Saber opens spacecraft software and design facility

Space mission operations company Saber Astronautics has opened its new Adelaide-based office during a visit by by the Premier of South Australia, Peter Malinauskas (pictured).

The new facility in the Bice Building at the Lot Fourteen industry innovation centre, will serve as Saber’s primary place of business in the state, and includes both software development and new spacecraft design facilities.

The Australian space sector is quickly growing with hundreds of new space missions being planned in the commercial and defence sectors.

There have been more than 120 startups in the sector since the birth of the Australian Space Agency in 2017, creating thousands of new high-tech jobs.

Saber’s spacecraft Concurrent Design facility in Adelaide will help projects develop their ideas for approval by government agencies as well as support investor decisions.

Likewise, government agencies can use the facility to design future missions of national interest.

CEO for Saber Astronautics Dr Jason Held said: “Australian industry has great ideas for missions of strategic importance such as climate change, agriculture, mining, and defence.

“This facility is a collaborative space for people to access nearly a decade of exceptional capabilities and design new missions for the future.”

Since the opening of the Responsive Space Operations Centre (RSOC) within the Discovery Centre at Lot Fourteen, Saber has more than doubled its presence in the state.

The Responsive Space Operations Centre is a space mission control centre that combines space domain awareness, command and control, and space weather into a single operational solution.

The RSOC is designed to support satellites from cubesat through to 2-tonne missions.

Alcami Architecture Director Victor Alcami said: “The Saber Astronautics office has been ingeniously designed to serve as a hub for pivotal conversations surrounding the future of the space industry in Australia.

“By blending elements of science fiction and architectural innovation, this remarkable space creates an immersive experience that fuels imagination, sparks innovation, and invites individuals to dream beyond the confines of the ordinary.”

Picture: Saber Astronautics/SA Premier Peter Malinauskas (left) opens the Saber Astronautics office