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The SpIRIT nanosatellite created by the University of Melbourne to search for gamma rays launched on Saturday, in a milestone moment for the Australian space industry.
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Researchers will now spend four months testing and commissioning the spacecraft before transitioning to a fully operational phase.
Once set up, the 11.5-kilogram device will deploy solar panels and thermal radiators to search for the elusive phenomenon created when stars die or collide.
The project – known in full as the Space Industry Responsive Intelligent Thermal nanosatellite – is a unique collaboration with the Italian Space Agency, which has created the scientific instruments on board.
Four years in the making, its solar panels will power a “selfie stick” camera, guidance systems, and a pioneering electric propulsion system created by Neumann Space.
It’s designed to fly in low-Earth orbit (LEO) for two years in a polar (or sun-synchronous) orbit, travelling “vertically” from north to south, but positioned so it always faces the sun at a similar angle.
When its mission is complete, SpIRIT will be placed in a safe mode and burn up on re-entry into the atmosphere.
The project is a significant moment for the local industry, given it’s also a collaboration between Inovor Technologies, Neumann Space, Sitael Australia, and Nova Systems. The Australian Space Agency (ASA) supported the project with almost $7 million in grants.
Enrico Palermo, head of the ASA, said, “The SpIRIT mission, in partnership with the Italian Space Agency (ASI), demonstrates Australia’s ability to support scientific space missions that improve the understanding of our universe while advancing critical technology expertise in areas such as advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence.”
The mission is the first Australian satellite to carry a foreign space agency’s scientific instrument, the Italian Space Agency’s HERMES X-ray detector, as its main payload.
It lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on 2 December 2023 at 05:19am (AEDT) and has entered a polar orbit 513 kilometres above Earth.
“We are pleased to have successfully begun our on-orbit testing of the performance of the Neumann Drive and achieved our initial mission objectives. Within the controlled testing scope, the mission was able to provide us with assurance in the space environment, serving as a foundation for achieving our vision of delivering superior mobility in space,” Neumann Space’s chief executive officer, Herve Astier, said.
“Low-Earth orbit is now Neumann Space’s new laboratory, and we look forward to building on this initial achievement with future missions of greater duration, new challenges, and delivering more data to contribute to building increased customer confidence across the global small satellite industry.”
