The SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre, a consortium of Australian entities dedicated to developing advanced space technology, said four projects have won funding from the Australia-New Zealand Collaborative Space Program. The funded projects include studies to verify satellite data and space monitoring and management efforts.
The four projects to receive funding are:
- The University of New South Wales, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research and the University of Wollongong’s “Verifying MethaneSat livestock methane emission estimates in New Zealand and Australia using ground and airborne observations”
- The University of South Australia and the University of Auckland’s “A Feasibility Study into the Governance and Management of a Network of Free Space Optical Communication Nodes Across Australia and New Zealand”
- Curtin University, Nova Systems and the University of Auckland’s “Supporting the SatPing Initiative with Observation, Modelling and Hardware Development” and
- SmartSat CRC and Restore Lab’s “Monitoring the Southern Indo-Pacific from Space – The Takahē Mission.”
Andy Koronios, CEO of SmartSat CRC, highlighted the importance of funding the research projects, which will commence in August.
“In a significant advancement for Trans-Tasman space collaboration, this partnership between Australia and New Zealand in the space sector demonstrates our commitment to leveraging our combined strengths and resources,” he said.
He added that through the four initiatives, the two countries hope to develop capabilities and drive innovation to help build space technology for all.