Brian Duane will oversee clients’ needs at the Arnhem Space Centre, including fuel, logistical and engineering support. He replaces Craig Gibbons, who departed in March.
In a statement, ELA said the general manager role would see Duane provide “essential and mission-critical services” to clients and help quickly re-ready the launch pads between lift-offs.
“Working within Defence, Mr Duane gained significant experience in the delivery and management of infrastructure across Australia including multiple sites in the top end and other remote locations such as Woomera in South Australia,” ELA said.
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“Having recently managed a national program of works covering a multitude of different and complex infrastructure requirements and projects, Mr Duane is well suited to support ELA in the delivery of a complex program of works.”
This news comes shortly after ELA revealed it had signed up a second launch company as a long-term tenant.
Sirius Space Services will launch its first rocket in 2026, followed by further launches the following year as part of a “multi-year, multi-launch” agreement.
ELA also revealed it was in the “final stages of negotiations” with three more rocket firms to become long-term tenants, with announcements expected shortly.
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The company plans to accommodate up to seven resident launchers initially, but the site has the potential to grow further. It will also rent out launch pads and services for one-off, ad hoc blast-offs.
Alongside its orbital launchers, ELA also announced this year that the Singaporean rocket firm, Equatorial Space Systems, would perform suborbital launches later this year.
Duane joins the executive team of CEO Michael Jones, GM of operations and launch Ben Tett, GM regulatory and corporate affairs Francois Lambert, chief financial officer Alex Somers, head of launch Joshua Daish, head of business development Nina Patz, and head of launch programs Dr Sholto Forbes-Spyratos.
ELA’s spaceport is one of four in Australia, competing against rivals Southern Launch in South Australia, which has two, and Gilmour Space Technologies in Queensland.
Despite its recent flurry of commercial deals, the company is best known for blasting off three NASA rockets in 2022, in a landmark moment for the local sector.
Adam Thorn
Adam is a journalist who has worked for more than 40 prestigious media brands in the UK and Australia. Since 2005, his varied career has included stints as a reporter, copy editor, feature writer and editor for publications as diverse as Fleet Street newspaper The Sunday Times, fashion bible Jones, media and marketing website Mumbrella as well as lifestyle magazines such as GQ, Woman’s Weekly, Men’s Health and Loaded. He joined Momentum Media in early 2020 and currently writes for Australian Aviation and World of Aviation.
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