NASA has overcome unusual challenges to collect all but one piece of the rocket launched from Arnhem Land on Monday morning, officials said.Key points:Aboriginal rangers helped NASA locate parts of its recently-launched rocket A local MP has raised concerns about where parts of the rocket landedThe company that runs the launch pad has denied any safety issuesPieces of the suborbital sounding rocket were tracked as far as 220 kilometres from the launch pad near Nhulunbuy, from where it blasted off in the early hours of Monday morning.Yolngu rangers assisted with recovery efforts and said the mission headed into some tough terrain."We've got buffaloes and snakes around, you have to be careful," Djawa "Timmy" Burarrwanga, the managing director of Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation, said.Using a helicopter, NASA's advanced mapping technology and Yolngu tracking knowledge, Mr Burarrwanga said the group was able to recover most of the rocket's pieces..........Yingiya Guyula, the independent member for Mulka, which covers the new Arnhem Space Centre where NASA is conducting launches, said he had "grave fears" about where the pieces of the rocket were ending up, including on Mimal land in central Arnhem Land."It was something that should've been looked at more carefully," Mr Guyula said.
ELA's chief executive Michael Jones said NASA and ELA had undertaken risk assessments and probability studies on the dangers and had been cleared by Australia's regulatory authority.
Quote from: CameronD on 07/03/2022 11:46 pmELA's chief executive Michael Jones said NASA and ELA had undertaken risk assessments and probability studies on the dangers and had been cleared by Australia's regulatory authority.Really!??! And with the next one set to go tonight, I think there'd be a fair few who might disagree.. and that's not a good look for NASA, the ASA and rocket launch in general.
QuoteQuote from: CameronD on 07/03/2022 11:46 pmELA's chief executive Michael Jones said NASA and ELA had undertaken risk assessments and probability studies on the dangers and had been cleared by Australia's regulatory authority.Really!??! And with the next one set to go tonight, I think there'd be a fair few who might disagree.. and that's not a good look for NASA, the ASA and rocket launch in general. Interesting you didn't have this same objection when Gilmour popped their top in Central Queensland and spilled HTP everywhere. I guess concern for flying rockets only becomes a concern when they actually fly.
More seriously, Australia is one one the more heavily regulated and risk averse jurisdictions in the world. If ELA and NASA did risk assessments and they were approved by the relevant government regulator it seems fine?
NASA’s second ELA launch finally blasts offNASA’s second mission with Equatorial Launch Australia surprisingly blasted off on Wednesday night after two previous delays.ELA’s chief executive Michael Jones said, “Tonight we were delighted to achieve another successful launch which further strengthens the capabilities of our team and of the Arnhem Space Centre. “We look forward to our third launch on 12 July and then onwards to the future of the Arnhem Space Centre and the Australian space industry.”
From ABC News reports, it seems the best ELA thought to do in this particular case was get the local radio station to broadcast a warning in the local language beforehand.. as if everyone in the Territory just sits around listening to the radio all day long. "Look out! The sky is falling!"
Maybe they were, maybe they weren't. There's a rumour doing the rounds that someone at NASA might have got someone in the US Government to explain to our new rookie President Albanese just how important these launches were and that permits flowed rather quickly after that.. Of course, that's just a rumour and we'll never know for sure.
NASA's second-ever commercial launch in Australia has taken off from the Northern Territory, with the US aeronautical giant hailing the moment as a landmark for science in the southern hemisphere.A week of drizzling rain, wind and a 52-hour delay failed to stop the suborbital sounding rocket launch, which fired from the Arnhem Space Centre near Nhulunbuy around 11:15pm ACST on Wednesday.
How to shoot yourself in the foot."Equatorial Launch files cross-claim against former CEOEquatorial Launch Australia (ELA) has lodged a claim in the Federal Court accusing its former CEO of digitally altering her employment contract."https://www.spaceconnectonline.com.au/industry/5738-equatorial-launch-file-cross-claim-against-former-ceo
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-19/nt-equatorial-rocket-launch-2023-orbital-launch-arnhem-land/101868300
Last year's sub-orbital launches caused some consternation in Arnhem Land, after pieces of the rockets landed hundreds of kilometres down range of the space centre.ELA has always maintained there was no safety risk to communities.
Yeah..
"Many people [have] raised concerns with me about the Space Centre being used by military," he said."Our concerns are that we may become a target if there is a foreign threat and our country is seen as expendable because we are in the middle of nowhere.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-27/arnhem-land-nt-missile-testing-possibility-raises-concern/102269398I can understand local politician concerns, butQuote"Many people [have] raised concerns with me about the Space Centre being used by military," he said."Our concerns are that we may become a target if there is a foreign threat and our country is seen as expendable because we are in the middle of nowhere.This quote very much reminds me of people in Broome, WA who decided it was too dangerous post 9/11 to stay in Broome. They believed bin Laden was going to attack the shipping terminal there so the moved 'more remote'. I wish I was making this up.
Any major transport hubs like airports, sea ports, rail yards and fuel installations plus major communication facilities are on the target list of hostile forces. However terrorists generally want targets that will bring them lots of media coverage, so not targets in the middle of nowhere. Live with it.
