Southern Launch and Lux Aeterna have signed a contract to conduct orbital re-entries of Lux Aeterna’s reusable satellite infrastructure to the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia. The partnership will support the future of circular space manufacturing and operations with rapid, reliable, and flexible access to orbit, enabling governments, businesses, and research organizations to maximise the benefits of the space economy.
Under the agreement, two Lux Aeterna Delphi satellites will return to the Koonibba Test Range with Southern Launch. The first mission is targeted to return in 2027.
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Download free sample pages More informationLux Aeterna, based in Denver, Colorado, USA, is developing a reusable satellite platform designed to operate in Low Earth Orbit and support defense, intelligence, and commercial missions such as technology demonstrations, hypersonic and materials testing, in-orbit servicing, and in-space manufacturing. The Delphi platform and its core components are engineered to withstand the thermal and structural demands of atmospheric re-entry, enabling routine return and recovery of both the satellite bus and payload to support expedited technology development.
“Lux Aeterna’s mission is to make repeatable space operations as routine as reusable launch services,” said Lux Aeterna Founder and CEO Brian Taylor. “Partnering with Southern Launch enables us to conduct missions at the cadence we require to validate key elements of our reusable satellite platform and deliver outcomes for the broader space community.”
Under the partnership, Southern Launch will provide end-to-end services for each orbital re-entry, including regulatory approvals, range operations, air and maritime coordination, and recovery operations.
Southern Launch CEO, Lloyd Damp says, “Southern Launch is the leading range service provider for orbital re-entries globally. Lux Aeterna is developing technology that is key for the future of in-space research and technology development, and we look forward to partnering with them to bring their spacecraft back to the Koonibba Test Range safely.”
South Australian Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Joe Szakacs welcomed the partnership saying, “This is a great result for South Australia and our burgeoning space industry. I congratulate Southern Launch and Lux Aeterna on reaching this agreement, which will see future operations exclusively locked in for South Australia. Our Government remains committed to attracting investment and delivering outcomes in industries that we see as being pivotal to our future economy.”
The Koonibba Test Range in South Australia is one of the most ideal places globally to accept the return of space technology back to Earth thanks to low air traffic and more than 41,000 square kilometres of open land. Southern Launch operates the Koonibba Test Range in partnership with the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation.
