Technology company HENSOLDT and the University of Tasmania hosted the Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price at the Greenhill Observatory recently, inspecting the radio telescope’s Space Domain Awareness (SDA) capabilities.
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According to a release, the Greenhill Observatory is one of the five largest radio telescope locations in Australia, alongside Yarragadee in Western Australia, Ceduna in South Australia and in Katherine in the Northern Territory.
The observatory is designed to improve Australia’s Space Domain Awareness (SDA) by tracking and monitoring debris in space, with Tasmania well placed to undertake the observation due to proximity to southern polar orbits.
HENSOLDT explained that SDA was an increasingly important requirement for space and terrestrial operations, with increased orbital traffic.
Minister Price’s visit follows the creation of the Southern Guardian Situational Awareness System by HENSOLDT and UTas in mid-2021, providing enhanced tracking capabilities for Space Traffic Management (STM).
HENSOLDT expects that the Southern Guardian program will enhance the pair’s engagement with Australian industry.
During the visit, Minister Price viewed the Australian Space Agency Space Infrastructure Fund-supported antenna and engaged with HENSOLDT’s C4ISR offerings that integrate with the antenna for data and information analysis.
[Related: HENSOLDT supports European secured data and voice communication capabilities]