South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has announced a groundbreaking space mission that is set to accelerate the state’s space economy and create new jobs.
The $6 million SASAT1 Space Services Mission – a collaboration between the Marshall Government and the South Australian space industry – involves sending a locally manufactured small satellite to low Earth orbit to support data collection from ground based sensors plus Earth observation imaging via a hyperspectral electro-optical payload.
Adelaide-based satellite manufacturing company Inovor Technologies will design and build the new small satellite, with SA company Myriota to provide IoT space services for the satellite, which – once deployed – will support the improvement of state emergency, environment, water monitoring and bushfire mitigation services.
The mission and application prototyping will be led by the SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), the biggest space industry-research collaboration in Australia’s history.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall said the SASAT1 Space Services Mission would strengthen the competitiveness of the state’s businesses in the small-satellite supply chain and pave the way for external investment and future growth in Australia and abroad.
“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,” Premier Marshall said.
“The satellite will also allow South Australian school students to view firsthand the vital information we gain from satellites right here in their own backyard. This is just one step in getting our next generation excited about what a career in space could mean for them.”
“Applications include using the data and imagery we collect to solve real life problems, like helping farmers monitor water levels so they can more accurately predict future yields.”
Myriota CEO and co-founder Dr Alex Grant said that in addition to providing a great opportunity for understanding the state’s environment, the mission would simultaneously create opportunities for collaboration across SA’s growing space ecosystem.
“Myriota is proud to be involved in the SASAT1 project, and to partner with space industry leaders Inovor Technology, the SmartSat CRC, and the South Australian government,” Dr Alex Grant said.
Commencing in the coming months, the mission will deliver the satellite in 15 months for launch into orbit, with the satellite available for a further three years to 2024 for data collection and operations.
