Company Overview
Southern Launch advances Australia’s sovereign space and aerospace capabilities through end-to-end launch, testing and mission services.
Our experienced team work with defence, government and commercial customers to manage all aspects of complex flight missions and capability development.
Southern Launch operates two unique spaceports designed to support a broad range of operational and testing requirements.
The Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex is one of the only sites in the world that can provide high-cadence launches to polar and sun-synchronous orbits, supporting responsive access to space and national security objectives.
The Koonibba Test Range is Australia’s largest civilian overland testing facility and specialises in suborbital missions and the validation of advanced technology. Customers can recover vehicles and payloads from the test range for further analysis and system validation.
Southern Launch prides itself on delivering mission assurance through proven infrastructure, regulatory expertise and responsive operations. We work closely with our customers to provide safe, reliable and frequent access to flight testing and mission execution.
Products and Services
Southern Launch operates two unique spaceports designed to support a broad range of aerospace, defence and national security missions, delivering integrated range services, launch infrastructure and mission support.
The Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex supports direct ascent trajectories from 55 to 177 degrees, including polar, sun-synchronous orbits and 135-degree (equivalent to 45-degree) inclination. The complex also supports hypersonic flight testing.
The Koonibba Test Range is the largest commercial rocket testing facility in the Southern Hemisphere. The overland range encompasses over 41,000 square kilometres and extends up to 350 kilometres overland, providing a secure environment for flight testing, technology demonstration and capability validation.
The range is equipped with a 16.8-metre launch rail capable of launching vehicles up to 4,200kg, supported by telemetry, tracking and range safety services that enable customers to safely execute and monitor flight operations.
The facility can also receive the return of space technologies from orbit inclinations ranging from polar orbit to as low as 32 degrees, enabling payload recovery, post-flight analysis and system validation.
The Koonibba Test Range is operated in partnership with the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation and is Australia’s first licensed space launch facility, with a proven track record of supporting launch, testing and range operations under Australian regulatory frameworks.
Capabilities
- Air and Space Transport
- Architectural Engineering and Technical Services
- Professional Scientific and Technical Services
- Public Administration and Defence
- Regulatory Services
- Transport Postal and Warehousing
