The AURORA launch system is offered by the Asia Pacific Space Centre (APSC) to commercial users worldwide. AURORA is a Russian designed and manufactured launch vehicle that will be launched from the APSC launch facility on Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean.

The AURORA launch vehicle is comprised of either three or four stages. The three-stage basic configuration is used to deliver payloads to low earth orbit. The four-stage configuration is used to deliver payloads to high-energy orbits including geosynchronous transfer orbit. AURORA is capable of delivering 4350 kg - 4500 kg to a geosynchronous transfer orbit with an orbit inclination of 10.5 degrees. The near-equatorial Christmas Island site extends a number of advantages to the GEO spacecraft customer including increased payload mass and mission lifetime opportunities, as well as low cost per kilogram.

All four stages of the AURORA LV use liquid oxygen and kerosene propellants, which are both safe to handle and environmentally responsible.

Stage-1 includes four boosters that are laterally attached to a core stage. The four boosters are powered by the RD-107A propulsion system manufactured by NPO Energomash. The lateral boosters are derived from hardware used on the highly reliable and man-rated Soyuz launch vehicle.

The core stage (Stage 2) also has design heritage from other reliable flight systems; its tanks have been stretched to carry 50 mt more useable propellant than previous configurations. The flight control system has been adapted from one used on the Russian DM upper stage. The core stage is powered by the NK-33 propulsion system.

Stage 1 and Stage 2 are both manufactured by TsSKB-Progress, a world leader in the production of space launch hardware and booster systems. TsSKB-Progress also supplies the payload fairing.

AURORA's third stage is manufactured by RSC ENERGIA. It is a stretched version of a flight-proven Block-E stage used on the SOYUZ-2 vehicle. It is powered by the RD-0124 propulsion system and is designed to boost the payload unit (upper stage and payload) to near orbital conditions.

The fourth or upper stage, called CORVET, is also manufactured by RSC ENERGIA and is related to upper stages used on other Russian launch systems. The stage is capable of long life in space and multiple engine restarts, and is designed to interface with typical commercial spacecraft buses. The stage uses liquid oxygen and napthyl (kerosene) and is powered by the NPO Veronezh-built 11D58M propulsion system.

AURORA uses a highly automated launch countdown procedure. Twelve to fifteen vehicles can be launched from one launch complex at Christmas Island per year. Initial launch capability for AURORA is projected for the third quarter of 2009. Test launches will occur from both the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and from Christmas Island prior to commercial use.