A trio of Western Australian satellites is now orbiting Earth after Curtin University’s Binar 2, 3 and 4 CubeSats successfully deployed from the International Space Station.
After launching from Cape Canaveral and docking at the International Space Station earlier this month, the Binar team from the Space Science Technology Centre in the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences gave astronauts the final order to release the CubeSats at a special viewing event with Curtin staff and representatives from the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
Taking a keen interest was Katherine Bennell-Pegg, the first astronaut trained under the Australian flag and the nation’s first female astronaut, who is in Western Australia for a community engagement tour.
“It is a real thrill to be in Western Australia, engaging with the growing local space industry, when this fantastic feat unfolded,” said Bennell-Pegg. “Congratulations to the Binar team and Curtin on this achievement, which is a testament to the hard work I’ve been able to see a snippet of first-hand this week.”
“It’s been a massive month for Australia in space, with the Binar mission and three other satellites going into orbit,” she added. “It demonstrates the ongoing momentum in our sector, as more of our organisations put runs on the board and deliver technology that ultimately benefits our lives here on Earth.”
The satellites are currently travelling at 28,000 kilometres per hour, orbiting the Earth once every 90 minutes. Their mission will end in nine to twelve months as the satellites re-enter Earth’s atmosphere.
Before that, the CubeSats will send data to CSIRO on how well its radiation shields work, while WA-based company AVI will test its spacecraft communications system while the satellites are in orbit.
“These CubeSats are among the most advanced satellites in the world in their class, and they were entirely designed and built in WA, carrying a WA industry payload,” said Binar Principal Investigator, Professor Phil Bland. “Over the next 12 months, the Binar team plans to initiate a new project with bigger spacecraft and a world-leading, WA-designed propulsion system.
“As a university spacecraft research and development program, one of our primary roles is to drive innovation,” he added. “The BinarX team will also work with students from nine WA high schools to build payloads to fly on the next mission. When you combine all of these elements, it shows we have everything in place to support a thriving WA space ecosystem.”
