This comes following the postponement of the scheduled launch of the Kestrel I rocket in November following an unprecedented weather event that saw the rocket suffer lightning damage while on the launch pad.
Initially, the team believed that the damage suffered to the Kestrel I rocket would cause a significantly longer delay of the launch.
However, closer investigations revealed that the lightning damage suffered was fairly minor, paving the way for the greenlight of the launches this year.
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Both missions will launch from the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex, situated on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia.
Dr YenSen Chen, chief executive officer of ATSpace, spoke about the minor damage to the rocket.
“We were very pleased to discover that the repairs required to the VS03 rocket were minimal. We always planned to launch the VS02 rocket in 2022 and it is fantastic that we can attempt to combine the two missions to be consecutive launches.”
The two consecutive launches have already received their regulatory permissions from the Australian Space Agency (ASA), clearing the facility for launch.
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Southern Launch has also worked closely with the South Australian Country Fire Services to put in place a range of extra safety measures to allow the launch to go ahead despite expected fire bans.
Lloyd Damp, chief executive officer of Southern Launch, spoke about the need for a strong relationship with regulators for these kinds of launches.
“We’re at a point where we can sit down with regulators. And I’d like to believe that they know that we have the best intentions with all of our activities.”
Damp also spoke about the anticipation for the launch, following several false-starts on the launchpad over the past two years.
“When this launch vehicle lifts off the pad and turns south and flies off over the horizon, I will be shouting for joy.”
A successful launch before the end of the year would be a huge success for Southern Launch, ATSpace and their partners Inovor and Asension, who will have payloads being carried into orbit on the Kestrel I rockets.
Damp emphasised the hard work his team has put in over the last few weeks to manage such a quick turn around on the investigation and repair of the rocket, along with completing all of the regulatory requirements.
“I’ve got some amazingly smart people. The team has been absolutely fantastic,” he said.
“I’m very proud to be a part of this company doing these types of activities because it is very professional.”
Liam McAneny
Liam McAneny is a journalist who has written and edited for his University International Relations journal. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (International Relations) and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Wollongong in 2021. He joined Momentum Media in 2022 and currently writes for SpaceConnect and Australian Aviation. Liam has a keen interest in geopolitics and international relations as well as astronomy.
Send Liam an email at: [email protected]
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