The red earth of North-East Arnhem Land is sacred to local Aboriginals… and will soon open a door to the skies above. It’s the site of a new NASA rocket launch base. “In many respects this is another signal that Australia as a nation is open for launch business,” says Enrico Palermo of the Australian Space Agency. This is the first time NASA has opened a commercial launch pad away from home soil. It may be just a modest blip on the radar of the world’s biggest space agency, but for a region that’s struggling economically, it’s a big deal. “I see space as a huge part of the future of Nhulunbuy. And that obviously will bring some tourists with it as well, because I think people do want to see rockets go to space,” says Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the project which had …