Second NASA rocket takes off from Arnhem Land
Video shows the spectacular launch, which took place last night after two days of delay due to high winds.
It follows the first NASA rocket launch on June 26 from the Arnhem Space Center on the Dhupuma Plateau, near Nhulunbuy.
The space center is privately owned and operated by Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA).
Michael Jones, executive chairman of Equatorial Launch Australia, said the successful launch was a very exciting follow-up to last month’s launch.
“We were delighted to have another successful launch that further bolsters the capabilities of our team and the Arnhem Space Center,” said Mr. Jones.
NASA’s new telescope captures ‘unprecedented’ details
A third NASA launch is scheduled for July 12.
“We look forward to our third launch on July 12 and beyond to the future of the Arnhem Space Center and the Australian space industry.”
Last month’s launch marked the first time a rocket lifted off from Australian soil since 1995 and the first time NASA launched a rocket from a commercial facility.
Stunning new photos of Mars from Perseverance rover
About 75 NASA personnel are staying in Australia for the sub-orbital-sounding rocket launches, which are on a mission to investigate heliophysics, astrophysics and planetary science phenomena only observable from the Southern Hemisphere.
