A project supported by the iLAuNCH Trailblazer program has yielded a bimetal rocket thruster printed using multi-material additive manufacturing, which is claimed to be an Australian first. According to a statement from iLAuNCH – part of the federal Trailblazer Universities Program – on Thursday, the thruster was developed by Space Machines Company (SMC) and made…
Last month Space Machines Company, which plans to one day offer “roadside assistance in space”, completed what it says is an important milestone. The company successfully completed its 3D printed Scintilla engine, which passed a critical design review as well as more than 1,200 seconds of testing time at a private farm somewhere in Queensland.…
Off-earth logistics business Space Machines Company (SMC) has successfully completed its proprietary Scintilla propulsion engine, which has completed an extended burn duration of 65 seconds, more than 1,200 seconds of total testing time and 40 restarts so far. The engine was developed completely in-house and is part of SMC’s Viper satellite vehicle, “designed for rapid…
HEO – which launched an Australian-made, world-first commercial camera dedicated to non-Earth imaging (NEI) in 2023 – has announced that it will support the Space Machines Company-led Space-MAITRI mission, scheduled for launch in late-2026. HEO said in a statement on Thursday that it will provide a second generation of its NEI camera, billed the Holmes…
Satellite manufacturer Space Machines Company Space Machines Company (SMC) today unveiled Optimus Viper, a rapid-response spacecraft specifically designed to provide immediate, high-fidelity intelligence and protection for critical space assets. Operating at distances less than 10 kilometres from target satellites, Optimus Viper delivers detailed, actionable intelligence about critical space infrastructure that, until now, has been impossible…
Codan completes the acquisition of Kägwerks Communications and metal detection manufacturer Codan, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Codan US Inc, has completed the acquisition of 100 percent of US-based organisation SKT2 LLC dba Kägwerks (Kägwerks). Kägwerks is a leader in tactical operator-worn networking communications technologies that enable connectivity and integrated secure networking in a military…
In-space servicing firm Space Machines Company has forged strategic partnerships with two Indian space businesses, aerospace and defence manufacturer Ananth Technologies and space infrastructure company Digantara. The partnerships will play a pivotal role in the upcoming Space MAITRI (Mission for Australia-India’s Technology, Research and Innovation) mission and the launch of Space Machines Company’s second Optimus…
Satellite manufacturer Space Machines Company has signed an agreement with an Indian government-owned company NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), which sets the stage for a second spacecraft launch two years from now. In a statement on Thursday, Space Machines Company said the agreement with NSIL – which is the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research…
Satellite manufacturer Space Machines Company has announced a joint Indian-Australian mission on space debris management, supported by an $8.5 million grant from the Australian government. SMC, which bills itself an “in-space servicing firm”, announced “Space MAITRI” (मैत्री, or Mission for Australia-India’s Technology, Research and Innovation) on Tuesday, saying the joint industry-led mission will “demonstrate progress…
CSIRO-developed printed flexible solar cells are travelling on Space Machines Company’s Optimus-1 private satellite, which flew as cargo aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched on Tuesday (Australian time.) A statement from the national science agency following the launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California explained that it is exploring such solar cells as a…