Western Australia’s space mission is in full swing with a free public launch event to be held in Northbridge on the weekend.
Curtin University’s Binar space program has built three cube satellites (CubeSats) which will take a high-speed trip to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX rocket, launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The launch will be shown from 2pm Sunday, August 4 on the big screen in Northbridge Piazza, where the team behind the mission will be on hand to provide further information to interested onlookers.
The Binar 2, 3 and 4 CubeSats follow the success of WA’s first space mission in 2021: Binar 1.
This exciting new mission marks an important milestone for WA, with the CubeSats carrying instrumentation from Australia’s national science agency CSIRO and Perth-based communications systems company AVI — marking the first time a WA business has sent its goods into space.
AVI will send transmitters to be tested in space, while the CSIRO will test how new materials can protect electronics against radiation.
Binar, pronounced ‘BIN-nah’, is the Noongar word for ‘Fireball’.
Binar-1 made history becoming the first WA satellite to enter orbit around the Earth. Binar-2, 3, and 4 are the follow up satellites to that history making mission.
Binar-2, 3, and 4 will fly the first ever WA-owned business payload.
The payload is an S-band transmitter developed by AVI. Demonstrations of the payload will enable the company to commercialise its product and enter the global space market.
The upgrades to the Binar satellite platform will enable high school students to fly payloads on the next three as part of the BinarX program.
In June, high school students from across the state presented their mission concepts at Curtin.
Once launched, Binar-2, 3, and 4 will test a variety of new technologies and conduct science for the CSIRO. Using data collected from the mission three more satellites will be upgraded and developed to house more industry and research payloads alongside four high school student payloads developed in WA.
The public are also invited to Curtin’s Bentley campus to watch the launch live with the mission team at an informal viewing event at Elizabeth Jolley Theatre, from 11pm Saturday, August 3.
There are several factors, including weather conditions, which may lead to a change in timing for the launch.
BINAR 234 SPACE LAUNCH EVENT
When: From 2pm Sunday, August 4
Where: Northbridge Piazza
Register at Eventbrite
