Space Machines Company and ANYWAVES: Growing Franco-Australian Space Industry Cooperation

Space Machines Company Roll Out Mission Render one S Credit: Space Machines Company

Space Machines Company (SMC), the leading Australian in-space transportation and logistics company, has partnered with ANYWAVES, the unique European « pure player » antenna equipment manufacturer, to support its first mission in 2023.

SMC’s Roll Out mission in Q2 2023 will be supported by SpaceX as its launch provider. SMC will test the capability of its 270 kg Optimus Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) to deliver in-space logistics services and will reinforce SMC’s capability as a last-mile services provider. The 2023 mission will also see SMC obtain flight qualification and test solutions for multiple Australian payloads and customers.

SMC's Optimus OTV is one of the largest commercial spacecraft designed, manufactured and assembled in Australia and is testament to the innovation within Australia's growing SpaceTech sector. Its development and implementation will be a major step forward in increasing Australia’s sovereign space capability.

Thanks to ANYWAVES’ S-Band TT&C antennas, SMC will be able to ensure communications to the ground stations during critical phases of the mission, downlinking essential telemetry, and providing command authority over the spacecraft. This mission will also allow the collection of experimental data. Indeed, the S-Band antennas provided by ANYWAVES are perfectly optimised for platforms’ telemetry and telecommand. They will be used to control the satellite, send instructions and ensure the spacecraft’s proper functioning.

As we approach our first launch in 2023 and start the Assembly, Integration and Testing (AIT) phase for our spacecraft, we are very pleased to announce this partnership with ANYWAVES. Space Machines already has strong partnerships across the world, and this collaboration with a French company is another milestone towards our first mission and a great example of cooperation with the European supply chain», said Rajat Kulshrestha, CEO Space Machines Company.

We are delighted to have been chosen by Space Machines Company as a trusted partner for their very first launch. This partnership is a significant moment for ANYWAVES as we take our first step into the Australian market, opening the doors to future long lasting collaboration with this space faring nation». Dr. Nicolas Capet, ANYWAVES’ CEO