South Australian space technology company, Inovor Technologies, will see its state-of-the-art celestial navigation system integrated into the Orbital Servicing Vehicle of in-space servicing organisation, Space Machines Company.
Inovor’s Star Tracker – which relies on celestial objects such as stars to precisely determine a spacecraft’s orientation in space – will play a pivotal role in enhancing the navigation capabilities of Space Machines Company’s Optimus vehicle.
Founder and CEO of Inovor Technologies, Dr Matthew Tetlow, said the company is thrilled to see the Star Tracker incorporated into Optimus.
“This partnership exemplifies our dedication to fostering advanced manufacturing capabilities within Australia and showcases the synergy between leading local companies in this industry,” said Dr Tetlow.
“Our Star Tracker’s high-precision, low-power attitude sensor designed and manufactured in-house provides unparalleled accuracy by precisely determining the spacecraft’s orientation. It provides fully autonomous determination in a compact form factor.”
Co-Founder and CEO of Space Machines Company, Rajat Kulshrestha, said the partnership marked an important moment for the advancement of Australia’s space industry.
“Working closely with leading local space pioneers like Inovor Technologies will not only generate world-leading space exploration technologies driven by enhanced accuracy and a reliable navigation system but will facilitate a new standard for local collaboration that defines the future of Australia’s space industry,” said Mr Kulshrestha.
Optimus will provide transportation and other in-space services following its launch on the SpaceX Transporter-10 in early 2024.
