New $180 million space Trailblazer to hold official launch

The new iLaunch (Innovative Launch, Automation, Novel Materials, Communications, and Hypersonics) Trailblazer, linking three universities with private businesses to commercialise space-oriented R&D, will be launched by federal assistant education minister Anthony Chisholm on Thursday.

The Trailblazer initiative was part of the previous federal government’s efforts to increase commercial returns from university research, and was awarded $50 million in funding in May 2022. 

This four-year budget will be supplemented with a further $130 million from industry partners, which include Hypersonix Launch Systems, Electro Optic Systems, Motherson and Northrop Grumman.

ILaunch is led by University of Southern Queensland, with two other nodes at the Australian National University and University of South Australia.

“Some of the exciting projects under development include designs for a rocket launch site, rocket manufacturing, high-temperature materials manufacturing, hypersonic flight diagnostics and satellite communication,” said assistant federal minister Anthony Chisholm, who will launch the Trailblazer today.

“Currently our manufacturers are reliant on international space industries and launch facilities to send these systems to space – but we’re changing that. This project supports Australian companies to compete on a global scale and capitalise on commercial opportunities by using Australian resources and technology from start to finish.”

According to its website, iLaunch’s objectives are: 

• Research Commercialisation: Provide research commercialisation through IP translation for Australian sovereign rocket launch and payload manufacturing sector.
• Launch-Ready Manufacturing Ecosystem: Accelerate the transformation of this early stage or ‘low-mid TRL’ sector to a launch-ready manufacturing ecosystem with supporting supply chain.
• Space Commercialisation Model: Create a space commercialisation model that supports the current iLAuNCH activities and creates a legacy beyond the four years.
• Industry Skills Development: Co-design with industry the pathways for industry skills development through school and higher education initiatives.

Main picture: USQ’s hypersonic wind tunnel facility investigates aerodynamics and heat transfer on aerospace vehicles (supplied)

Further reading

USQ-led space manufacturing hub awarded $50 million Trailblazer grant

New iLAuNCH Hub announces leadership appointments

Business involvement to the fore in new Trailblazer programme