The Safety from Space initiative, backed by NASA, will trial advanced satellite communications (SATCOM) capabilities that it’s hoped will be lighter to carry and more reliable than current devices.
It’s previously been described as a “lunar 911” and is one of two projects backed by the state government’s Space Collaboration and Innovation Fund.
Safety from Space founder Mark Rice said ensuring astronauts’ safe return in an emergency is critical to interplanetary exploration.
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“Our collaboration with NASA has put Australia at the forefront of two-way communications for search and rescue, and we are extremely grateful for the funding from the South Australian government to make it possible,” he said.
The innovation effectively extends internet-like capabilities to the moon and is a collaboration with NASA, the Australian arm of The Mars Society, and a collective of Australian partners, including SmartSat CRC, UniSA and Flinders University.
If successful, the SA government said a trial could lead to a contribution to NASA’s Artemis program alongside emergency communication applications on Earth.
The second project to receive $100,000 is AICRAFT’s “Leoflect” that aims to create a lighter and smaller synthetic aperture radar (SAR) payload, a type of radar used to create detailed images of the Earth’s surface.
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“It will use advanced AI models to deliver power-efficient, high-speed data processing and analysis on orbit – a solution that is years ahead of existing technologies,” the SA government said.
“A partnership with India’s Guerin Technologies, the project will significantly enhance available SAR satellite capabilities.”
Stephen Mullighan, SA’s treasurer, said the grants would help accelerate the development of advanced technologies and strengthen international partnerships.
“AICRAFT’s collaboration with Guerin Technologies and Safety from Space’s collaboration with NASA are prime examples of how our state is leading in space innovation and will have a significant impact on global space technology,” he said.
“South Australia is home to a long list of innovative projects that are driving economic benefits for our state and reinforce our position as a leader in the defence and space sectors.”
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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