NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed an $18 million memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Australian government. Under the collaboration, Space Machines, Australia will launch a satellite inspection and observation payload aboard ISRO’s small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV) in 2026.
According to Space Machines, the payload will be the biggest Australian satellite launched to date.
In addition, the collaboration will involve several stakeholders in India’s private space economy including Ananth Technologies, which has supplied components and engineering services to ISRO in many previous missions.
As per Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), SSLV is being privatised and the bidding process is still ongoing. Further, six bidders have been identified. However, a final decision is yet to be taken. Once completed, SSLV will be manufactured and operated by the private sector.
Furthermore, ISRO and Australian government have also announced joint space conferences in November 2024 for more collaboration between the two space economies.
