Australia could launch its first private orbital rocket within weeks

Within weeks, the Australian government is expected to approve the country’s first private orbital rocket launch, joining just a handful of space-faring nations that have done the same.

Gilmour Space, which has developed the new rocket, announced this week that the Australian Space Agency (ASA) has granted it approval to operate the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in North Queensland, Australia. The company has also set a goal of having Australian astronauts in orbit, launched from Australia, by the end of this decade.

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