Space Centre Australia chairman Scott Morrison and CEO James Palmer inspect an aircraft like the one that will be used for Project Karman Line after the company signed an agreement with NASA to help develop horizontal launch capability for defence and commercial applications. Photo: Supplied.
The bold ambition to transform western Cape York into an international space hub has taken a step forward after Space Centre Australia (SCA) signed a deal with NASA this month to help develop horizontal launch capacity earmarked for defence and commercial applications.
Under the reimbursable agreement, SCA will conduct inert flight testing and utilise NASA’S Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in the US state of Virginia, including airfield operations, launch range support and NASA-provided safety analysis services.
These activities support the company’s airborne launch platform development, known as Project Karman Line, which features a modified C-130J Super Hercules aircraft capable of deploying small payloads of up to 250 kilograms into low-Earth orbit (LEO).
SCA chairman Scott Morrison and chief executive officer travelled to the US for the signing of the agreement, with the former prime minister flagging the benefit the project would have for the company’s ambition around Weipa.
“This agreement represents a key milestone for SCA as we secure strategic partnerships with premier global institutions like NASA,” Mr Morrison said.
“Our work at Wallops Island will not only showcase our growing technical capabilities, but will also accelerate progress toward establishing Australia’s premier heavy-lift launch facility in Cape York.”
WFF director David Pierce said he believed the project would play a role in growing the space economy of both the US and Australia.
“From our beginnings, Wallops has provided critical operational and test range services to support the advancement of new launch capabilities that serve to boost assured access to space for our nation,” he said.
“I’m excited to enter into this agreement with Space Centre Australia and the work we’ll do together to enable this new US commercial launch capability and grow the space economy on Virginia’s eastern shore.
Mr Morrison and Mr Palmer will discuss the project, and what it will mean for the economic diversity of the Weipa region, at the 2025 Western Cape Futures Symposium on 7-8 May.
Space Centre Australia’s planned horizontal launch capability, known as Project Karman Line, will use a C-130J Super Hercules as an airborne launch platform to deliver payloads of up to 250 kilograms into low-Earth orbit. Photo: Supplied.
