NT-launched rocket explores the mysteries of the universe

The woman who whispered these words in her friend's ear pointed to the dark sky.

"We're going to launch rockets from here," she repeated.

"Rockets?," the other woman said. "Like space rockets?"

The year was 2018, and Nhulunbuy, in the Northern Territory's remote East Arnhem Land, had only recently lost most of its population after the Rio Tinto bauxite refinery had closed down.

Two cyclones in two months had wiped out numerous houses in nearby Indigenous communities and damaged the barge landing.

The mood was bleak in the small town.

"Yes, rockets that go into space and study the universe. Can you even imagine that?"

The woman who was pointing up to the star-filled sky was Carley Scott; a young, smart and ambitious business woman who had just left her role as CEO of Developing East Arnhem Ltd.

"I just signed up to work for ELA," she whispered into the darkness.

"Never heard of them," her friend said.

"They're a start-up. One day everyone will know who they are: Equatorial Launch Australia."

Four years after that conversation in the dark Nhulunbuy driveway, just before midnight on 26 June 2022, the sky above the town - and that very driveway - lit up in a bright ball of light.

ELA had just written history.

NASA, the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration, had just launched its first ever rocket from a commercial space centre outside of the US - in Australia's tropical town of Nhulunbuy.

The tiny town in the middle of nowhere had been put on the national map. The newly built Arnhem Space Centre had enabled NASA to launch a 13 metre sounding rocket to study to the universe and explore the secrets of the Alpha Centauri star system.

Overnight ELA had become a household name.

While Ms Scott left her CEO role with ELA in early 2022, the vision she and the start-up had, has come to fruition.

Michael Jones, Executive Chairman and Group CEO of ELA, said NASA's launch wasn't just about writing history.

"Personally, I feel like my life has gone full circle. Many years ago, then-Prime Minister Bob Hawke recommended me to take part in NASA's astronaut training.

"To be here in Arnhem Land, having NASA as our first customer, is a special moment personally, but it also allows us to prove the capabilities of ELA and the Arnhem Space Centre as well as the benefits of launching near the equator.

"We've been working hard to build the Space Centre to make ELA the pre-eminent multi-user commercial space launch company in the world.

"Over the next five years we will ramp up to be capable of launching more than 100 times a year.

"We will continue to make history in Australia."

Within 15 days, three rockets were launched from the Arnhem Space Centre.

Just after 8.30pm on Monday July 11, the third - and for now last - NASA sounding rocket tore through the dark Outback sky above the Gove Peninsula on its way to explore the mysteries of Alpha Centauri, the pointers in the Southern Cross constellation.

The blast was not only witnessed by Nhulunbuy locals in their driveways, but fishermen on Elcho Island - more than 100km away - also spotted the bright flash of light.

Travellers on a delayed Airnorth flight were also treated to the sight, after their plane couldn't take off due to the airspace over Nhulunbuy being closed for the launch.

Passengers gathered on the tarmac to watch the spectacle.

At the Arnhem Space Centre, a handful of locals were invited to front-row seats, only 500m from the launcher.

For Blue Douglas and his wife Evelyn, who have lived in Nhulunbuy for almost all their lives, the launch was a once in a lifetime event.

"I had tears running down my face. It was just spectacular, breathtaking," Mrs Douglas said.

Together with her husband she has been involved with the Arnhem Space Centre (ASC) from the beginning.

In charge of the cleaning of the ASC, the accredited security guards helped facilitate a VIP event for the historic first NASA launch, and have been relied upon heavily as go-to people for a myriad of odd jobs.

"For an operation of this size, on this scale, we can't give ELA enough credit for employing almost exclusively local contractors," Mr Douglas said.

"It was a very proud and exciting moment to see rockets being launched from East Arnhem Land.

"Hopefully the Space Centre will provide an avenue for sustainable employment for locals in and around town."

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From the Gove Boat Club, the Officer in Charge of the Gove Meteorological Station, Cameron Hinzey, watched in awe.

Affectionately referred to as Mr Weatherman by locals, the space buff said NASA's rocket launches were not only significant for the region, but also 'extremely special' for him personally.

"Anyone who's interested in the weather is also interested in space," he said.

"If anyone had told me five years ago that I would get to watch rockets being launched, I would have not believed them."

Even more unbelievable for Mr Weatherman is the fact that he has played a crucial role in the execution of the blast offs.

"Over a round of golf I got to meet the NASA and ELA team, and because I launch a weather balloon four times a week, I was in a position to supply important local weather data directly to NASA."

Mr Hinzey, who has sent thousands of weather balloons into the sky, said his involvement with America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration has been the highlight of his career.

"The balloons supply specific data every two seconds for about 1.5 hours up to an altitude of 45,000 to 50,000 feet.

"NASA were especially interested in the wind readings around 10,000 to 20,000 feet.

"Here we are, in a little place like Nhulunbuy, working with NASA - that's nothing short of special and absolutely fantastic."

For ELA, the successful launches of three rockets in 15 days including one launch that was brought forward by a day, showcases the potential of the Arnhem Space Centre.

Not resting on the laurels, the small start-up that nobody had heard off only a few years ago, is now ready to really reach for the stars.

"Cape Canaveral in the US once started from nothing," ELA General Manager Operations and Launch, Ben Tatt, said. "Now look at it - it's got a town around and related industries. "Who says we can't do this here - create something from nothing."

The Brisbane-based father-of-three said it was ELA's plan to move from 'bespoke' rocket missions to launches from the Arnhem Space Centre on a monthly basis.

"NASA has never launched a rocket a day early. What we did here with the third launch (bringing it forward by 24 hours) has never been done before. It's a testimony to NASA's readiness but also to the readiness and flexibility of ELA and the Arnhem Space Centre.

"What we now want to see is tourism, new accommodation, many new jobs for locals, the arrival of new industries like 3D printing companies or orbital tracking companies to come to Arnhem Land.

"The space industry can bring economic growth to the region and hopefully mitigate the decline of the town when Rio Tinto pulls out of mining."

With the third rocket successfully launched, NASA are now already packing up to head home.

Meanwhile, scientists are waiting for the payload to be retrieved from dense bushland 200km from the launch site, on the traditional Mimal Lands.

The recovery efforts are supported by Yolngu rangers in a significant working relationship between the Traditional Owners of the land and ELA.

Together with other recovered pieces of the rockets, the nose cone of NASA's historic first Arnhem Land rocket is set to be on display at a space museum that is currently in its planning stages.

Burnt into the charred nose cone is the name Carley, written by NASA staff onto the cone prior to the launch, in honour of the woman who once dreamed about rockets from her driveway in a dark street of the small tropical town of Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory's East Arnhem Land.