Space Machines launches Australia’s largest satellite

Adelaide-based Space Machines Company has launched Optimus, Australia’s largest-ever private satellite and the company’s first Orbital Servicing Vehicle. Weighing 270kg, it went into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California during the Transporter-10 mission.

As the first Australian commercial satellite capable of providing existing space infrastructure and satellites with life-extension services, inspections and assistance on-orbit, Optimus heralds the beginning of a new era in space sustainability, the company says.

Rajat Kulshrestha, Space Machines Company CEO celebrated the successful mission which brings the company one step closer to its vision of robotic satellites sustaining space infrastructure.

“The successful launch of Optimus opens up new possibilities for how satellites are launched and operated. We believe it will transform the economics of space infrastructure,” he said.

“As the foundational asset in our architecture of servicing vehicles designed to repair, refuel, upgrade and relocate other satellites, Optimus enables us to provide services to extend satellite lifetimes, reduce space debris and sustainably scale space activities.”

With Optimus now in orbit, Space Machines Company aims to leverage its capabilities to support a range of applications and drive further advancements in space technology.