime minister and SCA chairman Scott Morrison, who spoke about the ambitious project at the 2025 Western Cape Futures Symposium last month, said he believed it had the potential to put the region on the national and international space map in terms of strategic importance.
“Space is already a highly contested domain that is shaping the geopolitical environment and future technological advancement,” he said.
“Australia must leverage its unique geography and network of security relationships … to build a sophisticated space ecosystem that is integrated with our allies and partners, to protect our shared national security interests.
“The Atakani Space Centre in Cape York will deliver the essential space launch infrastructure Australia will need to achieve this goal; this makes the Atakani Space Centre a project of great national significance.”
SCA chief executive officer James Palmer echoed his chairman’s sentiment about the importance of the Weipa project.
“The Atakani Space Centre represents a bold step forward for Australia’s space capabilities,” he said.
“Our vision is to establish a world-class facility that not only advances our technological prowess, but also brings substantial economic growth to the Western Cape region.”
