25 May 2022
Skykraft is pleased to announce that it will be commencing a $AUD1.76 million project to upgrade its proprietary Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) into a high fidelity and accurate pointing system. The advanced ADCS will equip the Skykraft satellite platform with significantly improved pointing accuracy, enabling it to support Earth Observation (EO) opportunities including hyperspectral cameras.
This project is receiving grant funding from the Australian Space Agency through it’s Moon to Mars Supply Chain Capability Improvement program, supporting Australian businesses to build their capacity, skills and capabilities to participate in domestic and international supply chain opportunities.
It will grow the capability of Skykraft’s in-house designed spacecraft platform, currently focused on delivering global, real-time, uninterrupted Air Traffic Management (ATM) services from a constellation of LEO spacecraft. The upgraded ADCS enhances the capabilities of the Skykraft platform to support the more stringent requirements of EO payloads and enabling a commercial platform capable of a mission to the Moon.
It will also boost the capability of Skykraft’s Skyride Program, with the enhanced pointing capability of the satellite platform enabling hyperspectral and other EO payloads to rapidly and affordably gain flight heritage. Utilising spare capacity in Skyraft satellites to host additional payloads, the Skyride Program supports the broader Australian space sector to achieve demonstrated on orbit performance.
The upgraded ADCS will be flown on Skykraft spacecraft in 2023 for flight qualification to achieve Technical Readiness Level (TRL) 9.
www.skykraft.com.au
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For media enquiries, please contact: Joe Andrews | 0402914122
About Skykraft
Skykraft is an Australian space services company based in the ACT that specialises in the design, manufacture and operation of satellite constellations for the delivery of global services. Skykraft is currently focused on launching a constellation for space-based Air Traffic Management services during 2023 to commence commercial operations in 2024. The first launch of this constellation will be a 300kg satellite, which will not only be the largest Australian manufactured space object ever launched but also bigger than the sum of all Australian space objects launched to date.