The two companies have signed a contract covering the controlled orbital re-entry and recovery of Lux Aeterna’s reusable satellites at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia.
The partnership supports the growing push towards circular space manufacturing and operations, allowing satellites to return safely to Earth for reuse, inspection and rapid redevelopment.
Under the agreement, two of Lux Aeterna’s Delphi satellites will be returned from orbit to the Koonibba Test Range, with the first re-entry mission planned for 2027.
Lux Aeterna, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is developing a reusable satellite platform designed for operations in low-Earth orbit. The platform is intended to support defence, intelligence and commercial missions, including technology demonstrations, hypersonic and materials testing, in-orbit servicing and in-space manufacturing.
Unlike traditional satellites, the Delphi platform and its core systems are engineered to survive the extreme heat and structural loads of atmospheric re-entry.
This allows both the satellite bus and payload to be routinely recovered, significantly speeding up technology development and post-mission analysis.
Lux Aeterna founder and chief executive Brian Taylor said the partnership would help normalise repeatable space operations.
“Our goal is to make space operations as routine as reusable launch services,” Taylor said. “Working with Southern Launch gives us the cadence we need to validate our reusable satellite platform and deliver real outcomes for the broader space community.”
Southern Launch will provide end-to-end support for each re-entry mission, including regulatory approvals, range operations, air and maritime coordination, and on-ground recovery.
Southern Launch chief executive Lloyd Damp said the company was well positioned to support the emerging re-entry market.
“Southern Launch is a global leader in range services for orbital re-entries,” he said. “Lux Aeterna is developing technology that will be critical for the future of in-space research and innovation, and we’re proud to partner with them to safely return their spacecraft to Koonibba.”
The Koonibba Test Range is widely regarded as one of the most suitable locations in the world for the return of space hardware, due to its low air traffic and more than 41,000 square kilometres of sparsely populated land.
The range is operated by Southern Launch in partnership with the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation.
Southern Launch delivers bespoke mission services across orbital launches, suborbital missions and orbital re-entries for clients worldwide. Headquartered in Adelaide, the company operates both the Koonibba Test Range and the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex on the Eyre Peninsula.
Lux Aeterna is aiming to build the world’s first fleet of reusable satellites, offering high-tempo, reliable access to orbit and return using flight-proven hardware and precise re-entry capability.
By separating satellite platforms from payload development, the company said it can reduce risk, accelerate iteration and enable detailed post-mission analysis for defence, intelligence, commercial and in-space manufacturing customers.
The company’s engineering and test facility in Denver will support development as it prepares for its first demonstration mission in 2027.