Satellite manufacturer Space Machines Company has announced the successful launch this morning of Optimus, Australia’s largest-ever private satellite and the company’s first Orbital Servicing Vehicle (OSV). The foundation of the company’s future in-orbit satellite servicing opereations was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket during the Transporter-10 mission. Following…
Boswell Technologies, satellite operator Skykraft and the Space Plasma, Power, and Propulsion (SP3) group at the Australian National University have successfully conducted a series of in-orbit tests of the novel Bogong satellite thruster. Two of the Bogong Thrusters have been launched into space aboard Skykraft satellites, with in-orbit testing successfully completed in November 2023 using…
Neumann Space today announced that they have signed an MOU with Spire to form a teaming relationship to collaborate on the integration of a Neumann Space propulsion system on-board one of the proven Spire satellite platforms for an In-Orbit Demonstration mission! This project will be supported by funding from the Australian Government. The agreement was…
A landmark nanosatellite mission supported by the Australian Space Agency, SpIRIT, has lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket and has entered a polar orbit 513km above Earth.. The Space Industry Responsive Intelligent Thermal nanosatellite (SpIRIT for short) is the first Australian satellite to carry a foreign…
The assembly and integration of all hardware on the largest spacecraft ever manufactured in Australia has been completed at the Space Machines Company headquarters in Botany, NSW. SMC’s Optimus OTV is destined for a 2023 mission that will demonstrate the 270 kg Optimus OTV’s ability to deliver in-space logistics services and will deploy solutions for…
Precision timing and quantum sensor manufacturer QuantX Labs has joined with Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) through Airbus Australia, to bolster their space knowledge and skillsets as they propel Australian quantum technology into space. QuantX Labs, known for flagship Cryogenic Sapphire Oscillator Cryoclock, is poised to take quantum advancements to new heights through its KAIROS…
Australian in-space transportation provider, Space Machines Company (SMC) has revealed the payloads to be launched into space by SpaceX aboard the Optimus OSV spacecraft bus (pictured). SMC’s Optimus OTV, one of the largest commercial spacecraft designed and manufactured in Australia, is almost complete, according to the company. Space Machines took to social media and said:…
Lockheed Martin Australia has announced Toni-Anne Munn as Deputy Program Director for JP9102, the multi-billion-dollar military satellite communications project that LMA was named preferred bidder on in April. According to a statement on Monday, the new role would “facilitate further growth in the region” as LMA prepares for the project’s execution phase. The company added…
Communications manufacturer EM Solutions has successfully completed the first of its system level tests for a transponder developed for Telesat’s LEO 3 demonstration satellite. Launched on 18 July, the satellite payload features both Ka and V-band uplinks and downlinking on either Ka or Q-band according to an announcement. Its compact size, weight and power consumption…
Canberra satellite manufacturer Skykraft has completed what it calls a world first trial of space-based VHF voice communications as part of their development of satellites to provide space-based aviation communications and surveillance services. Voice radio communications in the VHF band are used for communications between pilots and air traffic controllers, with VHF radios standard aircraft…
