The Canberra-based firm, which separately hopes to launch a space-based air traffic control system, will work with institutions including RMIT, Curtin and UNSW on the positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) system.
It comes after the federal government announced last year the project would be one of three to share a $18 million grant intended to foster collaboration between the Australian and Indian space sectors.
“The global reliance on GPS makes entire regions vulnerable to losing positioning, navigation and timing data if the system fails,” said RMIT’s Professor Suelynn Choy.
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“Australia and India have some very specific challenges and opportunities – particularly our large land mass, vast borders and primary industries relying on positioning, navigation and timing data – GPS may not be the right technology for all of these needs.
“These satellites are easier and less expensive to launch, and they allow for more flexibility by being deployed where coverage is needed most, providing a backup to other global navigation satellite systems.”
RMIT said its researchers are leading the world on the microcombs technology that would make the system possible.
Microcombs are based on photonic microchips, which can be rapidly adapted to any application that uses light, including positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities.
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“This portability opens up opportunities for more accessible and deployable satellite networks,” said Arnan Mitchell, a distinguished professor at RMIT.
“This project presents an exciting opportunity for forming closer ties between Australia and India, where we collaborate to develop our microcombs technology and find innovative solutions for global positioning, navigation and timing challenges.”
The grant is through the Australian Space Agency’s International Space Investment India Projects, which supports strategic space projects that build valuable commercial links with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the broader Indian space sector.
It’s the latest in a series of collaborations with India, which has become one of Australia’s biggest partners in space.
In November, for example, Australia has formalised its agreement with India to help recover the crew and capsule from the country’s first manned space mission.
The deal to support Gaganyaan will also mean the crew module could potentially land in the Southern Ocean when it finally blasts off in 2026, while Australian satellites will also be on board.
The mission has been delayed multiple times, but will eventually see up to three crew members go into orbit for up to three days in LEO, with uncrewed test flights set to begin next month.
Adam Thorn
Adam is a journalist who has worked for more than 40 prestigious media brands in the UK and Australia. Since 2005, his varied career has included stints as a reporter, copy editor, feature writer and editor for publications as diverse as Fleet Street newspaper The Sunday Times, fashion bible Jones, media and marketing website Mumbrella as well as lifestyle magazines such as GQ, Woman’s Weekly, Men’s Health and Loaded. He joined Momentum Media in early 2020 and currently writes for Australian Aviation and World of Aviation.
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