Virgin Orbit to launch from Wellcamp Airport, Toowoomba

US-based launch provider Virgin Orbit has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Wagner Corporation, proprietor of the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport and Business Park in Queensland, to conduct space launches using Virgin orbit’s LauncherOne System.

In pursuing their joint mission to revolutionize the space industry in Australia, Virgin Orbit and Wagner Corporation are exploring the potential to certify Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport as a national spaceport to perform an orbital launch demonstration as early as 2024.

Virgin orbit says the cooperative effort is designed to catalyze the maturing Australian small satellite and space solutions market, stimulate local economic growth, support commercial and civil endeavours. It will provide Australian defence and government with a flexible, responsive and flight-proven national launch capability in support of a wide range of mission applications.

“Virgin Orbit’s selection of Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport for its newest national spaceport, to perform satellite launches, was extremely exciting and a further significant boost for Queensland and Australia,” said Wagner Corporation Chairman John Wagner.

Drawing on regional and local expertise from Wagner Corporation and on launch and mission expertise from Virgin Orbit, this collaboration will focus its initial efforts on tailoring LauncherOne operations from Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport to comply with Australian launch licensing regulatory requirements and spaceport-specific operations.

Both companies aim to develop a roadmap for how LauncherOne’s Mobile Ground Support Equipment and other infrastructure could be built and staged at Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport to provide Australia with a resilient and proven national launch capability, and ultimately transform the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport into Australia’s leading space industry innovation centre.

The roadmap will seek to lay out the steps required to enable the first flights of LauncherOne to occur from Australia in as soon as 16-18 months.

“Virgin Orbit will join Boeing and other international companies as part of Wellcamp’s new world-class, Aerospace and Defence Precinct and Campus, with Stage 1 due for completion by the end of 2024,” said John Wagner. “Attracting global companies such as Virgin Orbit is recognition of the strategic advantages that Wellcamp Airport and the Aerospace and Defence Precinct offers, and we are looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship.”