Rockets could be blasting into orbit from Derby within five years if the State and Federal governments get behind an ambitious proposal from the Ukrainian Government.
The State Space Agency of Ukraine (SSAU) wants to build a spaceport outside the Curtin air base in the Kimberley, pitching the idea as an answer to Australia’s decades-old dream to host its own launch facility.
The bid, first proposed to the State and Federal governments in 2016, has struggled to gain traction within a sector that has, until now, lacked a champion in an Australian space agency and is jaded by pie-in-the-sky proposals that have quickly disappeared.
But Ukraine’s Ambassador to Australia, Mykola Kulinich, told The West Australian that Ukraine has the technical expertise, supply chain and a long history in the global space race to back its offer.
“This proposal is very realistic,” he said. “Ukraine could launch tomorrow morning if we had a site. We offer our people and our expertise if Australia has land for use.”....
https://thewest.com.au/technology/space ... b88765608z
