Black Sky prepares to make rocket motors

Queensland company Black Sky Aerospace has been given the green light by regulators to make final preparations to manufacture solid fuel rocket engines.

The Logan City-based Black Sky plans to be the first new era manufacturer of rocket engines in Australia, and aims to have the first motors completed later this year.

Australia previously manufactured rocket engines at Mulwala in Victoria for defence use, including Australian developed anti-submarine missiles, and the Nulka rocket decoy system.

Black Sky director, Blake Nikolic said the company planned to make fuel and motors available to Australian industry.

He said: “Our propulsion arm is integral to the bigger picture for us; without fuel, the industry stalls.

“Our SRM (Solid Rocket Motors) manufacturing provides industry with accessible rocket boosters, made right here in Queensland.”

“This also allows us to continue with our testing and launch capabilities that we carry out at our facility in Goondiwindi.”

Black Sky successfully made its maiden commercial rocket launch last year, as reported in @AuManufacturing news.

Sky Black’s four-metre long Sighter190 research rocket launched its payload from a site at Westmar, west of Brisbane,

The company was originally based in the United States, but moved to New Zealand before settling in Logan City in Queensland.

Nikolic said the company would provide a one stop shop for SRM, testing and launch into low earth orbit.

Logan City Council Director of Strategy and Sustainability, David Hansen, applauded Black Sky’s latest achievement.

He said: “Council is a proud supporter of Black Sky Aerospace and seeing its trajectory from start-up to become a scaled-up manufacturer and leading exporter is exciting for the city.”

Black Sky said: “The first batch of solid rocket motors is expected to be ready for delivery before the end of 2019.””

Picture: Black Sky Aerospace

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