As we reflect on the past year, it is impossible not to be inspired by the ingenuity, determination, and collaboration that continue to propel SmartSat CRC forward towards our conclusion in June 2026.

This year was marked by extraordinary achievements, all underscored by the continuing maturation of our extensive research portfolio. We have not only pushed the boundaries of space-enabled technologies but have nurtured the relationships and expertise that will sustain Australia’s sovereign space capability for decades to come.

Our annual conference, held in September 2024, once again provided a perfect opportunity to reflect on our community and their achievements. The opening keynote by Dr Christyl Johnson, Deputy Centre Director for Technology and Research Investments at NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre, set a tone of excellence for the whole event. The program highlighted the technical fruits of the SmartSat portfolio, with many of our technologies maturing and transitioning, the broader ecosystem growing, and more stakeholders being engaged.

Of course, one of the undeniable highlights of the past year was the launch of the South Australian owned and manufactured Kanyini satellite, onboard SpaceX’s Transporter 11 rocket. The launch marked a massive achievement to the entire Kanyini team, comprising SmartSat CRC, Inovor Technologies, Myriota and the South Australian Government represented by the South Australian Space Industry Centre.

Following the launch, the team successfully completed the commissioning of the satellites systems and after 194 days in Low Earth Orbit, we were delivered the first images captured by the onboard HyperScout2 hyperspectral imager. These images, once processed, possessed the data to reveal infrared details normally invisible to the human eye critical for use in monitoring crop health, vegetation density and changes in inland and coastal water conditions.

These initial downloads resulted in us getting high resolution images of Adelaide and the Eyre Peninsula, the Coorong and Kangaroo Island. These first images were the result of years of hard work and dedication from our talented team of engineers as they worked through the planning, development, launch, testing and finally, onboard commissioning of the mighty little spacecraft.

Unfortunately, the Kanyini satellite experienced an anomaly in July 2025, causing the mission team to lose contact with the hyperspectral imager and IoT payloads. As is so often the case in launching and operating craft in space, this occurrence brought with it an amazing opportunity to review what we have learned throughout this incredible journey, and the team has been busy adjusting the planned research pathways to ensure we can continue to gain experience and capability from the mission.

The International Aeronautical Congress 2024, hosted in Milan, allowed the team to cement many of the relationships that SmartSat has been building over the past six years, including with NASA and Aerospace Corporation. I also had the privilege of signing an MoU with the Hellenic Space Agency, aimed at fostering joint research, sharing scientific and technical information, and exploring synergies between the Kanyini Mission and HSC’s National Microsatellite Program through coordinated data acquisition and AI applications.

This year also saw us welcome new faces to the SmartSat family. Professor Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse joined us as Senior Advisor for International & Industry Collaboration, with the aim of assisting us to connect with new partners across the Asia- Pacific and the Middle East. Professor Rafael Kargren, former Head of Φ-lab Explore Office at the European Space Agency, joined us to advise on opportunities in Singapore and Europe. Finally, former CEO of Myriota, Professor Alex Grant, joined us to provide added additional capability to SmartSat’s research portfolio.

The Kanyini mission was also recognised at the 2025 Australian Space Awards, where it was nominated for Research and Development Project of the Year. While unsuccessful, the event saw SmartSat’s Lead Engineer on the project, Nick Manser, named Engineer of the Year in a much-deserved win.

While we look to the future of SmartSat outside of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Program, we continue to fly the flag for the initiative with SmartSat PhD candidate, Franke Agenbag, being named a finalist in the Early Career Researchers competition for her presentation on radiation resilient satellites.

With the CRC Program approaching its conclusion in mid-2026, we are not simply winding down, but transitioning with purpose. Guided by the success of the past six years, we are actively laying the groundwork for a new, enduring entity that will carry forward SmartSat’s mission to build sovereign space capability, deliver real-world impact, and inspire the next generation of innovators.

Professor Andy Koronios
CEO & Managing Director