Missions

Starting from low
Earth orbits

SpIRIT MISSION

Space Industry, Responsive, Intelligent, Thermal Nano-Satellite

SpIRIT

THE SpIRIT (SPACE INDUSTRY – RESPONSIVE – INTELLIGENT – THERMAL NANO-SATELLITE) MISSION AIMS TO GROW AUSTRALIAN SPACE INDUSTRY CAPABILITIES THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INNOVATIVE NANOSATELLITE.

SpIRIT will break new ground in high-performance autonomous operations, communications, propulsion and thermal management, and be the first Australian-made spacecraft to host a foreign space agency payload, showcasing both the competitiveness of Australia’s space industry, and the synergies between different industry sectors.

Led by the University of Melbourne, the SpIRIT mission is funded via the Australian Space Agency’s International Space Investment: Expand Capability grant program and funding from the different industry partners, Inovor Technologies, Neumann Space, Nova Systems and Sitael Australia. The SpIRIT design is based on a standard format (6U CubeSat) with ∼ 11.5 kg mass and linear dimensions of approximately 30 × 20 × 10 cm when stowed in the launch dispenser, which will stretch to almost one meter once in orbit due to deployable structures.

SpIRIT will first undergo commissioning of the satellite platform and all its payloads, followed by 20 months of main mission operations, spending at least two years in space. SpIRIT operations will demonstrate the long-term performance of Australian-made hardware, and – through the Italian Space Agency’s HERMES instrument – contribute to the identification and characterisation of Gamma Ray Bursts, powerful cosmic explosions resulting from the death or collision between stars, that for a brief moment emit more energy than a whole galaxy.

For more information, please click here.

LauncheD: December 2, 2023

CAD image of Skykraft Satellite with Earth behind

Skykraft 1

Neumann Space will fly an in-orbit demonstration mission with Skykraft

The mission will carry the Neumann Drive in the CubeSat form factor enabling testing for design and efficiency improvements.


Launched: June 12, 2023

Edison Mission Image

edison

NEUMANN SPACE WILL FLY AN IN-ORBIT DEMONSTRATION MISSION WITH SPACE INVENTOR

The mission is part of the European Space Agency’s Pioneer Program and will carry the Neumann Drive ND-50 in the CubeSat form factor enabling testing for design and efficiency improvements.


Launch Date: 2024

SSTL Mission

CarbSAR

SSTL and Neumann Space partner on Demo mission

The mission with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) will test the Neumann Drive’s capabilities as part of the CarbSAR In Orbit Demonstration Mission – a partnership between SSTL and Oxford Space Systems. The mission’s principal objective is to prove a groundbreaking high resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), capable of collecting imagery during day or night, and in all weather conditions, allowing the reliable provision of information for a range of applications.


Launch Date: Late 2024

Undisclosed Missions

Mission 1

An in-orbit demonstration mission with a European partner in a ND-50 propulsion system.

Launch Date: 2024

Mission 2

A first in-orbit demonstration mission in a SmallSat version.

Launch Date: 2025