Findon High School launches into SA space history!

Adelaide, Australia – 15 September 2021 – Findon High School in Adelaide’s western suburbs has secured a place in South Australian space history by submitting the winning name for Australia’s first state satellite – an industry where they could all be getting jobs in the future thanks to the Marshall Liberal Government’s investment and vision for a sovereign space industry right here in South Australia.

Fifty-seven primary and secondary schools from across regional and metropolitan South Australia answered the challenge set down in May this year to name the SASAT1 Space Services Mission satellite.

The winning name – Kanyini – was submitted by Year 11 students from Findon High School’s Reconciliation Action Plan group.

Kanyini is a Pitjantjatjara word that describes the principle of responsibility and unconditional love for all of creation. In their submission, the students were inspired by the connection of Kanyini to how the satellite data would be used to tackle real world problems.

Premier Steven Marshall thanked the students for contributing to South Australian space history, saying that any student currently studying at school wanting a career in space – are exactly where they need to be.

“Today, these students are naming the satellite, in a few years they could be working in one of the thousands of jobs expected to come online right here in South Australia – the space capital of Australia,” Premier Marshall said.

“The launch of Kanyini will be a significant achievement in South Australia’s space endeavours, and I congratulate the Findon High School students for their creativity and thoughtfulness.”

“It’s exciting to see so many young people passionate about space, with schools from right across the state contributing their ideas for this unique South Australian space mission.”

“Adelaide is at the centre of Australia’s growing space industry – we are already home to the Australian Space Agency, the Australian Space Discovery Centre and Mission Control at Lot Fourteen, and soon we will be the first State Government to send a locally manufactured small satellite to low earth orbit.”

Steven Marshall, Premier, South Australia

Minister for Education John Gardner said the calibre of entries was impressive.

“This is a fantastic initiative that supports the state government’s goal of inspiring and growing our next generation of space industry leaders through STEM education and activities,” he said.

“The response to the competition has been tremendous, and it has opened the door to conversations and learnings about future career opportunities in South Australia’s exciting and thriving space sector for thousands of students.”

A panel of local space industry leaders, along with an Aboriginal language expert shortlisted the numerous entries, which were de-identified to ensure an objective and transparent decision-making process by the SASAT1 Steering Committee.

APY Lands General Manager Richard King has welcomed the satellite’s APY Lands connection.

“All communities on the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands are proud that the word ‘Kanyini’, a tenet of our ancient language, will be used for the new satellite,” Mr King said.

“The combination of ancient Australia and modern Australia coming together in this new space frontier will be a matter of great celebration for the first South Australians of Central Australian Deserts.”

Richard King, General Manager, APY Lands

Findon High School Principal Steve Atsalas said the school was thrilled to have their submission chosen for the SASAT1 Space Services Mission.

“The decision to submit this name was one that included all members of our school community and it is a reflection of our school’s commitment to celebrating First Nations cultures and taking active steps towards reconciliation,” Mr Atsalas said.

“This new SA satellite named Kanyini can be a symbol that acknowledges how vital the principle of Kanyini is for all humans living on Earth to ensure we care for and take responsibility for our natural resources, as the new satellite will enable us to do, more effectively.”

The satellite will be designed, built and tested in South Australia by local company Inovor Technologies, while Adelaide headquartered company Myriota will provide Internet of Things (IoT) services for the mission, collecting the data and returning it to Earth. The SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is leading the mission as well as application prototyping.

The satellite will provide vital data for every-day South Australians, such as assisting farmers to monitor water levels and more accurately predict future crop yields, or offering emergency services personnel greater oversight to monitor, manage and even mitigate emergencies like bushfires.

Findon High School students will now work together with designers and APY Lands representatives to create the logo for Kanyini before it is launched into low-Earth orbit in 2022.

Follow Kanyini’s journey and subscribe for updates at www.saspacemission.com.au

View a new high-res video of what Kanyini will look like in orbit.