Space Centre Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Space Centre Australia (SCA) is a spaceport complex slated for development across two locations on the Cape York Peninsula.[1] Small-scale launch missions are expected to use the facility by the end of 2026, with larger operations beginning 2029.[1] Once complete, its position in Far North Queensland may provide launch access closer to the equator than any other in the Asia Pacific region.[2][3]
The north of Cape York Peninsula has been recognised as optimal for rocket launch into space.[4] It was first canvassed for aerospace launches by the Government of Queensland in the 1980s.[5] The peninsula is close to the equator, stretching from 16th parallel south to 10th parallel south.[6] A rocket launched here can take optimum advantage of earth's rotational speed, as it will already be moving at a speed of nearly 1650 km per hour relative to Earth's core.[7] This makes launching a payload less expensive for space agencies.[4] Like all of Australia's far north, the region is sparsely populated, with stable weather patterns, which some analysts regard as "ideal for establishing a sovereign launch capability."[4] The planned locations are:
- Weipa, 43 kilometres east of the town of Weipa, close to RAAF Scherger.[8]
- Utingu, on 88 hectares in Punsand Bay, in an area known as Utingua in Bamaga, 30 kilometres north of New Mapoon.[3]
Planning and approvals
SCA aims to be Australia's first large-scale, multi-use spaceport; providing North to Easterly Low Earth orbit (LEO), Northern Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) access to space.[9][10] The project contains four principal development locations:
- Cairns, Queensland Headquarters.
- SCA Primary Launch Facility (PLF) located near Weipa, North Queensland.
- Northern Tracking and Surveillance Site near Bamaga, North Queensland known as Utingu.
- Eastern Tracking and Surveillance Site Near Lockhart River, North Queensland.
For the development of the Weipa PLF site, final approvals will come under Mokwiri Aboriginal Corporation, working with the Coordinator-General's office in the state government.[11] The Utingu and Lockhart River sites are Freehold land and come under the respective local councils the Torres Strait Island Region[3] and Cook Shire Council.
