NASA has successfully launched a rocket from Australia. This is the agencyʼs first commercial launch outside the United States.
This was reported by CNN.
According to Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA), the rocket launched at about midnight on June 27 local time from the Arnhem space center near the town of Nhulunbay.
The rocket is expected to fly more than 300 kilometers into space. Its mission is to observe the constellations Alpha Centauri AB — the closest stellar systems to Earth.
The rocket launch went down in Australian history as the countryʼs first commercial space launch. It was the first of three launches, with two more scheduled for July 4th and 12th. According to NASA, the next two missions will conduct astrophysical research, which can be done only from the southern hemisphere.
Equatorial Launch Australia CEO Michael Jones said it was a historic night.
"Todayʼs launch not only puts ELA at the forefront of global commercial space launch, it also confirms that we and Australia can provide access to space and this is just the beginning for us," he added.
Australian National University astrophysicist Brad Tucker, who observed the launch on the spot, said wind and rain had called into question the launch. But after more than an hourʼs delay, the rocket took off.
NASA is the first customer of a commercial spaceport operated by ELA, and 70 of its employees have traveled to Australia to launch three space missions.
The US space agency said it would study the evolution of galaxies by measuring X-rays of hot gases that fill the space between stars.