Waratah Seed is one step closer to space! This month Waratah Seed reached a significant milestone in our 2024 mission, receiving the first payload delivery, from Sperospace.
Sperospace is a Sydney based company working towards the advancement of robotic sensing and manipulation technology for space. Built by Bohan Deng, Dr Awadallah, Muhammad Ariq and Patrick O’Gorman, the payload incorporates a Contactile friction sensor, a key piece of technology in the development of robotic arms in space with next generation sensors.
By verifying the sensor's performance upon the WS-1 Satellite, Sperospace will be able to integrate this sensor into future complex end-effectors, enabling a wide range of applications in the space environment. This technology will ultimately be utilised across in-space servicing operations such as satellite repositioning, repair and even the construction of larger structures in-orbit.
“We are incredibly excited to fly one of our first missions onboard the Waratah Seed mission. This represents a major step in our mission develop in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing capabilities. We have partnered with Contactile to bring next-generation tactile sensing capabilities to space, which will allow us to perform a wide range of tasks safely and effectively.” – Bohan Deng, Sperospace CEO
“Taking delivery from Sperospace of the first payload for the Waratah Seed satellite is an incredible milestone for the Waratah Seed project. This is really exciting for all the Waratah Seed partners, including CUAVA / University of Sydney, ACSER / University of New South Wales, Macquarie University, University of Technology Sydney, Delta-V Space Hub, and Saber Astronautics.” – Professor Iver Cairns, CUAVA Director
Sperospace’s focus on Space Servicing and building next generation solutions aims to enable humanity to sustainably explore and industrialise space. Their vision is to build the tools which will ensure spacecraft and infrastructure can be services, repurposed, and assembled in orbit and on other planets.
Congratulations to the team at Sperospace! We can’t wait to see you in space.
