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MILAN, Italy – Today, eight commercial spaceports located across five continents signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU will establish a forum to explore potential strategic collaboration in a range of areas of common interest and introduce a dialogue on establishing international spaceport standards. The signatories believe these discussions will strengthen assured access to space and improve affordability. The discussions facilitated by this MOU will also aid in the creation of shared opportunities to introduce technology innovations and foster global cooperation in the rapidly growing commercial space sector.

The MOU was initially developed by Space Centre Australia (SCA) and the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (Virginia Spaceport Authority or VSA). Spaceports are adapting to the proliferation of new launch providers, the accelerating rate and breadth of change in space launch tempo and modes of operations, and the introduction of new launch vehicle and propulsion technologies. In doing so, the senior leaders of both organizations noted that, unlike the air transportation industry, no standing body exists for commercial spaceports to increase decision-makers’ awareness and understanding that spaceports are the unique irreplaceable foundation for all space activities. These facilities also are increasingly important to their host nations’ economic, national, and homeland security interests, and to the prosperity and stability of the international community.

The MOU establishes an intent to create a collaboration between commercial spaceport signatories to enable strategic collaboration, information and expertise sharing, and inclusive decision-making for topics of commonality and mutual benefit. As such, the signatories will establish an Executive Committee with an initial action to identify and prioritize the issues to be considered collectively, develop mechanisms for improved information sharing, and identify areas to enable interoperability resilience among spaceports MOU signatories. The Executive Committee also will establish working groups as needed.

The spaceports represented here today view today’s signing as an important first step to best position themselves and other commercial spaceports around the globe to collaborate and adapt successfully to a continuing tectonic transformation of every sector of space activities. With those objectives in mind, the MOU will remain open for other commercial spaceports to become signatories and help shape the course of future space endeavors in the 21st century.

The inaugural signatories to the MOU include:

• Esrange Space Center, Swedish Space Corporation, Sweden
• Hokkaido Spaceport, SPACE COTAN Co., Ltd., Japan
• Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (Virginia Spaceport Authority), USA
• Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska, Alaska Aerospace Corporation, USA
• SaxaVord Spaceport, Scotland, United Kingdom
• Space Centre Australia, Australia
• Stargate Peru S.A.C., Peru
• Sutherland Spaceport, Orbital Express Launch Limited, Scotland, United Kingdom.

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“The signing of this MOU signifies a historic first in international commercial spaceport collaboration,” said Roosevelt “Ted” Mercer, CEO & Executive Director of Virginia Spaceport Authority. “This partnership demonstrates our collective commitment to underscore the importance of spaceports, supporting their future, and enabling a new era of innovation, security, and economic growth in the space industry. By aligning our efforts and combining our strengths, we can create a framework that supports the development of safe, sustainable spaceports that support growing demand.”

Hon. Scott Morrison, Former Australian Prime Minister, founder of AUKUS and Non-Executive Chair of Space Centre Australia said, “This Space-Port MOU announces the arrival of space related infrastructure as a new and maturing asset class that is increasingly engaging the attention of global investors. It also provides a platform for the sector to authoritatively engage with the regulatory, defence and security agencies of Government, as space becomes an increasingly important item on the strategic agenda of global political leaders. Such engagement will be vital to realising the extraordinary potential of the space sector.”

James Palmer, CEO of Space Centre Australia, stated, “This MOU represents a significant step forward in the development of global spaceport operations. By working together to establish standardized practices, we can enhance the resilience and responsiveness of launch systems, benefiting key stakeholders, including payload owners, investors, and regulatory agencies. This collaboration will help ensure that spaceports worldwide operate with greater efficiency and care, ultimately leading to more reliable and sustainable outcomes for the entire space industry. Through these partnerships, we are also opening the door to shared innovations that will drive continued progress in this rapidly evolving sector.”

"It is a great honor to have signed the MOU with the seven commercial spaceports across five countries. As the utilization of space by the private sector progresses, there is growing demand for frequent launches of rockets and satellites, as well as for international spaceport collaboration,” said Yoshinori Odagiri , CEO SPACE COTAN Co., Ltd. “HOSPO will cooperate with the other spaceports to pursue safe and sustainable spaceport operations that enable frequent launches of a variety of vehicles, including future Point-to-Point (P2P) flights, thereby contributing to the development of the space industry and the development of Hokkaido and Japan."

“We are witnessing the laying down the foundations of a historic landmark in this so-called ‘new space economy’, where significant actors such as us commercial spaceports come together as an emerging industry from all over the world to establish cooperation guidelines; for the particular case of Peru, I trust that this close coordination among us members shall attract technology and consequently foster the progress of our country and South America as a whole.” Juan Pedro van Hasselt, Stargate Peru S.A.C.

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Hokkaido Spaceport/HOSPO (Japan) is the first public spaceport in East Asia, located in Taiki-town, Hokkaido, Japan. HOSPO will support the global space business industry as an infrastructure, provide a comfortable development and a business environment for many operators, launchers, and manufacturers.

Pacific Spaceport Complex - Alaska is operated by Alaska Aerospace Corporation, a state-owned company located on Kodiak Island, Alaska, USA. The spaceport has been launching suborbital and orbital missions since 1998. This U.S. Federal Aviation Administration-licensed orbital spaceport provides flexible, responsive and low-cost access to space for government and commercial customers.

SaxaVord Spaceport (UK) is the first fully licensed vertical launch spaceport in Europe and is located in Shetland, Scotland, United Kingdom. Shetland is the ideal location for Europe’s premier spaceport, with a long history of serving and supplying complex industries. SaxaVord Spaceport can support a wide range of requirements, from engine test benches to research and development. The spaceport has been designed to host a wide variety of launch missions.

Space Centre Australia is Australia’s first large-scale multi-use spaceport. It is committed to advancing the Australian and international space industries. Located in Northern Queensland, SCA is situated away from competing air corridors, in a no-population density area, allowing clear access to a range of orbital positions. Its facilities are safe and secure, providing close access to various launch destinations.

Stargate Peru S.A.C. is the forthcoming spaceport pending approval of the Peruvian Air Force and Peruvian Space Agency. Plans are to build a launch pad in Piura, Peru, providing a global gateway for satellites, airships, and other space resources. The site is roughly 300 miles from the equator in an area with favorable weather conditions throughout most of the year with immediate access through the South Pacific.

Sutherland Spaceport (UK) is located on the northern coast of Scotland and is poised to be the UK mainland’s first operational vertical launch site for small satellites. The Spaceport is well placed to meet the growing demand for European satellite launches in the commercial space sector. Launch operations conducted from Sutherland Spaceport provide safe access to high inclination Low Earth Orbits (LEO), Polar Orbits and Sun Synchronous Orbits (SSO) with orbital inclinations from 83° to 100°. With a clear focus on sustainability, Sutherland Spaceport plans to minimise its environmental impact, with the potential to contribute significantly to the UK's space industry and regional economic growth.

Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) has been operational since 1966. It is presently used by the international scientific community for launching sounding rockets for microgravity and atmospheric research as well as high altitude balloons for astronomy, atmospheric research and drop tests of space and aerial vehicles. A new infrastructure also offers reusable rocket tests, engine and fuel tests, as well as launches of satellites, making it the first site on EU territory with orbital launch capability.

Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (Virginia Spaceport Authority) is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia and owns and operates the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) located at Wallops Island, Virginia, USA. VSA’s mission is to provide assured access to space by operating, maintaining, and growing a premier spaceport, stimulating aerospace-related economic development in the Commonwealth, and promoting educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

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Media Contact:

Lillian Palmbach

Chief of External Relations

757- 837-3304

lillian.palmbach@vaspace.org

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