Lockheed Martin Australia and Av-Comm instal SouthPAN’s first satellite dish

Lockheed Martin Australia and Australian industry partner Av-Comm has successfully completed the installation of the inaugural satellite dish for the Southern Positioning Augmentation Network (SouthPAN) in Uralla, regional New South Wales.

This marks a significant achievement for the SouthPAN project, a collaborative initiative between Geoscience Australia and Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand designed to deliver Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) services to Australia, New Zealand and maritime regions.

In September 2022, Lockheed Martin Australia was awarded a $1.18 billion contract to enhance precise positioning within the SouthPAN service areas. In December 2022, Lockheed Martin Australia selected New South Wales company Av-Comm to establish a network of ground station uplink facilities for SouthPAN.

The completion of the first 11-metre satellite dish, with a control centre and dual radio frequency uplinks, now promises to refine positioning accuracy to plus or minus 10cm. This level of accuracy will deliver benefits across agriculture, aviation, construction, consumer, resource, road, rail, maritime, mining and utilities.

“By enabling accuracy down to as little as ten centimetres, we’re not just enhancing positioning services; we’re revolutionising how industries operate and how emergency services respond across the region,” said Warren McDonald, Chief Executive Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand.

Michael Cratt, Av-Comm’s Managing Director, said, “We’re not only contributing to the nation’s space sector but hopefully sparking innovation across industries dependent on precise positioning. It’s a step forward for Australian technology on the global stage.”