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Innovative Deorbiter Tool Nets Aussie Space Company Deal
Device Prevents Satellites from Becoming Space Junk
SYDNEY, New South Wales — Saber Astronautics, a space technology company in Sydney, has concluded a deal to provide a satellite instrument for the Manipal Institute of Technology in India. The instrument, the “DragEN” tether deployer, is designed to prevent orbital debris or “space junk”, which globally has become an increasing hazard to satellites in recent years.
The Manipal Institute’s team in collaboration with Saber Astronautics is incorporating DragEN as a payload into their Parikshit research satellite. At the end of its 1-year mission, the yo-yo shaped DragEN will deploy, unrolling 200 meters of a special conductive string which interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field. This gently pulls the spacecraft back to earth, clearing the area for new satellites.
The satellite will include thermal imaging equipment used to study the Earth’s upper atmosphere, helping to understand the causes of climate change—an important subject for any nation.
It is unusual for an Australian company, in a country which enjoys very little space funding, to export a satellite product. Australia is normally an importer for space goods. Considering that India is one of the top space producers in the world, this shows that Australia has potential as a space exporter and it also speaks to the potential for further international collaboration.
The Australian Government, through the Australian-India Council, which is part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, recently awarded Saber Astronautics a grant to build collaboration and foster new relationships between Australian and Indian academics and students interested in space.
The project has already borne fruit, with a delegation from Manipal attending the Australian Space Science Conference in Melbourne last year. They were awarded the student prize for their presentation of the satellite and their use of the DragEN. A delegation from Saber Astronautics will travel to Manipal in early February to support the students and prepare integration with the satellite.
Saber Astronautics Director Dr Jason Held expressed his enthusiasm that the deal will invigorate Australian participation in international space research and lead to increased participation by business and academic institutions. “All space engineers, regardless of nationality, get excited at the chance to send their work into orbit. I greatly enjoyed working with the students from Manipal. They work hard, take pride in their accomplishments, and perform extremely well with their Australian counterparts.”
The Parikshit satellite is funded by Manipal University and is being built by undergraduate students of the institute. Saber’s DragEN is fully manufactured in Australia.
About Saber Astronautics
Saber Astronautics is an engineering company researching logistics and operations solutions for the space industry. They are also actively involved in bringing their passion for space to the public community. For more information, please visit www.saberastro.com. or www.facebook.com/SaberAstronautics
About Manipal Institute of Technology
The Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) is rated among the top five private engineering colleges in India. Established in 1957, MIT is one of the first self-financing engineering colleges in the country. In 2000, the college became a constituent institute of the deemed university – Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), which is today known as Manipal University. The institute which celebrated its Golden Jubilee in the year 2007 attracts a diverse student community from all over India. MIT is known for its rich, vibrant campus life marked by technical, cultural and sports events running throughout the year. For more information, please visit www.manipal.edu
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2013-01-30 23:30:40
Source: http://moonandback.com/2013/01/30/innovative-deorbiter-tool-nets-aussie-space-company-deal/
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