Local space company Space Machines has announced the completion of Optimus, the country’s largest private satellite to date. This pioneering Orbital Servicing Vehicle is set to launch with SpaceX next month.
The completion of Optimus marks a major milestone for Australia’s sovereign space capabilities and reinforces Space Machines’ commitment to developing innovative space solutions that are built on local soil.
As the first Australian commercial satellite capable of providing existing space infrastructure and satellites with life-extension services, inspections and assistance on-orbit, Optimus heralds the beginning of a new era in space sustainability.
Space Machines chief executive officer, Rajat Kulshrestha said “Together, we are paving the way to provide innovative services that extend satellite lifetimes, reduce space debris, and sustainably scale space activities for the benefit of all.”
Optimus carries groundbreaking technology payloads from partners and suppliers, including Advanced Navigation, which has developed a revolutionary Digital Fiber Optic Gyroscope (DFOG) Inertial Navigation System.
Advanced Navigation chief executive officer and co founder Xavier Orr said, “We’re honoured to join Space Machines on its journey to support the sustainable development of the space economy. Optimus will demonstrate Boreas X90’s highly precise navigation capabilities as it manoeuvres the OSV efficiently within and between orbits, saving on fuel and time, and optimising mission success.”
Global provider of on-orbit refuelling services, Orbit Fab, is supplying critical position and orientation data through its fiducial markers to ensure safe and reliable on-orbit operation.
Orbit Fab chief executive officer Daniel Faber said, Orbit Fab is thrilled to equip the Optimus orbital servicing vehicle with our fiducial markers, which are providing critical in-space orientation data to support Space Machines Company with safe, sustainable space operations during its first OSV mission. This important mission and collaborative partnership marks an important step toward cooperative refueling in space.”
Space Machines’ Optimus will launch as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-10 mission no earlier than March 2024 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Space Machines Company also appreciates the ongoing support from government agencies including Investment NSW, the Australian Space Agency, Defence Space Command, and the Government of South Australia.