Nova Systems has commissioned the satellite tracking ground station on the Cocos (Keeling) Island, providing infrastructure to support the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) landmark Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.
Nova Systems will continue to provide project management support for the program as it progresses through future mission phases.
The facility forms part of ISRO's Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) network and will support mission communications and tracking requirements for Gaganyaan, India's first human spaceflight program.
Located strategically in the Indian Ocean, the ground station will play an important role in providing tracking and communications coverage for upcoming Gaganyaan missions as India progresses towards sending a crew of three astronauts into a 400-kilometre Earth orbit for a three-day mission before safely returning them to Earth via splashdown in Indian waters.
Nova Systems continues to act as Project Manager for the ground station capability, coordinating ongoing support and future activities associated with the complex infrastructure in the remote Cocos (Keeling) Islands environment.
Nova Systems Chief Executive Officer Dean Rosenfield said the successful commissioning demonstrates Australia's growing contribution to international space programs.
"The successful delivery of this facility is a significant achievement for the project team and an important milestone in support of one of the most ambitious space programs currently underway anywhere in the world," Rosenfield stated.
"We are proud to work alongside ISRO and local partners to deliver critical ground infrastructure that will help enable India's first human spaceflight mission.
"This project showcases the depth of Australian capability in space systems, infrastructure delivery and mission assurance, while highlighting the value of international collaboration in advancing human spaceflight."
The commissioning follows the growing cooperation between Australia and India in space, science and technology, and aligns with the shared commitment of both nations to advancing strategic space capabilities.
Nova Systems has welcomed the announcement by the Prime Ministers of Australia and India recognising the commissioning of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands space tracking facility supporting the Gaganyaan Human Spaceflight Program.