Southern Launch to host INNOSPACE missions from South Australian spaceports

by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 16, 2025
Southern Launch has signed a contract with South Korean launch service provider INNOSPACE to conduct space missions from the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex and the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia.

The agreement allows INNOSPACE to undertake a range of missions from Southern Launch sites, including orbital satellite launches and suborbital technology demonstration flights.

Operations under the partnership are scheduled to begin in 2026 and are planned to continue for at least a decade, adding to South Australia's role in the global space launch sector.

"We are excited to welcome INNOSPACE to our launch sites," said Lloyd Damp, CEO of Southern Launch.

"INNOSPACE is at the forefront of launch vehicle development, and we are proud to support their technology and mission objectives from both Whalers Way and Koonibba.

This partnership reflects our shared commitment to advancing space access and delivering flexible, reliable launch solutions for global customers."

INNOSPACE has become a significant participant in the global launch market after reaching several key milestones.

The company was the first private South Korean firm to successfully launch the test vehicle HANBIT-TLV in 2023, demonstrating its 150 kN thrust hybrid rocket engine on a suborbital flight from Brazil's Alcantara Space Center.

Since that mission, INNOSPACE has continued to mature technology for orbital-class engines and has been expanding discussions with prospective customers on future orbital and suborbital launch opportunities.

Soojong Kim, Founder and CEO of INNOSPACE, said the arrangement with Southern Launch strengthens the company's international launch service capability.

"Our partnership with Southern Launch represents a meaningful step in strengthening INNOSPACE's global launch service capability.

This expanded launch site network allows us to respond more flexibly to diverse mission needs - from satellite launches and technology demonstrations to space-manufactured product return missions - while further enhancing our commercialisation competitiveness through tailored rapid-launch services and multi-launch operational frameworks," said Kim.

Southern Launch stated that the contract with INNOSPACE demonstrates the ability of its infrastructure at Whalers Way and Koonibba to support a high cadence of missions spanning suborbital and orbital launch and orbital re-entry operations for a range of international customers.