With funding from the Australian Research Council, a team from Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences has developed a breakthrough in operating and monitoring small satellites.
The project saw new algorithms created to use links between satellites to precisely determine a CubeSat’s position, whether flying individually or in formation.
“CubeSats have a wide variety of Earth and Space science applications from tracking land-use changes and pollution levels, to informing wildlife conservation efforts through habitat monitoring,” said Professor Ahmed El-Mowafy, head of the project.
“CubeSats can offer high-definition monitoring of bridges, pipelines and powerlines to improve asset management and prevent accidents, while also supporting responses to incidents and natural disasters with targeted imagery of affected areas,” Professor El-Mowafy added.