Steven Tsitas, a researcher with the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research (ACSER) at the University of New South Wales, said he believes that a lightweight spacecraft (nano-satellite) with a capabilities punch above its weight could provide the perfect launching pad for a sustainable Australian space program.
He has already developed an innovative system design for a new shoebox-sized spacecraft that enables night imaging and agricultural monitoring missions previously requiring much larger crafts and many of his colleagues said they agree with his theory.
As cited in Neos Kosmos, Tsitas said: “This 10-times size reduction should make the cost of producing a spacecraft 10-times cheaper – around $1 million versus $10 million. The cost may now be low enough to make it politically possible for Australia to establish a sustainable national space program.” He added: “The modified 6U version is slightly larger and rectangular in shape, meaning it has considerably more payload capacity for the inclusion of advanced instruments and cameras.”
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