Cingulan Space Yass Satellite Tracking Station: Left to right: Lincoln Farnsworth, Pete Chatwin, Keith Rosario, and Joe Winter.
Yass based Cingulan Space has achieved another milestone with the successful launch of UNSW Canberra’s M2 Pathfinder satellite which was designed and built by UNSW Canberra Space.
Successful communication with the satellite has been established with the small, low-cost spacecraft via UNSW Canberra Space’s satellite ground station hosted by Cingulan Space, near Yass.
“The spacecraft orbits the Earth after every hour and a half. When it came over Yass, the satellite tracking service that we provide, tracked the spacecraft and let them communicate with it,” Keith Rosario from Cingulan Space said.
The company, set up in Yass three and a half years ago, caters to a global market and has worked with several international clients.
“We wanted to set up the company recognising the growth in the space industry,” he said.
Cingulan Space Yass Satellite Tracking Station: Left to right: Lincoln Farnsworth, Pete Chatwin, Keith Rosario, and Joe Winter.
They have two satellite tracking stations, one located outside Yass, and the other one is situated 200 km from Perth.
It provides a communication link between the spacecraft and the Earth.
Mr Rosario has worked in the satellite and space sector for over 20 years, with experience in the commercial and government satellite and space industry.
He has been living in the “radio-quiet area” of Yass since 1997.
“Yass is well-placed to work with spacecraft as it’s radio noise level is lower than if you were living in a capital city like Canberra,” he said.
With several international clients, they have also worked with a company in Queensland, which was developing Australia’s first commercial rocket.
Their staff supported Gilmour Space Technologies attempted rocket launch in Queensland last year.
Mr Rosario is also passionate about STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education outreach.
“We are always looking for opportunities to support STEM outreach in our primary and high schools,” he said.
They have recently sponsored a student from a local high school who wanted to attend a short course running on space at ANU.
“We are a hi-tech company working in regional NSW. We are proud of being able to do what we do in Yass. We are interested in supporting and encouraging kids who are interested in entering any forms of the hi-tech sector,” Mr Rosario said.