LeoLabs commits to WA for next space radar

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Western Australia's booming space sector continues to grow with an exciting new project earmarked for Bunbury.
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Person with a headlamp standing on the edge of a cliff looking out at the stars in the night sky

Western Australia’s growing space sector continues to expand with the announcement that LeoLabs, the world’s only commercial provider of space surveillance radar data, will be building and operating a space radar in our State’s south-west region.

With construction scheduled to begin in December 2021, the West Australian Space Radar (WASR) is LeoLabs sixth radar and will provide capability to detect and track debris and threats in low Earth orbit.

An ideal location for space situational awareness as a result of our unique geographical characteristics and technical capabilities, Western Australia is home to significant ground-based systems and facilities that provide the advantage in tracking, operating and communicating with assets in space.

This recent announcement joins a swathe of recent space investment in Western Australia, including the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the Australian Remote Operations for Space and Earth (AROSE), Space Automation, AI and Robotics Control Complex and the launch of the Binar-1 satellite from the International Space Station, and demonstrates that Western Australia is leading the country in growing the space sector.