LeoLabs unveils operational West Australian Space Radar
31 January 2023
LeoLabs has unveiled its fully operational West Australian Space Radar site in a commissioning ceremony on 31 January.
The new radar site adds significant coverage of the Southern Hemisphere as part of the company’s planned expansion of its global space radar network of 10 independent radars across six sites.
There are plans to expand further this year and in 2024.
The ceremony was attended by LeoLabs leadership and international guests, federal and state politicians, local elders and community leaders, Australian Space Agency and Australian Defence Force members.
“Australia is now host to a landmark in the world of space safety,” LeoLabs chief executive officer Dan Ceperley said.
“At LeoLabs, we are honoured and humbled to be a part of the Australian space ecosystem and to have found so many supporters and partners in Australia.”
LeoLabs Australia supervised the assembly of the US manufactured radars as local engineering companies completed the work in eight months.
The project was originally announced in October 2021, followed by site work beginning in April last year, construction completed and operational testing in December.
The WASR site hosts two S-band active phased array radars that add critical surveillance capability for the Southern Hemisphere.
The site will allow superior tracking and monitoring of median to high inclination resident space objects, with the collaboration of the LeoLabs Kiwi Space Radar in the South Island of New Zealand.
The two radar sites will increase LeoLabs capacity to discover new objects including lethal, small debris that are currently non-trackable.
Source: Space Connect