MEDIA RELEASE
SYDNEY & GOLD COAST, November 22, 2022 -- Macquarie University’s Australian Astronomical Optics (AAO) has signed an agreement with pioneering manufacturer Gilmour Space Technologies to produce a new sovereign space technology, set to launch in 2023.
Gilmour Space Technologies is one of Australia’s innovative NewSpace companies and the leading venture-backed manufacturer of launch vehicles and satellite platforms. AAO Macquarie is world renowned for its ground-based precision instrumentation for telescopes and is now branching out to non-astronomy applications in space.
As part of this new partnership with Gilmour Space, a team of technical specialists from AAO Macquarie will construct and deliver a thermal camera payload.
“The payload will be integrated into a Gilmour Space satellite which is slated for launch in late 2023. The data collected from the thermal camera payload will allow the exploration of a new approach to collecting imaging data,” says Project Lead Dr Lee Spitler from AAO Macquarie.
“The agreement marks an exciting new chapter for the AAO, as our team of experts can expand their skills and remits to support the growing interest in space exploration.”
"At Gilmour Space, we like to work with fast-moving and innovative partners like AAO Macquarie. This is going to be a new Australian-made thermal space imager, which could be used for many different applications, including water quality monitoring, bushfire detection, weather monitoring, and more," said Shaun Kenyon, the Program Manager for Satellites at Gilmour Space.
This mission flies an all-Australian payload sensor suite and kick-starts Macquarie’s participation in the NewSpace era of agile space technology development.
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About Gilmour Space
Gilmour Space Technologies (gspace.com) is Australia’s leading venture-backed space manufacturer of launch vehicles and satellite platforms. Headquartered on the Gold Coast in Queensland, the company is developing, manufacturing, and launching its Australian-made Eris rocket and G-Sat satellite platforms to orbit, providing affordable space access to global customers.
Since starting its rocket program in 2015, Gilmour Space has pioneered a new space ecosystem for commercial launch in Australia. The company is proud to be backed by some of the country's biggest investors, including venture capital firms Blackbird and Main Sequence, the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC), superannuation funds HESTA, Hostplus and NGS Super; and international investors such as Fine Structure Ventures and 500 Startups.
Press contacts:
Gilmour Space: media@gspacetech.com
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