Australian space startup Space Angel has received a $1.75 million matched grant from the Western Australian government to support its plans for new spaceports. The company wants to build what it calls “green” spaceports at Eucla on the Nullarbor Plain and Christmas Island.
The news came on August 17, 2026, as Western Australia took another step toward a larger role in the global space sector. The grant, called the Spaceport Establishment Support Grant, will help Space Angel assess possible sites, prepare its business case and move closer to the planning and regulatory work needed for the project.
The plan is ambitious. Space Angel wants to create a spaceport system that can support both polar and equatorial launches, as well as the return and landing of spacecraft. The company hopes to have the project up and running by 2033.
For Australia, the project could create a new part of the country’s space economy. For Space Angel, the grant gives the young company a chance to move its long-term plan closer to reality.
A spaceport far from major cities
One of the proposed sites is near Eucla, on the Nullarbor Plain. The location is about 1,430 kilometres from Perth. It is a remote area with a very low population, which can make it suitable for space activity.
Space Angel’s plan calls for two 2.9-kilometre asphalt runways at the Nullarbor site. These would form part of a larger spaceport system designed for rocket launches, spacecraft returns and other space activity.
Remote locations have an important advantage for space companies. Rocket launches can create safety zones around a launch path, so a site far from large cities can make it easier to manage those risks.
Western Australia also has vast open areas and long experience with major projects in remote parts of the state. The state government says its geography creates opportunities for launches into equatorial, polar and sun-synchronous orbits.
Christmas Island is another key site
Space Angel also has plans for a spaceport on Christmas Island.
Christmas Island is an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean. Its location gives it a different advantage from the Nullarbor site. It can provide access to orbital paths that are useful for equatorial missions.
The Western Australian Space Industry Strategy lists Christmas Island – Space Angel as a proposed launch and return location. The state has identified space launch and spacecraft return as important areas for future growth.
Having sites in both the south-west of Australia and Christmas Island could give Space Angel access to different launch routes. This is part of the company’s wider idea for a dual-corridor spaceport.
The plan is not simply to create one place where rockets take off. Space Angel wants a network that can support different types of missions.
What the $1.75 million grant will do
The $1.75 million grant is not the full cost of the spaceport. Instead, it is early support for the work needed before a major construction project can start.
Space Angel will use the money for site assessments, planning work, regulatory approvals and a detailed business case for the proposed spaceports.
This stage is important because a spaceport needs far more than land and a runway.
The company must understand the location, environmental conditions, safety needs, transport links and other technical factors. It must also meet Australia’s rules for space activity.
A detailed business case can help Space Angel show investors, governments and potential customers that the project has a realistic path to success.
The vision behind Space Angel
Space Angel was founded in 2020 by CEO Ram Kuppusamy.
The company’s goal is to create sustainable space infrastructure in Western Australia. It wants its facilities to support commercial, scientific and government space missions.
The company describes its wider plan as the Australian Super Space Corridor. It also refers to an Indo-Pacific Space Corridor, with spaceports in locations that can serve the wider regional market.
The idea is to create more than a launch site. Space Angel wants spaceports to become part of a wider industrial network.
That could include research, education, manufacturing and other services linked to the space sector.
Why the green idea matters
Space launches can have a large environmental impact. Rocket launches use large amounts of fuel, while space facilities also need power and other resources.
Space Angel wants to take a different approach.
The company describes its facilities as green spaceports. Its broader vision includes the use of renewable power and cleaner fuels where possible. The Space Industry Association of Australia says Space Angel aims to create environmentally responsible space infrastructure for commercial, scientific and government missions.
Western Australia’s own space sector report also points to the possibility of lower-carbon launch activity through renewable power and green fuels for propulsion.
The green focus could become important as the space sector grows. Governments and companies face greater pressure to reduce environmental harm while they build new industries.
For Space Angel, sustainability is therefore part of the business plan rather than a separate idea.
A growing global space market
The opportunity is large.
Startup Daily reports that the global space launch services market is worth more than US$15 billion and is expected to grow at about 15% per year.
That growth creates room for new launch locations.
More satellites are needed for communications, Earth observation, navigation, weather data and other uses. As satellite numbers rise, companies also need reliable launch services.
There is another market that may become important: space returns.
Spacecraft and capsules can return products and materials from orbit to Earth. Western Australia says there is a growing need for suitable locations where these objects can safely land. Remote areas with few people are useful for this type of work.
Space Angel wants its facilities to support both launch and return missions.
Western Australia wants a space industry
The Space Angel grant also fits into a larger plan by the Western Australian government.
The state is carrying out a feasibility study to find more possible locations for spaceports as part of its Western Australia Space Industry Strategy.
The state already has several organisations linked to the space sector.
These include LatConnect 60, a commercial satellite manufacturer; AROSE, a Perth-based not-for-profit consortium; and Curtin University’s Binar Space Program, which develops, tests, builds and operates small satellites.
This existing base could help Space Angel as it develops its spaceport plans.
A spaceport does not work alone. It needs satellite companies, rocket firms, research institutions, engineers, transport providers and other businesses.
A stronger local space sector could help all of these groups grow together.
Jobs and new business opportunities
The Western Australian government believes a spaceport could have benefits beyond rocket launches.
Science and Innovation Minister Stephen Dawson said a spaceport could attract investment, create high-skilled jobs and give Western Australian businesses new opportunities in the global space economy.
This is important for a state with a large resources sector.
Space projects require many types of skilled workers. Engineers, software experts, technicians, scientists, construction teams and other professionals may all have roles in a spaceport ecosystem.
Local companies could also supply equipment, transport, construction services and technical support.
Over time, this could create a new industry base in parts of Western Australia that have not traditionally had a strong connection with space.
The road to 2033
Space Angel hopes to have its project up and running by 2033.
That may sound like a long time, but large space infrastructure projects require many steps before construction can start.
The new grant is part of the early stage.
Site checks must come first. The company then needs to develop its business case, complete the required planning work and obtain regulatory approvals. Funding for later stages will also be critical.
A project of this size will likely need support from private investors and other partners as it moves ahead.
The $1.75 million grant therefore marks the start of a longer process rather than the final approval for a working spaceport.
Competition will be strong
Space Angel is not the only organisation that sees potential in Western Australia.
The state says several companies are exploring launch and return facilities. These include OneTide, SpinLaunch and Space Angel.
That competition could help the state’s space industry.
More companies can bring more ideas, investment and technical skills to the region. At the same time, each company must prove that its plans are safe, practical and commercially sound.
Space Angel’s focus on a dual-corridor model and green infrastructure could help it stand apart.
Its location choices may also give it access to different types of orbital missions.
A bigger future for Australian space
Australia has a long history of space research, but the commercial launch sector is still at an early stage.
New space companies are changing that picture.
Space Angel’s plan shows how Australia could use its large land area, remote locations and strong science base to build a larger role in the global space market.
Western Australia is especially well placed because of its size and geography. The state has more than 2.5 million square kilometres of land and a relatively small population of about 2.7 million, according to the state government.
That combination creates large areas where space facilities may be possible.
What comes next for Space Angel
The $1.75 million matched grant gives Space Angel an important step forward.
The money will support site assessments, planning, regulatory work and the business case for its proposed green spaceports at Eucla and Christmas Island.
The company’s larger goal is to create a dual-corridor spaceport system for polar and equatorial launches, as well as spacecraft return and landing. At Eucla, the plan includes two 2.9-kilometre asphalt runways.
Space Angel hopes the project can be ready by 2033.
There is still a long road ahead. The company must complete its studies, secure approvals, attract more capital and show that there is enough demand for its services.
But the latest grant is a clear sign that Western Australia sees value in the idea.
If Space Angel succeeds, the project could do more than give rockets a place to launch. It could help create a wider space industry in Western Australia, bring high-skilled jobs to the region, attract new investment and give Australian companies a larger role in the global space economy. For a startup founded only in 2020, that is an ambitious goal, but the $1.75 million grant gives the plan a stronger base from which to move forward.
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