Wanting Australian drones but buying foreign instead – by Dr Peter Layton

Australia has clear defence industry priorities including developing a local drone manufacturing sector. Here Dr Peter Layton examines Defence’s recent drone purchases, and asks why then, do we buy overseas made drones and not the best value or most advanced ones at that? In late February the Minister for Defence Industry launched the Defence Industry…

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Legrand Group announces acquisition of New Zealand’s Mechanical Support Systems Electrical equipment company Legrand has announced its acquisition of Mechanical Support Systems (MSS), a New-Zealand based company that offers cable management solutions for the electrical and mechanical sectors. MSS’ services include cable containment manufacturing, supply, installation and design, as well as bespoke fabrication. “While we are…

The genuine Spirit of Australia heads towards orbit

The groundbreaking Australian-made Space Industry Responsive Intelligent Thermal (SpIRIT) nanosatellite has arrived in California for launch in November. This article, adapted from one from the Australian Space Agency, details the technology and the companies behind this achievement. SpIRIT is a joint industry mission led by the University of Melbourne and supported by the Australian Space…

AROSE lunar rover to test Australian technology capabilities

The AROSE consortium and the EPE and Lunar Outpost Oceania consortium are each designing early-stage prototypes of a semi-autonomous Moon rover to be transported to the Moon via NASA. In this contributed article, AROSE outlines the challenges and industry opportunities. When Australia’s Trailblazer lunar rover arrives on the Moon, the remotely operated vehicle will confront…

Making the most of Australia’s space frontiers – By Andrew Mannix

The local space sector was shocked when the federal government cancelled the National Space Mission for Earth Observation (NSMEO). However, industry understands the government’s pivot, and still has a critical role to play in lessening Australia’s dependency on foreign countries for our space services, writes Andrew Mannix. Space underpins our technologically advanced way of life.…