Consortium members:

• COM DEV International Limited (Canada)
• Defence Science and Technology Organisation (SA)
• Sage Automation Pty Ltd (SA)
• CSIRO (NSW)
• Australian Institute of Marine Science (QLD)

Project contact:

Mr Jeff Kasparian
Email: jeff.kasparian@unisa.edu.au 

This fact sheet is available to download [PDF 59KB]

The project will develop cost effective space-based communications to address Australia’s needs, particularly in remote and regional areas:

• for monitoring of climate change and barrier reef ecosystem management; and
• supporting industries such as mining and agriculture.

This project aims to provide cost effective data retrieval from large numbers of remotely located sensors and devices beyond the range of land based communications. It will build significant, Australian space capability, generating intellectual property and enabling technologies and promote an ongoing program of internationally significant space research and development in Australia.

One example of possible use is in the monitoring of Myrmidon Reef (an outer barrier reef in the central Great Barrier Reef) which has poor communications due to the remoteness of its location. The site is important as, being an outer reef, warm water events coming in from the Coral Sea are observed here first, these events are linked to Climate Change and are an important indicator of the behaviour of the major currents in the area.

A further example of possible use is in the operation and monitoring of large fleets of drill rigs in remote locations. These rigs currently have little or no connection to the outside world, mainly due to the high cost of existing communications systems. Remotely monitoring these rigs supports business decisions and optimisation. Benefits include reducing fuel consumption, visibility for planned maintenance and reduction of downtime.