Three Â鶹ֱ²¥ satellites have reached the International Space Station (ISS) today, marking the first time a Western Australian business payload has left the Earth\u2019s atmosphere and another major step for the State\u2019s burgeoning space industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Binar<\/a> 2,3, and 4 satellites launched<\/a> from NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida aboard a SpaceX rocket on Sunday night (WST), before docking at the ISS on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The trio are \u2018CubeSats\u2019 \u2014 small cost-effective satellites designed for science, technology, and research missions \u2014 and their launch follows the success of the first WA-made spacecraft Binar 1, launched in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This new mission marks an important milestone for WA, with the CubeSats carrying instrumentation from Australia\u2019s national science agency, CSIRO, and Perth-based communications systems company AVI \u2014 marking the first time a WA business has sent its goods into space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AVI\u2019s transmitters will be tested in the space environment, while CSIRO is testing how new materials can protect electronics against radiation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Binar principal investigator, John Curtin Distinguished Professor Phil Bland<\/a>, said the mission was a monumental achievement and he was exceptionally proud of the team who made the milestone possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSeeing the launch of three world-class spacecraft, designed and built right here by Curtin students and staff and carrying WA industry payloads is mind-blowing,\u201d Professor Bland said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Binar program at Curtin\u2019s Space Science and Technology Centre<\/a> within the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences has been at the forefront of establishing WA\u2019s emerging space technology industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n