Space Tracking

University of Tasmania assets have been tracking commercial and scientific spacecraft, satellites and launch vehicles since 1985. We have worked with NASA, ESA and JAXA to track space objects on the far side of the Moon and as far as Saturn.

Our researchers use spacecraft as a target to study a broad range of scientific phenomena in our solar system and to enhance space missions with additional ground-support. Our tracking techniques relies on extensive experience from our local team, using the infrastructure we own, operate and continuously improve.

Our array of 12m VLBI antennas is the most sensitive positioning and timing array of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and is used amongst many applications to improve the geodetic reference frame. We have extensive in-house expertise that uses state-of the-at observational and computational techniques to robustly measure time and position.

We are at the forefront developing ground-breaking interferometry techniques, that references the known position and time of celestial objects to improve time and positioning techniques for terrestrial applications.

As part of the Australian Space Agency infrastructure development project, we are improving the Australian ground station network with our new Telemetry, Tracking and Control and Payload Data Download station at the Greenhill Observatory.

The full motion, fast slewing Greenhill Tracking Station, with its unique Southernly location, is well placed for LEOP and Payload Data Download for launch and in-orbit satellite operations, and offer services on S, X and Ku-band for uplink and downlink.

Combining the skills and expertise built over the last few decades in tracking and location techniques, the University of Tasmania is expanding its reach into the field of Space Domain Awareness. Combining our established network of assets with scientific approaches to tracking objects in space, we are well placed to add value to Space Domain Awareness and Space Traffic Management applications.