Voice of America
27 Jun 2022, 17:43 GMT+10
Sydney - NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has successfully completed its first rocket launch from a commercial space facility outside of the United States. A 13-meter rocket blasted off Monday from a site in the Australian outback.
A 13-meter sub-orbital rocket took off from the newly built Arnhem Space Centre in Australia's Northern Territory Monday. Lift-off was delayed by about two hours because of strong winds and heavy rain.
The launch was the first of its kind in Australia in more than 25 years and the first of three scheduled NASA missions from the site.
Researchers hope the information gathered from the flights will help them understand how light from a star could affect the habitability of nearby planets. They have said that this type of study can only be carried out in the Southern Hemisphere.
The unmanned flight briefly scanned the Milky Way, measuring X-Ray emissions and analyzing the structure of stars.
Brad Tucker, an astrophysicist at the Australian National University, told Australian television that the launch is part of a project to boost the domestic space industry.
"When you build a satellite you have to go overseas to do it and so the fact that we are now seeing this build-up of launching from Australia this is, kind of, that final piece of the puzzle to having, you know, a really massive industry in this sector of space and then we see that that, kind of, the first group that says, yes, we want to do it, we want to be a part of the story is Nasa, you know, it just, kind of, gives the street cred[ibility] so to speak that you are on the right track from what you are thinking," he said.
The Arnhem Space Center is the world's only commercially owned equatorial launch facility.
The center is built on Aboriginal land. Tribal elders hope the project will provide jobs and opportunities for young First Nations people.
Officials said the center combines one of the "oldest cultures in the world with some of the most advanced technology ever."
The next NASA rocket will be launched in the Northern Territory on July 4, and the third will take off on July 12.
About 75 NASA staff have travelled to northern Australia for all three launches.
Australia is working to increase its capabilities in space. This year, it announced a new defense agency that would work to counter China and Russia's ambitions in space. Along with the United States, the two countries are reported to have tested weapons that could destroy a satellite.
The Australian Space Agency was created in July 2018 to "support the growth and transformation" of the nation's space industry."
Get a daily dose of Peking Press news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Peking Press.
More InformationREDMOND, Washington: Artificial intelligence is transforming Microsoft's bottom line. The company saved over US$500 million last year...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A federal rule designed to make it easier for Americans to cancel subscriptions has been blocked by a U.S. appeals...
BASTROP, Texas: In a surprising turn at Elon Musk's X platform, CEO Linda Yaccarino announced she is stepping down, just months after...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak will return to Goldman Sachs in an advisory role, the Wall Street...
LONDON, U.K.: Physically backed gold exchange-traded funds recorded their most significant semi-annual inflow since the first half...
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Some 32 percent of global semiconductor production could face climate change-related copper supply disruptions...
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Some 32 percent of global semiconductor production could face climate change-related copper supply disruptions...
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: At a two-day summit over the weekend, the BRICS bloc of emerging economies issued a joint declaration condemning...
DHARAMSHALA, India: The Dalai Lama turned 90 on July 6, celebrated by thousands of followers in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala,...
PARIS, France: French military and intelligence officials have accused China of orchestrating a covert campaign to damage the reputation...
CULVER CITY, California: TikTok is preparing to roll out a separate version of its app for U.S. users, as efforts to secure a sale...
HONG KONG: China has fired back at the European Union in an escalating trade dispute by imposing new restrictions on medical device...