South Australia has launched a $6.5 million program with industry, lead by SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre, to design and build a satellite to deliver space-derived services to the state.
Premier Steven Marshall announced the government’s SASAT1 Space Services Mission to send the locally manufactured 6U small satellite to low Earth orbit and employ an Internet of Things (IoT) data collection service along with a hyperspectral electro-optical payload for Earth observation.
SmartSat will lead the mission and application prototyping, local space company Myriota has been contracted for IoT space services with Inovor Technologies designing and building the satellite.
The IoT and Earth observation data will improve the delivery of state services with potential applications in emergency services, environment and mining.
Marshall said: “South Australia is embarking on a bold mission with industry to design and build a satellite to
deliver space-derived services to the state – a venture never undertaken before by any State
Government around the country.
“Not only will the satellite help us make better decisions for state services, it comprehensively
cements South Australia as the space state.”
Marshall said the SASAT1 Space Services Mission paved the way for growth in space-craft export, IoT sensor exports, Defence and Australian Government space and defence-related projects and boost the South Australian supply chain.
Picture: SA Space Industry Centre: Premier Marshall announcing the satellite mission
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