Catalyst: Strategic – Australia New Zealand Collaborative Space Programme
MBIE and Smart Sat Co-operative Research Centre (SmartSat CRC) are co-investing in collaborative feasibility studies that contribute toward the growth of New Zealand and Australian space industries and develop capability for the Trans-Tasman space sector.
About the programme
In January 2024, the New Zealand Space Agency signed a partnership agreement with Australia’s leading space research organisation SmartSat CRC.
SmartSat CRC(external link)
This agreement to collaborate on space science and technology research projects will advance space science, leading to real world benefits for both New Zealanders and Australians.
4 feasibility studies have been funded under this initiative. They are aimed at developing scientific capacity in alignment with industry and end user needs to address major environmental, economic and social challenges for both countries. All projects are 6 months long and will start in August 2024.
Funded projects
A Feasibility Study into the Governance and Management of a Network of Free Space Optical Communication Nodes Across Australia and New Zealand
Organisations: University of Auckland
MBIE Funding: NZ$100,000 (excluding GST)
Public statement
Telecommunication using coherent light has a number of advantages over using radio-frequencies. Principal of these, for most consumers, is the order of magnitude larger rates of data transmission offered by optical communications. Current ground-based telecommunication networks typically use coherent light to transmit and receive data through optical fibre. Satellites in an orbital network similarly pass data between each other using laser light. However, transmitting data between the Earth optical networks and the space optical networks is a challenge, largely owing to the disruptive effect of Earth’s atmosphere.
Several groups across Australia and New Zealand are working on overcoming the technical challenges of Earth-to-space free space optical communications (FSOC). One of these challenges is to overcome the blocking effect of clouds. A solution is to have a network of interconnected FSOC ground stations, spread across a wide longitudinal range.
Operating an international network of optical ground stations (OGSs) has a number of operational and governance challenges.
This Study will provide a report on critical aspects of the operation and governance of an Australasian network of OGS nodes that will need to be addressed by stakeholders in such a project.
Partner: University of South Australia
Supporting the SatPing initiative with Observation, Modelling, and Hardware Development
Organisations: University of Auckland
MBIE Funding: NZ$100,000 (excluding GST)
Public statement
This project brings together a multi-institution team, across Australia and New Zealand, and between academia and industry, to support steps toward the development of the SatPing initiative. The goal of SatPing is to enhance the responsible use of space, by generating more and better information on the position and velocity of objects in Earth orbit, potentially even after decommissioning. Our team’s support for SatPing development includes a program of test observations using the passive radio frequency capability of a sensitive space situational awareness facility in South Australia, world-leading orbit determination expertise in New Zealand, and the conceptual development of options for the on-orbit devices (and ground segments) that will be critical to the SatPing initiative.
Partner: Curtin University
Monitoring the Southern Indo-Pacific from Space – The Takahē Mission
Organisations: Restore Lab Limited
MBIE Funding: NZ$99,750 (excluding GST)
Public statement
Organisations in Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) are actively developing technology and mission concepts for space-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).
This project will investigate the alignment of these efforts and develop plans for:
- a joint AUS-NZ mission concept addressing common key national priorities, with a focus on Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), and
- a collaborative technology development plan that enables this innovative, space-based multi-spacecraft interferometric SAR concept
This phase A project includes:
- assessment of ANZ government stakeholder priorities and needs
- acollaborative mission analysis resulting in a joint ANZ mission concept
- aevaluation and initial research into enabling technologies for interferometric implementation, including autonomous formation flying, inter-satellite links and prototype products, and
- implementation pathways for the mission concept with risk reduction activities and intermediate technology demonstration options.
The final report will provide recommendations and stakeholder support for a Phase B collaborative work program to advance the concept and enable a joint mission.
In New Zealand, Restore Lab Limited of Wānaka leads the development of the Takahē SAR mission concept. Takahē was originally conceived to address observational gaps relative to sea ice, marine debris, ice-sheet, coastal monitoring, and search and rescue. It is being further developed into a dual-use capability that addresses NZ government needs for maritime domain security and awareness.
The Australian Bureau of Metrology developed a mission concept to address gaps in current data for disaster mapping, tropical cyclone monitoring and sea-ice charting. The DST Group have also progressed mission concepts and technology development for a wide area vessel monitoring capability that can scale to an affordable constellation for MDA. These align with the SmartSat Indo-Pacific Connector program developing technologies for situational awareness and communication across the Indian-Pacific Ocean regions.
The close alignment of these activities, and similar interests of each Nation provides the basis for this proposed collaborative mission.
Partners: Smartsat CRC
Verifying MethaneSat livestock methane emission estimates in New Zealand and Australia using ground and airborne observations
Project summary
This project will expand the group of scientists collaborating on the agricultural MethaneSAT Science Programme (part of the MethaneSAT mission).
MethaneSAT Science Programme
That research sets out to demonstrate the value of new space technology to help mitigate and manage agricultural methane emissions. The team will verify estimates of livestock methane emissions from the MethaneSAT satellite in New Zealand and Australia, using ground and airborne observations.
No additional funding is being provided for New Zealand research activities. Smartsat CRC are funding the participation of Australian researchers.
More information on the project may be found on the SmartSat CRC website.
SmartSat CRC(external link)
Contact us
For more information, email internationalscience@govt.nz.