WHY WE’RE READY FOR LAUNCH
A NEW static rocket testing facility at Helidon could prove to be the catalyst for a boom in Toowoomba’s space industry.
The University of Southern Queensland is working on developing the facility just east of Toowoomba, which experts say could bring a massive boost to the local economy.
It would be the only static rocket testing facility outside of the Defence Force.
This comes just days after the State Government released its new space strategy.
TOOWOOMBA and the Darling Downs is on the cusp of a space boom, according to an industry leader.
The comments come after the Queensland Government this week launched its new Space Industry Strategy which aims to boost and support the space industry around Queensland, including in Toowoomba.
University of Southern Queensland Institute for Advanced Engineering and Space Sciences executive director Professor Peter Schubel consulted on the strategy and said the State Government having it was incredibly important to furthering the growth that was already happening in this region, led by USQ.
“We already are working to identify potential habitable exoplanets through the Mount Kent Observatory, we have contracts with NASA and the (German Aerospace Center) to support projects like space debris monitoring,” he said.
“We’ve just been awarded a $12.5 million grant to (create lightweight rocket fuel tanks) with Gilmour Space.”
The university is also progressing on its plans to open a static rocket-testing facility near Helidon.
A static rocket-testing facility allows developers to fire rockets that are locked down to the ground in a controlled environment so they’ll know how they will perform when launched.
Prof Schubel said it would be the only facility of its kind outside of the Defence Force in Australia and would have a huge flow-on effect for the local economy.
“It will draw rocket manufacturing companies to the region as they will locate themselves close to test sites,” he said.
“That would also draw the supply chain after it.”
State Development Minister Cameron Dick said the $8 million strategy would accelerate Queensland’s space industry into a new growth phase.