Silentium Defence secures $3.2 million Hub contract to advance Space Domain Awareness
As reported in EX2 last week, Adelaide-based Silentium Defence has secured a $3.2m contract from the Defence Innovation Hub to further advance, deploy and demonstrate its MAVERICK S-series passive radar system for Space Domain Awareness.
With no spectrum allocation required to operate, the radar will be able to detect and track objects in low earth orbit regardless of weather, visibility, or time-of-day. Powerful but low-power, accurate and agile, the MAVERICK S-series passive radar is designed to deliver a sovereign, transformative capability for the ADF and its allies.
This contract will see Silentium Defence undertake a phase transition from successful completion of its previous Phase 1 Hub contract to the start of this Phase 2 contract.
Designed and developed in Australia, the MAVERICK S-series is the first commercial-scale passive radar system for surveillance of space and will provide persistent detection and tracking of objects in low-earth-orbit to support space traffic management functions such as catalogue updates.
Dr James Palmer, CEO Silentium Defence said of the contract win, “Defence recognises the risk posed by the increasingly congested and contested space domain. Satellite systems are vulnerable to space debris and advanced counter-space capabilities which can deny, disrupt and destroy our space-based systems.
“Safe and assured access to this critical domain is predicated on availability of high-quality, real-time data to inform decision making. That is what the MAVERICK S-series will deliver, and we’re delighted to further advance the system using local skills and local technology with support and input from Defence.”