German launch startup HyImpulse Technologies has announced that it will launch the maiden flight of its suborbital SR75 launch vehicle from the Southern Launch Koonibba Test Range in Australia.
The maiden flight of the SR75 vehicle had initially been slated to be launched from SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland. In fact, HyImpulse had already received a launch licence from the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority for the mission.
On 14 November, HyImpulse announced at the Space Tech Expo in Bremen, Germany, that it would now launch the maiden flight of its SR75 vehicle from the Southern Launch facility in Australia. The flight is currently expected to take place in March 2024. HyImpulse has stated that it expects to begin transportation of the launch hardware for the mission shortly. The company has also stated that it is in the final stages of obtaining the necessary launch licence from Australia’s Office of the Space Regulator. This process is largely being handled by Southern Launch on behalf of HyImpulse.
“Having Southern Launch manage the launch campaign for us means we can focus on the vehicle and use our expertise in the best way possible,” HyImpulse CTO Ulrich Fischer said.
According to a press release published 15 November, HyImpulse has entered into contract discussions with SaxaVord for “the provision of facilities and services for future launch activities.”
A shift away from SaxaVord appears to have been an abrupt change for HyImpulse. In October, the company submitted written evidence to a Scottish Affairs Committee investigation. In its submission, the company states that the SR75 demonstration mission would take place from SaxaVord and that it will occur in Q4 2023 or Q1 2024.
“The first step in this UK Launch Roadmap will be the launch of HyImpulse’s SR75 Sounding Rocket Demonstrator. This launch is targeted for Q4 2023/Q1 2024 and would be the largest rocket to be launched vertically from the UK to date.”
So, less than a month ago, HyImpulse was telling the Scottish government that it still planned to launch from SaxaVord. What changed?
It’s possible that it has something to do with the pausing of construction work at SaxaVord. In August, the Shetland Times reported that SaxaVord had given construction workers “time off because the project was so far ahead of schedule.” This, however, does not appear to be the case.
When questioned about the change, HyImpulse co-CEO Christian Schmierer explained that the change of location for the maiden flight was necessary because of “schedule reasons” with specific reference to ground infrastructure.
