Innovation News

CGI to help enhance Australian space domain awareness

Eliza Sayon Mar 1, 2023

2 min read

Global IT and business consulting services firm CGI, along with domain experts from Swinburne University of Technology and the RMIT, has been awarded a SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) project to develop a space domain awareness technology demonstrator.

The demonstrator will explore the application of artificial intelligence and advanced data visualisation techniques to enhance space domain awareness (SDA) and related mission systems.

Check out: SmartSat CRC accelerates Victoria’s space industry capabilities

As space becomes a vital part of Australia’s Critical National Infrastructure, the competition and congestion in Earth’s orbit, increasing threat from debris and the space environment, and behaviours and emerging capabilities of other countries and organisations all highlight the need for enhanced awareness of the space domain.

The SmartSat CRC project will build upon CGI’s global heritage in space domain awareness, working together with recognised domain and data analysis experts from RMIT and Swinburne to enhance Australia’s growing space industry capability in a priority area for defence and civil space.

The output of the project will be used to enhance SDA operations in real-time during Sprint Advanced Concept Training (SACT) exercises.

“This is an exciting opportunity; working with recognised experts at our partner universities to build on Australia’s SDA capability,” CGI Australia Director of Space, Defence and Intelligence Tony Nicholls said.

“The space domain has never been more vital to supporting economic growth, strengthening our geopolitical position and protecting our critical national infrastructure. Projects such as this firmly place Australia at the forefront of global innovation.”

Check out: New mapping tool showcases UK and Aust space capabilities

SmartSat CRC CEO Professor Andy Koronios states that projects such as enhancing space domain awareness will not only plant the seeds of space technology innovation but will also be instrumental in helping Australia build a viable space sector.

“Only by bringing together the best of Australian research with industry can we realise the space sector’s growth opportunity,” he said.

“Through SmartSat Nodes, we aim to build the capability of businesses providing access to space and space-based services and help them validate prototype technologies and algorithms to make them commercial-ready.”

For more than 40 years, CGI has delivered complex, mission-critical space software systems for clients across Europe, Australia, Asia and North America including the development and deployment of the AURORA space domain awareness system for the UK Space Operations Centre.

Eliza Sayon

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Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.