The Company (SMC), an Australian firm, is dedicated to providing on-orbit servicing and safeguarding of crucial space infrastructure via its Orbital Servicing Network. SMC offers a wide range of services, including mobility, inspection, deorbiting, repair, life extension, and protection capabilities, tailored to satellite customers’ specific needs and timing.
The Optimus transport and logistics platform, designed to offer servicing and protection for essential in-space infrastructure, must undergo rigorous testing procedures to ensure its qualification for the space environment. It is scheduled for launch in early 2024.
The iLAuNCH Trailblazer project is a collaborative effort between The Australian National University (ANU), supported by the Institute for Space (InSpace), and the Space Machines Company. This partnership aims to develop new technology and intellectual property to create commercial opportunities within the space industry.
The Innovative Launch, Automation, Novel Materials, Communications, and Hypersonics (iLAuNCH) Trailblazer is a $180 million program designed to enhance Australia’s space capabilities. It includes the commercialization of space projects, a fast-track accelerator, and workforce development for the future.
Darin Lovett, the Executive Director of iLAuNCH Trailblazer, remarked, “For the entire history of space flight, we’ve launched our expensive technologically advanced satellites into orbit hoping they will survive for years, but totally unable to refuel or service them if problems occur,”
“This partnership to develop in-space transportation and logistics services opens a new global market opportunity while setting up enduring partnerships within the Australian space ecosystem.”
The project’s goal is to space-qualify the Optimus Platform at TRL 8 for flight readiness, utilizing the National Space Test Facility at ANU, which is the largest space testing infrastructure in Australasia.
Eduardo Trifoni, iLAuNCH Project Leader and Director of the National Space Test Facility, expressed his excitement, stating, “I am thrilled to support the experimental development of such an amazing mission. The Optimus Platform represents a game changer for Australia’s ambitions in space, and the National Space Test Facility is at the forefront of this endeavor.”
Space Machines Company, an Australian-owned firm offering in-space transportation and servicing capabilities, is poised to revolutionize the global space industry. Their services encompass various applications, including payload deployment to desired orbits, orbit raising, debris removal, repair, servicing, and exploration missions.
George Freney, Co-founder of Space Machines Company, emphasized the significance of their business model, stating, “Our business model delivers significant return on investment for satellite operators by providing a service like roadside assistance on Earth, but in orbit which improves the resilience and economics of satellite operations. The Optimus platform is scalable and adaptable to the market. The iLAuNCH project helps us to mature its design, leveraging National Space Test Facility’s deep expertise in spacecraft prototype testing.”
The iLAuNCH project will demonstrate Australia’s sovereign capability in handling increasingly complex space platforms, expanding capacities for access to space.
It will receive a $50 million investment over four years through a federal program, along with an additional $130 million from universities (University of Southern Queensland, The Australian National University, and the University of South Australia), industry partners, and CSIRO.