Mission to name South Australia’s satellite has landed in Schools

Adelaide, Australia – 4 May 2021 – Entries are now open for the mission to name South Australia’s first state satellite, giving students from every South Australian primary and secondary school the chance to put their mark on the milestone SASAT1 Space Services Mission. A panel of South Australian-based space industry dignitaries and decision makers will select one winning name and two runners-up from entries submitted by up to 600 schools across the state.  

The winning name will be displayed on the body of satellite before it is launched to low-Earth orbit in 2022. Premier Steven Marshall said students are encouraged to consider names that reflect South Australia’s heritage and rich cultural and linguistic diversity. 

“South Australia has a long history of space innovation, and the SASAT1 Space Services Mission is representative of our progressive, innovative contribution to the national, and global space ecosystem.”

Steven Marshall, Premier, South Australia

“Empowering our future space innovators to play a role in this space heritage by giving the locally manufactured satellite a meaningful name is as exciting, as it is important.”  

“I am incredibly proud to launch this initiative, which is going to inspire the next generation of space leaders and encourage students to take up STEM subjects to ensure a sustainable future workforce for the state’s thriving space industry.” 

With a universe of careers emerging from the space sector, one of the Marshall Liberal government’s priorities is supporting STEM programs in schools to equip and inspire South Australia’s bright young stars.  

Minister for Education, John Gardner said the competition is a brilliant chance for South Australian  students to contribute to a key moment in the evolution of the state’s emerging space industry.

“I’m really excited by the positive influence growing excitement about South Australia’s space  industry is having on the subject and career choices of our young people. For current and future that can be fulfilled right here in South Australia.”

John Gardner, Minister for Education

Entries close on 2 July, with the winning name announced by the Premier at the Andy Thomas  Space Foundation’s 12th Australian Space Forum on 15 September. This event brings together  space industry delegates from across the globe in Adelaide. School resource kits are now available on the competition website at www.SAspacemission.com.au

Additional information:

The data collected as part of the SASAT1 Space Services Mission will help every-day South Australians, aid farmers in monitoring water levels so they can more accurately predict future crop yields and support emergency services personnel monitor, manage and even mitigate emergencies like bushfires. 

The small satellite will be designed, built and tested in South Australia by local company Inovor Technologies while Adelaide 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) will lead the mission as well as application prototyping. 

The satellite will be launched from South Australia in 2022, spending three years in low-Earth orbit.