The company said its new space will be able to produce five of its next-generation Viper spacecraft simultaneously and will be operational later this year.
The development adds to Australia’s handful of firms creating satellites and satellite buses (effectively the fuselage or main body) such as Gilmour, Inovor, LatConnect and Skykraft.
Space Machines Company’s CEO, Rajat Kulshrestha, said, “This strategic capability positions Australia to make significant contributions to allied space security efforts, particularly with the United States, as countries look for technologies that can quickly safeguard critical space infrastructure.”
Space Machines Company is best known for developing “roadside assistance in space” satellites, which physically move clients’ satellites to new positions when they get into trouble.
The company lost contact with its first satellite, Optimus, after it reached orbit, and is now developing a new vehicle, Viper, which is smaller and less expensive to produce.
“The expanded facility will boast an additional 800-square metre spacecraft production space; the OF-01 will house Australia’s largest satellite assembly, integration and test (AIT) cleanroom,” SMC said.
“This asset, which will support future Defence requirements, represents a co-investment from both parties and will bolster national security and commercial applications, enabling SMC to deliver immediate, high-fidelity intelligence and safeguard critical space assets.”
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It’s hoped the facility will be able to scale to produce 20 Vipers per year and make “multiple” spacecraft in early 2026.
The announcement is one of a number made by the company in the last 18 months.
In February, the firm said it would work with academic and industry partners to enable its satellites to conduct space domain awareness operations.
The Defence Trailblazer collaboration with the University of Adelaide will also construct an orbital robotics test bed on Earth to help develop prototypes of payloads.
The new technology developed will also underpin a range of space operations, including high-resolution inspection, satellite servicing and space debris management.
Space Machines also plans to launch a second Optimus satellite in 2026 with Indian launch firm NewSpace India.
The MAITRI mission – or Mission for Australia-India’s Technology, Research and Innovation – involves several Australian companies and has been backed by an $8.5 million federal grant. It aims to bring the two countries’ space sectors closer together.
“Australia and India are both innovative in how we approach space, producing fresh technologies and investing in inventive missions that deliver outcomes that improve life here on Earth,” Kulshrestha said.
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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