ANU Rosella processor.
Space companies and academics in Australia and the UK are combining their expertise to develop a new space camera that can transmit images back to Earth at high speeds to aid disaster response, land management and defence.
The multi-sensor camera is being developed by Leonardo, Spiral Blue, Nominal Systems and the Australian National University (ANU) as part of the iLAuNCH Trailblazer project.
“This collaboration will provide Australian industry and ANU with a first-mover advantage, delivering a commercially viable product for future satellites,” iLAuNCH Trailblazer executive director Darryn Lovett said.
For its part in the project, Leonardo has developed an extremely sensitive Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) detector, which has not previously been integrated into a complete camera system for space applications.
ANU has been developing the Rosella processor as the computer behind the detector, which allows it to read and process the images.
Spiral Blue has developed a customized space computer for edge processing AI, which is integrated with the ANU processor to capture and process images.
Nonal Systems can help you integrate the camera into your satellite bus.
ANU will also develop the optical assembly and further qualify the hardware in preparation for spaceflight.
“This program is a great example of a technology developed for a very specific astronomy-focused problem, which can be transferred to the wider market,” said Professor Robert Sharpe, from the Australian National University’s Centre for Advanced Metrology Technologies.
