Woomera prepares for air-breathing rocket test Friday, 1 June 2007. 09:32 (AEST)Friday, 1 June 2007. 09:32 (ACST)Friday, 1 June 2007. 06:32 (AWST) The final flight in a series of hypersonic rocket tests will take place at Woomera in South Australia's far north next week. The project is a joint initiative between Australia and the United States. The hypersonic rocket will be fitted with a new air-breathing scramjet engine which could lead to high-speed aircraft being developed within the next few decades. The rocket will reach speeds of around Mach 10, or 10 times the speed of sound.
How do you feel about the idea that the new work at Spaceport Woomera isn't really about the conquest of space, but actually the control of other nations? What if South Australia is set to become a base from which the US could deploy troops to anywhere in the world? It may sound a little like the plot for Capricorn One, but for one man such an idea is far from impossible to achieve. He's tried something similar before and failed.
The Australian Defence Department says it will negotiate with the two American rocket design companies about plans to launch rockets from Woomera in South Australia.
NASA has selected Rocketplane Kistler and SpaceX to develop the commercial capability to carry cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). A Defence Department spokeswoman says the launch plans will only go ahead if they do not conflict with the department's operations at Woomera. She says the size and remoteness of the area make it highly sought after by international and commercial users. An Australian space expert says the plan to launch rockets from outback South Australia is more likely to succeed than previous proposals because NASA urgently needs new launch technology. Rocketplane Kistler secured a $270 million NASA contract that would see space station supplies being launched into space from Woomera. If the launch station and new rockets are successful, astronauts could also blast off from Woomera in future.