South Australian aerospace company Southern Launch has been given the green light to fire off two more test rockets from its launch pad near Port Lincoln.

The rockets will be experimental Kestrel 1 models manufactured by ATSpace, and will be launched from the Whalers Way site within months.

The launches will have the dual purpose of gathering data about the environmental and noise impact of conducting launches from Whalers Way, and testing the viability of the rockets themselves.

"These are incredibly complex vehicles so they want to start small," Southern Launch chief executive officer Lloyd Damp said.

"Once we get our permanent approvals for Whalers Way, [ATSpace wants] to bring their orbit-capable Kestrel 5 rockets to Australia, start manufacturing it here and then launch that from Whalers Way."

The Kestrel 1 rockets are sub-orbital, meaning they do not travel fast enough to stay in orbit.

Future rockets Australian made

Southern Launch had approval to conduct three test launches by the end of last year, but its first attempt in September failed when the rocket, manufactured by Taiwanese company TiSpace, caught fire.

Mr Damp said the Kestrel 1 was the same rocket Southern Launch worked with last year.

"The original company TiSpace was approached by the federal government … and was asked whether they would be interested in actually relocating their rocket manufacturing to Australia," he said.

"And so after a very, naturally, lengthy process, TiSpace set up a sister company in Adelaide called ATSpace."

Approval to conduct the next two test launches was granted by the federal government via the Australian Space Agency.

Company awaiting permanent approval

Separately, the company is awaiting approval from the state government to use the Whalers Way launch pad on a permanent basis.

The launch pad has been the subject of community anger in Port Lincoln, with some groups concerned about its effects on what is otherwise a pristine stretch of coastline and popular tourism destination.

While Southern Launch did not yet have permanent approval to conduct rocket launches at Whalers Way, Mr Damp said he was working with tourism operators to capitalise on the potential for space tourism at the site.

"We want to start exploring space tourism as a drawcard to the local area, so that'll help add another feather in the tourism area for the lower Eyre Peninsula," he said.