AN AUSTRALIAN engineering company and Russia's Scientific Technical Complex (STC) have signed an agreement to study the feasibility of establishing a commercial launch service for low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites from the Woomera Rocket Range in South Australia.
The Russian Start booster would be used to carry 600kg payloads to LEO for a variety of commercial and scientific missions, as part of the Australian Space Launch Service, which could begin in 1997.
After initial support from STC, the technology would be transferred to Australia Submarine Engineering, which will manufacture the launch-support equipment.
The Russian Cosmos Group has also been discussing a similar project with Australian companies to launch Start rockets from Woomera, or from a site in northern Australia. The Start booster is based on the former SS-25 solid-propellant ballistic missile.
A four-stage version, with a 500kg payload capability, was launched successfully from the Plesetsk, Russia, site in 1993, but the maiden launch of a five-stage version (with a 700kg capability) failed on 28 March, 1995, resulting in the loss of Israel's Gurwin 1, Mexico's Unansat 1 and Russia's EKA 2 research satellites.
Source: Flight International
