Australia’s largest-ever private satellite is not lost in space, its creators say, as they attempt to communicate with a vessel containing technology from eight local space-tech innovators.
Adelaide-based Space Machines Company successfully launched its unmanned Optimus satellite in California last month, powering it into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Weighing in at 270 kilograms, Optimus is billed as an orbital service vehicle, capable of servicing and refuelling other satellites to extend their operational life.
But the highly-anticipated mission appeared to veer off schedule last week when Space Machines Company suggested communications with the Optimus had dropped out.
“Our Mission Ops team has been working tirelessly to establish and maintain communications with the spacecraft,” the venture said on LinkedIn.
“We remain focussed on reaching this milestone and beginning the next phase of the mission for our customers and partners.”
In a statement provided to SmartCompany on Friday, a Space Machines Company spokesperson confirmed the satellite is in its planned orbit and has been tracked since launch.
“Confirming Optimus is not lost in space,” they said.
Space Machines Company did not directly answer if it experienced an unplanned loss of communications with the satellite, but the spokesperson said the team is focused on progressing its mission.
“Our operations team remains working around the clock on a series of commanding and operations sequences based on current mission context and information,” they said.
Space Machines Company is not the only local venture watching the high-stakes mission, which involves some of the nation’s most prominent space-tech innovators.
The Optimus vessel contains printed and flexible solar cell technology contributed by the CSIRO, which hopes to assess its viability as a power source for future space missions.
Optimus also carries manoeuvring technology from Advanced Navigation, which in 2022 booked a $108 million Series B round to advance its autonomous systems.
Also contained aboard the Optimus satellite: a hyperspectral imaging system from Esper Satellite Imagery; a unit from Spiral Blue billed as “the most powerful in-space computer outside of a space station”; and thrusters from Valiant Space, among other experimental technologies.
“We have kept our payload customers and partners updated and will continue to work closely with them as we progress with the mission,” the Space Machines Company spokesperson said.
Support for Space Machines Company has come from other ventures not directly tied to the Optimus mission.
Adam Gilmour, CEO and co-founder of rocket and satellite developer Gilmour Space, shared his best wishes with the Space Machines Company team after learning of its communications difficulties.
“While they keep looking for their Optimus satellite, it’s important to recognise how far they have come in designing, building, testing their technology,” Gilmour wrote on LinkedIn last week.
“It was great that they took other Aussie companies with them to space, who also designed, built and tested their systems and components.
“In fact, Space is all about designing, building, testing, failing, and trying again. Kudos to the team for making a great leap.”
The statement earned the plaudits of Space Machines Company co-founder George Freney.
“Space is hard,” Freney replied.
“It is essential for the future of Australia that we embrace the risk-taking entrepreneurs who try and do hard things, for those hard things will always involve failure, and they are the pathway to economic complexity, jobs and a better standard of living for us all.”
As efforts to communicate with Optimus continue, its creators are outwardly optimistic about the lessons provided by the mission so far.
“Each phase of the mission provides new opportunities to analyse the data and identify enhancements for future generations of our Orbital Servicing Vehicles (OSVs),” the spokesperson said.
“The ambition that fueled the development of Optimus will continue to drive our team towards even bolder innovations in the coming years.
The venture says it will unveil further information about fleet expansion in the coming weeks.
“The successful Optimus launch and deployment marks a significant milestone in establishing Australia’s growing capabilities in the space economy, and we are eager to build upon this positive momentum,” the spokesperson said.
Senior Business Journalist
Focused on the small business sector, David’s work covers the political, regulatory, and economic issues facing Australian entrepreneurs. Prior to joining SmartCompany, he was a reporter for Business Insider Australia. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
