South Australia’s satellite, Kanyini, has delivered its first images from space. Deployed on SpaceX’s Transporter-11 mission last August, Kanyini has spent 194 days in Low Earth Orbit. The satellite has been closely monitored by the mission control team at Inovor Technologies, who are based at Adelaide’s Lot Fourteen innovation district.
"The release of Kanyini’s first images is an exciting moment for the mission team and the South Australian space community, reinforcing our position as a national leader in space technology," said South Australian Minister for Defence & Space Industries, Stephen Mullighan.
The Kanyini mission is Australia’s first state-owned satellite and is a joint initiative between the South Australian Government, SmartSat CRC, Inovor Technologies and Myriota.
"These first images are the result of years of hard work and dedication from our talented team of engineers as they work through the onboard commissioning of the spacecraft," stated SmartSat CRC Chief Executive Officer, Professor Andy Koronios.
Since launch, the team has been working through the commissioning of the satellite’s systems, confirming that the solar panels and batteries are functional and X-band radio communications are all operational.