ElevationSpace Signs Range Facility Agreement with Southern Launch
ElevationSpace, the Sendai-based space recovery company led by CEO Ryohei Kobayashi, has concluded a Range Facility Agreement with Australian space infrastructure firm Southern Launch.
1 source 1h ago
Reporting from 1 source: ASCII.jp.
Why it matters
The agreement gives ElevationSpace a recovery site outside Japan at a time when demand for bringing space experiment results back to Earth is rising ahead of the planned end of ISS operations at the end of 2030.
Key Facts
- ElevationSpace concluded a Range Facility Agreement with Southern Launch, which operates spaceports and commercial test ranges in Australia.
- Southern Launch owns and operates the Koonibba Test Range and the Whaler's Way Orbital Launch Complex in South Australia.
- The agreement covers an operational framework for atmospheric reentry and recovery missions for ElevationSpace's ELS-R platform and ELS-RS material recovery service.
- ElevationSpace is headquartered in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, and led by Representative Director and CEO Ryohei Kobayashi.
- Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp leads the Adelaide, South Australia-based company.
The deal covers use of Southern Launch's Koonibba Test Range and Whaler's Way Orbital Launch Complex in South Australia for atmospheric reentry and landing recovery missions. ElevationSpace says the agreement gives it a recovery base outside Japan for its ELS-R platform and ELS-RS material recovery service.
Southern Launch operates the Koonibba Test Range, a commercial test range, and the Whaler's Way Orbital Launch Complex in South Australia. Under the agreement, the two companies will establish an operational framework for reentry and recovery missions using those facilities.
ElevationSpace is developing ELS-R, a space environment utilization and recovery platform, and ELS-RS, a high-frequency material recovery service from crewed platforms. The company says facilities that can safely land and recover reentered spacecraft, and environments where operational approvals can be obtained, are extremely limited globally.
Written with AI by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited. See our editorial policy.
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