Session 1.4b Tutorial: Australian Space Manufacturing - The Case for STEM and On-shore Production Capability - Cassowary Ground Station Example
Tracks
ㅤ
| Tuesday, November 14, 2023 |
| 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM |
| Bradman Theatre |
ㅤ
Over the past several decades Australia has lost the capability to manufacture satellite ground stations. Particularly those found at large earth stations. The likes of Sydney Engineering supported by the CSIRO Radio Physics Laboratories in Marsfield Sydney and their ground-breaking bed of nails process, AWA and Andrews Corp in Melbourne, all of whom made world class satellite dishes here on shore have all vanished. Only EM solutions and their excellent OTM systems exist today. Manufacturing moved to China in the late 1990s. Even the CSIRO had the SKA antennas made by CETC 54 in Xi’an China. The art of building large, stretch formed, aluminium reflector antennas has been lost.
Need a 5.5m Ka band antenna for Low Earth Orbit tracking then you have to look towards North America, Europe or China. It’s unfortunate that with cost pressures in the Earth Observation market, more often than not China becomes the choice.
The recent purchase and installation of a 7.3m dish by the University of Tasmania located at Bisdee Tier for the Greenhill Observatory is a sensational initiative. It will be used among other tasks to locate satellites and space debris and contribute to Australia’s Space Situation Awareness capability. I think you would all agree that this would have been an even a greater achievement if that antenna and system were designed and built right here in Australia?
Speaker/s
Mr Adrian Potter
Chief Engineer And Head Of Program Delivery
AV-Comm Space & Defence
Adrian Potter has been involved with satellite communications since 1987 whilst living in Lae, Papua New Guinea. He is now the Chief Engineer and Head of Program Delivery at Av-Comm Space and Defence. His work recently included the planning and delivery of four new 11m dishes for Lockheed Martin and over 30 GPS reference stations as part of the SouthPAN designed to provide Precision Point Navigation. Previously Adrian was Deputy CTO at Kacific Broadband Satellites responsible for the design, construction, project management and local regulatory affairs for five 9.2m Ka Band earth stations across SE Asia and Australia. For the 14 years prior, Adrian was the Director of Communications Networks at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the contract management for ABC Television and Radio across more than 1100 transmission sites owned by a third party. In addition, he managed one of Australia’s largest multimedia satellite distribution networks as well as an extensive fibre network. Adrian has sat on several Boards on behalf of the ABC and led the creation of MediaHub, Australia largest independent TV and radio playout center located in Sydney and served on its Board of Directors.
