Space

SmartSat unveils terminal for faster, safer military communications

SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), Australia’s leading space research centre, has unveiled the Compact Hybrid Optical-RF User Segment (CHORUS) prototype terminal to create more stable and secured military satellite communications at the 15th Australian Space Forum. Funded by SmartSat CRC, the world-leading technology embedded in this prototype has been entirely developed in Australia by the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), and industry and academic partners, EOS Space Systems and EM Solutions, Lyrebird Antenna Research, Shoal Group, Australian National University and University of South Australia, following three years of research. Satellite optical communications links offer significantly higher data rates and a lower interception probability than standard civilian and military radio frequency (RF) satellite communications, which are vulnerable to electronic warfare, such as jamming, geo-location and interception. CHORUS aims to address the several limitations of satellite-based optical communications technology and open viable commercialisation pathways for new SATCOM capabilities. The new CHORUS Terminal is a hybrid optical/RF system, integrating an RF antenna and an optical telescope into a system called the AntennaScope™. This ensures users have reliable communications all the time and much higher data rates when optical communication is possible. A recent VIP demonstration day at the Department of Defence Edinburgh base showcased the successful completion of testing and marked the practical conclusion of the two phases of the SmartSat CRC co-funded project. The unveiling of the CHORUS Terminal at the Australian Space Forum is the first opportunity for the space community to see the prototype and discuss its capabilities and potential commercial pathways with members of the R&D project team. The project drew on impressive efforts by DSTG to support testing at their LASER range, including designing and building a ‘pseudo-satellite’ to prove the hybrid RF-Optical aperture worked as designed. The availability of an EM Solutions provided Cobra maritime SATCOM terminal* […]

SmartSat commits AU$1M+ to research ects for NSW’s Space Qualification Mission Waratah Seed

It is an historic project to help establish foundational capabilities in the NSW space sector and the Australian space industry as a whole.

National indigenous space academy takes off

The National Indigenous Space Academy (NISA) will see up to five students studying in STEM fields travel to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA JPL) in California for a 10 week full time summer internship program.

Integrated space and spatial industry key to securing Australia’s future

Industry-led Report A national coalition of leading space and geospatial industry experts have today launched the 2030 Space+Spatial Industry Growth Roadmap, an industry document designed to inform government policymakers to commit to an integrated space and spatial industry to safeguard Australia’s future economic success, societal well-being, and national security. The 2030 Space+Spatial Industry Growth Roadmap lists nine key objectives that must be met to future-proof the nation’s sovereign capabilities in these two vitally important industries – with wide-ranging consequences for tackling climate change, enhancing disaster resilience, strengthening defence, and safeguarding our most critical infrastructure. The Roadmap was developed from extensive industry-wide consultation over 18 months under the leadership of the late Dr Peter Woodgate. It was officially handed over to the Australian Space Agency today as input to its 2040 Vision Roadmap. Acting Chair of the 2030 Space+Spatial Steering Committee, Glenn Cockerton, said the simultaneous growth of the space and spatial industries would profoundly impact the nation’s well-being over the next decade and beyond. “The 2030 Space+Spatial Roadmap represents the lasting legacy of Dr Peter Woodgate and aims to help Australia take advantage of a golden opportunity to bring our national space and spatial industries closer together. The businesses at the intersection of space and spatial have a fundamental role in helping Australia navigate its response to catastrophic bushfires, the impacts of climate change, and the development of recovery plans for the economy following the global pandemic and its impact on our society and the economy.” “This work was conducted under Dr Woodgate’s leadership and was the culmination of over the last few years working across the space, spatial and research sectors. We are proud to be handing over these recommendations to the Australian Space Agency today and hope that the roadmap inspires government at all levels to take immediate […]

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Innovative space start-ups to create a software-defined space to ground capability

Sydney, and Adelaide – Space start-ups Antaris Inc and Quasar Satellite Technologies have announced a partnership to bring a breakthrough innovation in satellite constellation management to market. Under the agreement, Quasar’s digital multibeam Phased Array technology, which enables customers to manage spacecraft constellations through a single ground station connection, will be integrated into Antaris Inc’s software-defined Open Satellite Platform. Antaris Inc Co-founder, Shankar Sivaprakasam said: “We are hugely excited to be partnering with Quasar to help mission owners and satellite operators significantly reduce the cost of managing constellations. Quasar’s digital multi-beam Phased Array ground station is a game-changer. “Rather than having to establish links to satellite constellations using multiple ground stations and providers, Quasar’s connectivity from a single station vastly simplifies and creates a cost-effective earth-spacecraft communication. “Being able to offer Quasar connectivity-as-a-service via the Antaris software-defined satellite platform for our SaaS customers will give us a significant advantage as we start to roll out our platform to clients across the world.” Under the agreement, Antaris will be one of Quasar’s first demonstration users once the company’s multi-beam service launches in early 2023. Antaris plans to make ground contact from its demonstrator satellite (launching late 2022) via an API service with the company’s S band antenna, and other bands into future. Antaris will then offer Quasar connectivity via its marketplace to customer base, which is expected to include satcomms providers, space agencies, defence and intelligence entities and contractors, and space start-ups. Quasar Satellite Technologies CEO, Phil Ridley, said “We are looking forward to working with Antaris on building an end-to-end software defined satellite platform for delivering capability to space. “The Antaris SaaS marketplace solution for orbiting mission design and management is a perfect match for our flexible ground station solution, and together they offer satellite mission designers a range of choices for […]

Educational space program takes off from Adelaide

The Andy Thomas Space Foundation is launching its primary and high school programs to introduce space science and technology into the classroom, with the intention of taking the innovative courses national. Piloted in 2021, these programs are two of the nine educational scholarship and award opportunities on offer from the Foundation in 2022 and approach space innovation and education in unique and interactive ways. Andy Thomas Space Foundation Chair, Michael Davis AO, said the importance of supporting space education initiatives in schools is evidenced by the response of the students to the learning and problem-solving challenges they are presented with. “Space-related projects are a wonderful source of inspiration for students, and they also assist to shape tomorrow’s space workforce,” Davis said. The primary school program is in collaboration with the South Australian education technology company Makers Empire and utilises design challenges to expose students to space innovation with the assistance of 3D printing and app-supported development resources. Two to five teachers from each school will train with subject-matter experts who will share how space technology is being used to solve problems on earth. Co-CEO of Makers Empire, Jon Soong, said the program helps young students develop an interest in space. “It engages them in STEM learning connected to real-world problem-solving to gain an understanding of some of the pathways to a career in space,” he said. The secondary school program is coordinated by Hamilton Secondary College and facilitates the use of the Aldrin Foundation’s Giant Mars Map to engage students in a deeper understanding of space travel. Principal of Hamilton Secondary College, Peta Kourbelis, said she was excited to see that the range of projects proposed by schools is increasingly innovative. “More rural schools are involved, allowing students from throughout South Australia to find out about the amazing opportunities available in the rapidly […]

Centauri 5 satellite successfully launched

Fleet Space Technologies has successfully launched its next-generation Centauri 5 satellite on the Space X Falcon 9 Transporter-5 mission. This was the company’s third launch with SpaceX, following the successful deployment of Centauri 4 on the Transporter-2 mission in June 2021. Centauri 5 will be placed in low earth orbit (LEO) at an expected altitude of some 530km (330 miles). A 6U sized microsat with a total weight of 12kg, it will add capacity, reduce latency and provide additional network redundancy in the existing six-strong Centauri constellation, which Fleet operates in collaboration with Tyvak International. Upgrades to the Centauri 4 payload includes enhancements that mitigate the effects of radiation in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), direct communication links to Fleet’s ground station, and an extended S-Band range, allowing uplink at standard ground station frequencies. Digital beamforming provides extra gain, increasing the data rate, and also allows the S-Band frequency channels to be reused on the different beams. This combination increases the satellite’s data capacity by 2.6 times. In a world first, the all-metal patch antennas are all entirely 3D printed. The advances in 3D printing technology used in the construction of its patch antennal also feed into the development of the forthcoming fully 3D printed micro Alpha constellation, scheduled for launch during 2023. Together, the two systems will provide continuous coverage, data rates up to 520 kbps and tailored frequency bands servicing current and future generations of IoT devices. The combined constellation also enables Fleet Space’s ExoSphere system. This is transforming mineral exploration by using ambient noise tomography to locate critical resources up to 100 times faster and with far less environmental impact than conventional methods such as explosives, vibroseis machines and drilling. The Centauri 5 launch further strengthens Fleet Space’s position in the vanguard of the burgeoning Australian space technology industry, which the federal […]

Extra-terrestrial lab launches in South Australia

The University of Adelaide has opened a space technology lab to test equipment bound for the Moon and Mars. The Extraterrestrial Environmental Simulation (Exterres) Laboratory is the first of its kind in Australia and will allow researchers to develop new technologies to withstand the harsh deep space environment. Led by University of Adelaide Associate Professor John Culton, the lab will be used to test equipment such as rovers and materials needed for human exploration. “Understanding how technology will perform when exposed to harsh extra-terrestrial environments is critical to supporting long-term human presence in deep space, specifically the Moon and Mars,” said Culton, who is Professor of Off-Earth Resources and the Director of the Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources. “Space hardware will be tested in the lab’s Regolith Thermal Vacuum Chambers (rTVAC), a nine square metre sealed lunar regolith simulant pit and a 27 square metre sandpit which can be tailored to simulate specific off-world environments.” Culton said the rare rTVACs will allow students, faculty and industry to test equipment in the combined atmospheric, thermal and regolith environments found at the lunar south pole and on Mars. The regolith and sand pits are instrumented using a 3D motion capture system that allows detailed analysis of the capabilities of experimental robotics, either remotely controlled from the Exterres Mission Control. “In addition, the regolith and sand pits are instrumented using a 3D motion capture system that allows detailed analysis of the capabilities of experimental robotics, either remotely controlled from the Exterres Mission Control or operated autonomously,” said Culton said. “Blackout screens and solar light sources can be installed on the pit for trials of computer vision for automated navigation, which is particularly difficult in the off-Earth environment.” The Exterres lab also has a high-power laser, a vacuum furnace, a box furnace and […]

Funding growth of nano satellite technology -$26.4m round

·Fleet Space Technologies has secured $26.4m (USD) in investment, valuing the company at $126 million (USD). This represents a major step forward for Fleet Space Technologies, which is committed to creating the world’s most advanced low-power satellite network, securing planet-wide coverage for millions of compatible Internet of Things (IoT) devices by using its in-house Nanosatellite technology. The funding will underpin significant expansion in Fleet Space’s manufacturing footprint and will expand the company’s highly skilled workforce. The investment, which exceeded the initially targeted $25m (USD) is a clear endorsement of Fleet Space’s vision. The Australian start-up, co-founded by Flavia Tata Nardini and Matt Pearson, has created the most advanced smallsat payload yet delivered to orbit. These smallsat devices, roughly the size of a shoebox, generate ten times more throughput per kilo than larger spacecraft and will support radical new efficiencies for hundreds of industries using IoT. This will transform the ability of companies and institutions to manage and control their remote assets across the world and in real time, 24 hours a day, even in remote areas, where cellular connectivity is not available and where operations are critical. The investment also represents a firm commitment to Australia’s rapidly emerging space industry, which the Federal Government plans to grow to a $12 billion, ranking the sector among the nation’s fastest growing industries. Its expansion in the region will also create 70 jobs, including many highly desirable science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) positions in the first phase of growth. These roles not only secure a bright future for the country’s technical innovators and critical thinkers, but will support in making Australia a home for innovative solutions that drive positive change on a global scale. The International Data Corporation predicts that there will be more than 14 billion connected, low-power devices by 2025. To unlock the […]

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Pioneering technology to help NASA land the next person on the moon

A project led by The University of Western Australia in partnership with Fugro Australia and supported by the Australian Space Agency will expand optical communication technology to support international space exploration missions such as NASA’s artemis program. The Australian optical communications support for NASA Artemis and beyond project, funded by $199,634 via the Australian Space Agency’s Demonstrator program, will seek to establish a new optical communications ground station in Western Australia to enable more precise and clearer communication between Earth and the Moon. Dr Sascha Schediwy from the UWA node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), who has previously pioneered advanced atmopheric stabilisation technology for free-space optical communication, will play a lead role in the project. Dr Schediwy, leader of the ICRAR Astrophotoncs Group and member of the UWA International Space Centre, said that free-space optical communication would have huge benefits for space exploration. “During the Apollo era, all communication between Earth and the astronauts in space relied on radio communication, which given the large distance between Earth and the Moon, led to low data rates and poor transmitted live video quality,” Dr Schediwy said. “Optical communication on the other hand has been shown to support data rates hundreds of times greater than radio communications, enabling 4K live footage of the next crewed Moon-landing – it’s the communication technology of the future.” Associate Professor Danail Obreschkow, head of UWA’s International Space Centre, said the project would harness the expertise and resources of the newly established Centre. “The International Space Centre launched earlier this year includes more than 12 research nodes, 150 researchers and 20 PhD students who are working on advancements for optical communications and space exploration,” Professor Obreschkow said. “The scientists are also working on research to improve our daily lives such as communication technologies, new […]

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