ABC News, 30 September 2017:
Australia is building three new satellites that will conduct audio and visual surveillance for the Defence Force.
The Federal Government has given $10 million to the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra space team to complete the project.
Work on the first satellite is already underway and is scheduled for lift-off next year.
The device, which is known as a Cubesat, is the size of a loaf of bread and weighs about four kilograms.
University of New South Wales Canberra space director Professor Russell Boyce said, while small, the spacecraft had a big task ahead.
"It's got an onboard capability to listen to objects on the surface of the earth, in particular we are interested in ships, so it's assisting the defence force in maritime surveillance," Professor Boyce said.
Another two satellites, each twice the size of the first satellite, are scheduled to be completed by 2019.
"They will not just have the software to find radio, but also some optical telescopes and cameras," Professor Boyce said.
Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne said the data collected from the satellites could assist military spy planes with their work, and help detect asylum seeker boats. [my yellow emphasis]
BACKGROUND
Get ready for an Australian Space Agency says Prime Minister Turnbull & Minister for Education and Training Birmingham
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