iLAuNCH Trailblazer to partner with Optus on sovereign defence LEO satellite project

The University of South Queensland-based iLAuNCH Trailblazer, together with partners Optus, HEO, Inovor Technologies and Defence’s Science and Technology Group (DSTG), have announced plans to build, launch and operate a sovereign Australian Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite. This collaboration represents a significant milestone in iLAuNCH’s mission to transition world-class university research into commercially viable, sovereign space capability for Australia, says iLAuNCH.

Set to go into orbit in early 2028, the satellite will carry two advanced payloads developed through the iLAuNCH Trailblazer Universities Program, an initiative funded by the Australian government’s Department of Education. The satellite will be manufactured by Inovor Technologies at Lot Fourteen in Adelaide and operated by Optus from its Belrose Space Operations Centre in Sydney.

“This $50 million project represents a huge step forward in transforming Australia’s world class research to sovereign space capabilities for our nation,” says Darin Lovett, Executive Director of the iLAuNCH Trailblazer.

“This project is a great example of industry, academia and government coming together to develop groundbreaking space technologies to catapult the Australian space sector forward,” says Dr Matthew Tetlow, CEO of Inovor Technologies. “For Inovor Technologies, this represents a significant milestone in our strategy to build larger, more capable spacecraft using the success we’ve achieved on orbit as a foundation to deliver genuine Australian-made space capability.

“This collaboration will strengthen our national space sovereignty by accelerating advanced satellite manufacturing, creating highly skilled jobs, and proving that Australia has the capability to lead in the global space industry.”

There are two confirmed payloads, says iLAuNCH. The first, led by Optus in partnership with HEO and the University of Southern Queensland, includes HEO’s new 20cm Adler Imager, a specialised space telescope designed to take high-resolution pictures of space objects, also known as non-earth imaging. This will allow for the consortium to leverage HEO’s unique capability to provide Defence, Intelligence and Civil government agencies and commercial customers with critical insights into space objects.

The resulting space awareness information will assist with transparency in space and allow customers to manage and operate their space assets, protect essential space infrastructure, and optimise satellite life, Defence points out. Under this commercial and academic partnership, the capability will also be leveraged for better observation of stars, planets, and other celestial bodies.

The second payload, to be developed by the University of South Australia with support from SmartSat CRC, will include a compact optical communications terminal that functions at high speeds, using laser light to send and receive data between another satellite or a ground terminal. The payload, says Defence, will also include a more conventional RF communications capability, supporting DSTG’s ongoing R&D activities in optical and LEO satellite communications.