The Australian Government is to build a A$100 million ($52 million) commercial spaceport on Christmas Island after the Brazilian Government made an offer of undisclosed value to lure developer Asia Pacific Space Centre (APSC) to a South Atlantic site.
The new spaceport could carry out its first test launches within three years. The Australian Government is forecasting a potential direct revenue return on its investment of up to A$1.5 billion over 20 years. The APSC is offering 10-12 flights a year, targeted at the low earth and geostationary earth orbit satellite sectors.
Australian industry minister Senator Nick Minchim says that the investment was intended to "ensure that Australia beat intense competition from Brazil".
APSC plans to initially fly ARS-3K medium launch vehicles designed and developed by TsSKB-Progress, although there are other Russian launchers also under consideration.
APSC was formed in 1997 by Australian, Asian and US investors. Spaceport design will be carried out by the Russian Design Bureau of General Machine Building and the Design Bureau of Transport Machinery, with construction costs estimated at A$800 million.
The company plans to fly orbital payloads to Singapore or the Cocos Islands, and transfer them on Antonov 22 or Antonov 70 aircraft. Rockets would be built in modular form in Russia and transported by sea to the island, which is 3,000km west of Darwin. Payload processing would be carried out by Astrotech with the Russian Space Agency conducting launches.
Source: Flight International
