. 24/7 Space News .
APSC Dumps Queensland For Christmas Island


Sydney - July 13, 1998 -

Sydney - July 13, 1998 - In a shock move Asia Pacific Space Centre (formerly the 'International Resource Corporation) has decided to move its entire proposed commercial launch center Australia's Cape York to Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.

After company Directors returned from a fact finding trip earlier this year to Christmas Island, the Australian dependency proved so attractive Asia Pacific Space Centre (APSC) advised the Queensland government of their decision not to proceed with a Cape York facility.

While the decision to move to Christmas Island is seen as a major shift in direction for the proposal, APSC contends that there are a number legal, commercial and strategic advantages that will assist the projects development and greatly benefit Australia.

While playing their cards close to their chest, APSC has said that Christmas Island is attractive for several reasons. It is still an Australian territory (operating under Western Australian local laws), and therefore much of the legal framework remains the same. APSC has been working through the Australian federal regulatory system up until now, so there are no new legal hurdles to have to deal with.

A new EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) study is being conducted, but Directors are confident that that process should be through before the year's end if no major issues arise.

Along with the environmental process, Christmas Island does not raise any 'aboriginal land-rights' questions, unlike Cape York. Prior to 1888, the island is thought to have been uninhabited before being claimed by Britain. The island population (around 2,000) is primarily made up of Chinese and Malay immigrants, who, along with Australian nationals, work at the island's phosphate mines or within the growing tourist complex on the north-eastern peninsula.

Christmas Island's location at 10.3�S, places it in a better equatorial position than the proposed Cape York site (approx. 12�S). The island's location also means that APSC doesn't have to contend with launches over sensitive land or sea areas as with the rainforests on Cape York and the Great Barrier Reef.

Weather has also been a large consideration in APSC's decision. Christmas Island has no cyclone history and enjoys a tropical climate with generally predictable weather patterns and rainfall. This will allow for greater scheduling of launches per year, with better odds of on-time payload deliveries.

Another factor in the island's favour stems from its tourism trade. The development of a new five-star hotel, resort and casino has supported the construction of new airport and runway facilities, which will be essential to any new industry.

The eastern and southern trajectories favoured for the various payload and orbital configurations are over open ocean and pose little or no threat to the environment or populated areas.

APSC projects that their vehicles will be capable of lifting 2.3 tonnes to GEO orbits and around 4 tonnes to LEO altitudes (approx. 200km). In keeping with their original schedule, APSC believes that it will still meet its first launch from the new Asia Pacific Space Centre sometime in the year 2000.

APSC is said to be very enthusiastic about this new direction for their project. The island's proximity to the equator and accessibility to the mainland means that they can continue to call on all of the factors that made Cape York so attractive.

Setting aside fears within the Australian space industry, APSC have stated that they want to 'maximise the use of Australian employees', and are believed to be planning to draw a significant proportion of their workforce and required technical expertise from within the Australian domestic space and industrial sectors.

If the Asia Pacific Space Centre proves anything about the Australian space industry, it is that its future is far from predictable. Directors will discuss the implications of the move and the progress of their project at the upcoming 5th Australian Space Development Conference (Sydney, July 27-29, 1998).

  • Australian Space Development Conference Related Links



    Memory Foam Mattress Review
    Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
    XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


    APSC Dumps Queensland For Christmas Island
    Sydney - July 13, 1998 -

    Sydney - July 13, 1998 - In a shock move Asia Pacific Space Centre (formerly the 'International Resource Corporation) has decided to move its entire proposed commercial launch center Australia's Cape York to Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.























  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement