ATSpace has broken the altitude record for an Australian-launched rocket with the successful flight of its A01 rocket in South Australia.
The Brisbane-based space tech company said A01 “performed perfectly”, reaching close to target height of almost 80km, after launching from Southern Launch’s Koonibba Test Range on Thursday morning.
The company said the successful four-and-a-half-minute flight validated its unique hybrid rocket propulsion technology.
“This successful launch proves that our technology is viable and is a great step forward as we move toward developing our orbital launch vehicles,” ATSpace chief operating officer Nick Chang said.
Hybrid rocket propulsion uses a combination of solid and semi-solid fuels, allowing for controllable thrust and larger payload capacities at lower costs than traditional rockets.
A Southern Launch spokesperson told InnovationAus.com the A01 rocket was being recovered from the Koonibba Test Range by helicopter as of Friday morning for post-flight analysis.
Southern Launch chief executive Lloyd Damp said that “conducting these missions at the Koonibba Test Range has allowed ATSpace to accelerate their hybrid propulsion system development”.
Koonibba is the world’s largest privately owned rocket test range, and the largest in the southern hemisphere, allowing rocket launches over a distance of up to 145km.
ATSpace was founded in 2021, receiving permission to begin test launches of its Kestrel I rockets from Southern Launch’s SA-based Whalers’ Way Orbital Launch Complex in 2022.
The A01 flight marks its first successful rocket launch.
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