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GOLD Coast sites – including idyllic Stradbroke Island – are being pushed as well as Australia's answer to NASA's Cape Canaveral.
That's the message from a leading Pimpama-based space company that says the city is in the perfect location to send to orbit.
Gilmour Space Technologies says a launch site, also known as a spaceport or cosmodrome is an essential piece of national infrastructure for Australia's space industry to get off the ground.
Among the locations being Stradbroke Island, Rockhampton and Mackay.
Director James Gilmour said coastal rentals in Queensland
efficient orbital inclination choices on the planet.
The Stradbroke Islands are among the locations being eyed off for a rocket launch site.
"Timing is everything and the state is looking at creating a locally-based spaceport while there," he said.
"The orbital mechanics of putting things in the air is very conducive to Queensland – there is the favorable climate, the location of the sea, the land and air traffic around the sites and ease of access and proximity of industry.
Gold Coast businessman James Gilmour.
"Of course Stradbroke Island would be very conducive to these things, especially on heavy infrastructure and tourist infrastructure – just look at Cape Canaveral.
"With space the sky is no longer the limit."
Mr Gilmour said his company was in talks with both the northern cities and the potential for launch sites.
A small, low-cost rocket launch range would cost less than $ 10 million and would have the potential to be expanded over time.
The site would be around 800m long and 300m wide and could employ around 20 people.
Mr Gilmour said it was a major contributor to the global space industry, valued at $ 350 billion.
A Gold Coast conference of space industry scientists was told in September that Australia's space industry would be worth $ 12 billion by 2030
The company hopes to annually launch around 12 rockets by 2022.
It's been a busy year for the company, founded in 2012 by brothers Adam and James Gilmour.
Adam Gilmour, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews, head of the new Australian Space Agency Dr. Meghan Clark and James Gilmour.
In September the company received a $ 19 million grant which will be used to further develop low-cost rockets and launch vehicles to small-medium-sized satellites into low-earth orbit.
The company also announced plans to take a closer look at the Australian Space Agency (ASA).
At a cost of $ 30 million and over a period of four years, the company has
* A fly-by orbit of a near-Earth object such as an asteroid.
* A solar sail-powered mission to the Moon.
* A solar sail mission to Phobos, Mars's largest moon.
The Federal Government has allocated $ 15 million over three years for collaborative research with other space-faring nations.
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