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1. What is the
project?
The Asia Pacific Space Centre (APSC) plans to build a commercial
space launch centre at South Point on Christmas Island in
the Indian Ocean, with construction expected to commence
late 2007, and launches late 2009.
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2. What is APSC?
APSC is an Australian company founded in 1997 and is based
in Sydney, with offices in San Diego, Singapore, Moscow, and
Christmas Island. APSC was formed to own, operate, and market
a commerical space launch facility.
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3. What is the
total value of the APSC project?
The total value of the APSC Project, including common-use
infrastucture upgrades, is estimated at $800 million. It is
also expected to provide an increase in government revenues
of $1.5 billion over 20 years.
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4. How many jobs
will be created?
The facility is expected to generate 300-400 jobs in construction
and up to 550 jobs in operation (including 300 Russians for
launch operations).
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5. Why has APSC
chosen Christmas Island?
Christmas Island's proximity to the equator allows launch
vehicles to lift heavier payloads at no extra cost compared
with locations further from the equator. Stable weather
conditions
at Christmas Island would enable year round launching and
reduce the chances of a launch being delayed due to adverse
weather.
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6. What are the
implications of the project for Christmas Island?
The project will bring significant benefits to Christmas Island,
which has a population of approximately 1500 people. APSC
anticipates directly employing a number of local workers in
the project's ongoing operation, and envisages many more
employed by spin-off industries such as tourism and support
services.
The Christmas Island economy is currently almost totally
dependent on the existing phosphate mine, which has a
limited life span.
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7. When will
launches commence?
The company intends to conduct two test launches late
2009.
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8. How many launches
will there be?
In excess of eleven launches per annum are forecast by 2011.
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9. Where on
Christmas Island will rockets be launched from?
Rockets will be launched from South Point on Christmas
Island and the primary flight path, used for geostationary
launches, will be directed east over the Timor Sea
between the north of
Australia and Papua New Guinea.
The second flight path will be directly south and
used for polar launches.
A third flight path to the southeast will be reserved for
low earth orbit launches
as these may arise from time to time.
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10. Will the
residents of Christmas Island be safe from launch accidents?
All launches will be subject to stringent safety standards.
No member of the public, Australian or foreign, will be exposed
to a risk exceeding one chance of casualty in ten million launches.
This is a very high standard of safety. In applying for a Space
Licence to operate the Christmas Island spaceport, APSC will
have to demonstrate that it will minimise risk to as low
as reasonably possible in all facets of its launch
operations.
No member of the public has been injured or killed in the
history of launches from Western spaceports, and the Australian
space safety regime will uphold this record.
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11. What environmental
guidelines are being taken?
The Minister for Environment and Heritage has allowed the proposed
Space Centre project to proceed, subject to strict
environmental conditions. APSC has submitted an Environmental
Management Plan for the project to the Commonwealth.
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12. What are
the technological benefits to Australia?
Over time, Australian industry will have the opportunity to
migrate into high value-added technical functions associated
with the launch facility.
Examples of potential high-tech jobs available through the
project will include electrical, mechanical and aerospace
engineers; technicians; and project managers. They
would be required to perform tasks associated with payload
integration, launch vehicle preparation and testing, and telemetry
tracking.
APSC is seeking to establish itself as a vertically integrated
supplier of satellites, satellite services, and satellite launches
and is presently negotiating strategic alliances with leading
satellite manufacturers. Such alliances will open the way
for Australian participation in the global satellite industry
and will build on the nation's emerging capabilities in satellite
systems and microsatellite design and manufacture.
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