Australia plans twin spaceports
--------------------------------
Two companies plan to build spaceports in Australia – Equatorial Launch Australia in the Northern Territory will aim at Low Earth Orbit (LEO), while Southern Launch in South Australia will launch to polar orbits
--------------------------------
Arnhem Space Centre

1967, Woomera: Australia launches its first satellite, WRESAT, becoming only third nation after U.S. and USSR to do so

Southern Launch: Polar orbits are used for Earth observation and reconnaissance

Canberra 
EQUATOR
AUSTRALIA
---------------------------------
Low Earth Orbit 595km: Hubble Space Telescope

330-435km: International Space Station – orbit decays by 2km/month

215km-939km: Sputnik-1’s elliptical orbit

160km: Minimum LEO – satellites are pulled out of their orbit by drag from atmosphere
---------------------------------
Equator: Earth rotates eastward on its axis at 4.6km/second

Arnhem Space Centre: Situated 12 degrees south, spaceport gets velocity boost of 4.5km/sec from Earth’s rotation
---------------------------------

Gapuwiyak
East Arnhem
EAST ARNHEM LAND
Numburindi
Nhulunbuy
Arnhem Space Centre
50 miles 80km
---------------------------------
Source: Aviation Week Network, NASA, The Conversation
© GRAPHIC NEWS