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.
It’s the latest in a series of collaborations with India, which has become one of Australia’s biggest partners in space.
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In May, for example, Space Connect reported how the federal government announced that three projects would share $18 million in grant.
The programs included contributions from Space Machines Company, Skykraft, and LatConnect60.
In particular, Space Machines Company’s $8.5 million grant will see it create a second ‘roadside assistance in space’ satellite to be launched from a dedicated Indian launcher.
The head of the Australian Space Agency, Enrico Palermo, said: “India’s commercial space sector is rapidly growing, propelled forward by historic feats like becoming the first nation to successfully land on the South Pole of the Moon.
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“By investing in these collaborative projects we can further strengthen the relationship between our space sectors and unlock opportunities for Australian organisations to develop even more joint projects and missions with India into the future.
“Australia has unique competitive advantages to offer in Earth observation, communications technologies and services, and robotics and automation. We also have the capacity to contribute to and learn from India’s human space flight ambitions, particularly in space health and life sciences.”
Each project will include a number of local and Indian partners and will prioritise areas of strategic importance to both nations.
Space Machines Company then in September announced it would collaborate with two Indian firms to support the launch of its second Optimus satellite in 2026.
Ananth Technologies will help transport the spacecraft to its launch site on Earth, while Digantara will provide a payload that will help it navigate in orbit.
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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