One giant leap: WA satellites reach International Space Station

Three Curtin University satellites have reached the International Space Station (ISS) today, marking the first time a Western Australian business payload has left the Earth’s atmosphere and another major step for the State’s burgeoning space industry.

The Binar 2,3, and 4 satellites launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida aboard a SpaceX rocket on Sunday night (WST), before docking at the ISS on Tuesday.

The trio are ‘CubeSats’ — small cost-effective satellites designed for science, technology, and research missions — and their launch follows the success of the first WA-made spacecraft Binar 1, launched in 2021.

This new mission marks an important milestone for WA, with the CubeSats carrying instrumentation from Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and Perth-based communications systems company AVI — marking the first time a WA business has sent its goods into space.

AVI’s transmitters will be tested in the space environment, while CSIRO is testing how new materials can protect electronics against radiation.

Binar principal investigator, John Curtin Distinguished Professor Phil Bland, said the mission was a monumental achievement and he was exceptionally proud of the team who made the milestone possible.

“Seeing the launch of three world-class spacecraft, designed and built right here by Curtin students and staff and carrying WA industry payloads is mind-blowing,” Professor Bland said.

The Binar program at Curtin’s Space Science and Technology Centre within the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences has been at the forefront of establishing WA’s emerging space technology industry.

It has designed world-leading technology which has led to partnerships with internationally renowned space agencies, while also inspiring the next generation of space scientists with its outreach program which could see WA high school kids have their own experiments onboard future Binar missions.

“The launch of Binar 2,3 and 4 is the next big step for WA’s journey into space,” Professor Bland said.

“It shows if you have dreams which are out of this world, whether you’re part of a local business or harbouring hope for a career in the space industry, you no longer need to leave WA to reach the stars.

“On behalf of the Binar team I would like to thank the WA State Government, Curtin University and our industry partners for their generous ongoing support.”