UNSW Canberra Space missions

Starry Sky shot by Jeremy Thomas

UNSW Canberra Space has a number of satellite missions in progress. These include the Buccaneer Risk Mitigation Mission, which was launched in partnership with the Defence Science and Technology Group, and four satellites across three missions in collaboration with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The latter missions are designed to demonstrate the art of the possible for Australian space technologies and to grow UNSW Canberra Space’s capabilities which, in turn, inform our space education delivery.

Buccaneer Risk Mitigation Mission

UNSW Canberra Space's first satellite, a joint mission with the Australian Government’s Defence Science and Technology Group, was launched in 2017.

M1 Mission

M1 was the first in a series of satellites commissioned by the RAAF, continuing the partnership between UNSW Canberra Space and Defence.

M2 Pathfinder Mission

M2 Pathfinder is developing flight heritage for critical in-house satellite technologies for missions such as M2, including demonstrating the ability of an onboard software-defined radio to operate and be reconfigured while in orbit.

M2 Mission

M2 is a twin-satellite mission and our first mission utilising formation flying. Both satellites are equipped with advanced radios and telescopes for maritime surveillance demonstrations, as well as inter-satellite communications and a number of science experiments.