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by Henry Thai - Startup News
WA’s first pair of satellites will be launched using Japanese expertise from the International Space Station and tech from a local university
Since 2018, Curtin University has been developing miniature satellites known as a “CubeSats”, which hint at their dimensions – just 10cm by 10cm by 10cm. They can fit on the palm of your hand.
A pair of Curtin satellites, named Binar-1 and Binar-2 after the Noongar word for ‘meteor’, will soon be launched into orbit from the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo on the International Space Station (ISS), courtesy of Japanese space startup Space BD.
Space BD is the official service provider selected by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in the area of ISS utilisation and satellite launch service, and will also provide Curtin with technical integration services, and other support services. Read the full article of WA’s first pair of satellites
“The power, computer, steering and communications are all on a single, eight-layer printed circuit board, which means there is more room for what the satellite is carrying ‒ a camera that will capture beautiful images of Australia taken from orbit,” said John Curtin Distinguished Professor Phil Bland, Director of Curtin Universityʼs Space Science and Technology Centre (SSTC).
“The compact single-circuit board system also presents a more cost-effective alternative than those currently being produced by other manufacturers.””