Adelaide Lot Fourteen companies to build and launch ‘Australian-first’ satellite into low-Earth orbit

An Adelaide-made satellite the size of a cereal box will monitor the state’s bushfire fuel loads as part of an Australian-first mission based out of Lot Fourteen.

An Adelaide-made satellite will be launched into orbit as part of a nation-first space mission based at Lot Fourteen.

The SASAT1 satellite, the size of a cereal box, will provide valuable data on the state’s vast landscape by monitoring water quality, mining and bushfire fuel loads.

Premier Steven Marshall announced the $6.5m project on Wednesday, saying it would make SA the first state to launch its own satellite.

“We are super excited about this mission … it is going to be built and launched over the next 15 months and then it will be providing data back to South Australia to inform government (and) to educate our next generation of entrants into the space sector,” he said.

“Not only will the satellite help us make better decisions for state services, it comprehensively cements South Australia as the space state.”

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall made the announcement on Wednesday.

The State Government committed $5m to the project, while the companies involved put forward the remaining $1.5m.

Mr Marshall said the government already held early discussions with Director of Meteorology Dr Andrew Johnson about potential uses of the satellite.

“There are so many applications, here in Austrlaia but also overseas,” he said.

“There is an opportunity to use this project for space diplomacy, so this can be our contribution to create links with the UK Space Bridge and with a range of other projects that operate in Canada, the US and right around the world.”

The satellite, which would have the capability to collect data from around the globe, will be built by Lot Fourteen-based Inovor Technologies.

Myriota – also based at Lot Fourteen – will then manage the data the satellite collects.

Myriota boss Dr Alex Grant said the satellite would be the first in the world to combine Internet of Things data connectivity together with earth imaging from space.

“The current pandemic has really highlighted the fragility of global supply chains and the importance of having local, domestic capability to deliver critical services,” he said.

“This satellite will be an Australian innovation addressing specific Australian challenges around water quality, climate, weather, energy infrastructure, resources, mining and our vast maritime areas.”

The satellite will monitor water quality and examine fuel loads to help bushfire responses. Picture: CFS

SmartSat CRC, another Lot Fourteen-based company, will lead the mission and application prototyping.

Chief executive Professor Andy Koronios said the satellite, to be launched into low-Earth orbit, will be the “size of a cereal box” but has the potential to “supercharge” SA’s position as a global space player.

“Most of the satellite space services that we get are all from overseas,” he said.

“This is the first commercially available service that will have earth observation capability. We (SA) will be own that data and we will be able to control the orbit of the satellite.

“It will almost begin the journey for us to develop our own capabilities. It will not be done by just one single satellite, but from little acorns big oak trees grow.”

A launch provider and date of launch was yet to be determined.

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