South Australian consortium to launch locally designed cubesat in 2022

A South Australian consortium led by the SmartSat CRC will launch an Australian-made cubesat into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in 2022. The CRC’s partners in this public-private partnership will be Adelaide-based satellite manufacturer Inovor Technologies and space data specialist Myriota.

The South Australian Government’s SASAT1 Space Services Mission, employing Inovor’s Apogee 6U small satellite bus, will employ a Myriota-led Internet of Things (IoT) data collection service along with a hyperspectral electro-optical payload for earth observation. It will gather data to inform critical state services including bushfire control, environment, water quality monitoring and mining. The program will cost $6.5 million, of which $5 million is being contributed by the SA Government.

No details have been released as yet of the launch service provider and location.

“The SASAT1 Space Services Mission will deliver significant value to our state and to our local space industry as well as paving the way for growth in space-craft export, IoT sensor exports, Department of defence and Australian government space and defence-related projects and the South Australian supply chain,” said SA Premier Steven Marshall MP.

SmartSat CRC chief Professor Andy Koronios said the mission is evidence that the South Australian Government is working hard to build the local small satellite manufacturing supply chain and strengthen its competitiveness to transform the state into a Hi-Tech economy.

“This mission will provide opportunities for small start-up companies to use the ongoing data captured by the satellite to develop analytics applications for government and commercial use,” he added. “The SASAT1 Space Services Mission positions South Australia to play an even greater role in national initiatives like water quality monitoring and bushfire mitigation.”