AtSpace trialling its South Australia-made rockets at Southern Launch's Whaler's Way site on Eyre Peninsula

AtSpace chief executive officer Dr Yen-Sen Chen and Southern Launch chief executive officer Lloyd Damp whose companies were launching trials of AtSpace's Kestrel rockets at South Launch's Whaler's Way launch site.
Image courtesy AtSpace

AtSpace, among the first partner companies for the Australian Space Park manufacturing hub at Adelaide Airport, was previously making rockets in South Australia to be tested from launches within the state. 

AtSpace, the sister company to TiSpace from Taiwan, was founded in Australia in 2021, using a rocket manufacturing plant in the Adelaide northwestern suburb of Wingfield. It was developing non-explosive hybrid rocket propulsion technologies that enable dfast turnaround space launch services. In 2022, the Australian government has granted South-Australian-based launch company Southern Launch, and AtSpace, approvals for two new launch approvals from the Whalers Way launch complex.

The two missions, named VS02 and VS03, had a two-fold purpose. Firstly, they aim to push the envelope of the Kestrel I rocket by incrementally testing the rocket under different conditions. A 10-metre two-stage launch vehicle, the Kestrel I would reach an altitude of more than 200 kilometres. For manufacturer AtSpace, this testing was integral to engineers identifying any weak links and improve future rocket designs.

AtSpace chief executive Dr Yen-Sen Chen test launches were the only way to attain technical maturity for any launch vehicle company: “These two suborbital launches will provide us with valuable data to validate our future Kestrel V orbital design. They are the gateway to AtSpace’s growth and future investment in Australia and jobs for Australians.”  

The second purpose of the missions was related to the impact of the launch at Whaler’s Way on lower Eyre Peninsula itself. During the launch, on-site personnel would  collect noise data from the lift-off to help inform the future operation of the Whalers Way orbital launch complex. The launch complex, was first proposed in 2018, and was officially approved by the Australian Space Agency in 2021.

Southern Launch led the construction of the site and continued as its the main operator. It was a highly strategic site, close to industry infrastructure that can support rocket launches, good year-round weather, and low in air and nautical traffic density.  But Whalers Way was a pristine coastal area and home to a rich ecosystem of flora and fauna, and sparked concern among conservationists and traditional owners.

Southern Launch adhered to strict conditions when building and operating the launch complex, and gavce  $180,000 to study of two bird species endemic to Whalers Way. Southern Launch continued to test parameters of launches, including noise and vibration, to assess and minimise the impact on the surrounding environment.