The South Australian Government is partnering with the SmartSat CRC and local companies Inovor Technologies and Myriota to send a locally manufactured small satellite to low Earth orbit — the first State Government to ever embark on such a mission.
Boosting South Australia’s space economy, the $6.5 million Kanyini Mission will strengthen the competitiveness of South Australian businesses in the small-satellite supply chain and pave the way for external investment and future growth in Australia and abroad.
The satellite will be designed, built and tested at Lot Fourteen in Adelaide’s CBD by Inovor Technologies, while Myriota will provide Internet of Things (IoT) services for the mission, collecting the data and returning it to Earth. The SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is leading the mission as well as application prototyping.
The satellite’s dual IoT and imager payloads will deliver critical space data that will be used by government and research institutions to help improve state services like emergency services, the environment, water quality monitoring, mining and bushfire mitigation.
To inspire young South Australians about future opportunities in space and demonstrate its impact on everyday life, all South Australian school students were invited to submit entries to name the satellite and become a part of South Australian history. Year 11 students from Findon High School won the challenge with their name – Kanyini.
Kanyini is a Pitjantjatjara word that describes the principle of responsibility and unconditional love for all of creation. In their submission, the students were inspired by the connection of Kanyini to how the satellite data would be used to tackle real world problems.
Fully manufactured at Adelaide’s Lot Fourteen, Kanyini is due to be launched onboard SpaceX’s Transporter-11 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California in mid-2024.
For further information on the Kanyini Mission and to subscribe for updates visit kanyinimission.com.au
