Australia's History in Satellite Technology

There have only ever been a handful of Australian-made or owned satellites (and a few more satellite projects that weren't successful):

• Australis-OSCAR 5, Australia's first satellite and the only successful Australian amateur satellite, made in 1966 but not launched until January 1970.


• WRESAT, the first Australian-made satellite to be launched into space, made in 1967 and launched from Woomera late that year.


• AUSSAT A-series, the first nationally-owned communication satellites, launched in the mid-1980s and still in service, now renamed the Optus A-series.


• Optus B-series, the successor to the Optus A-series, launched in the early 1990s and now the mainstay of C&W Optus' satellite communication business.


• WESTPAC, the Western Pacific Laser Tracking Network (WPLTN) satellite, launched in July 1998 and owned by Canberra-based Electro Optic Systems Pty Limited (EOS).


• FedSat-1, the Federation Satellite, an initiative of the Cooperative Research Centre for Satellite Systems, originally due to be launched in late 2001 to celebrate Australia's centenary of federation.


• Optus C-series, comprising a single Space Systems / Loral 1300-series satellite launched on an Ariane 4 in mid-2003.


• Optus D-series, currently comprising a pair of satellites under construction in the United States.

ASRI has been involved in the design and construction of small satellites since 1988 and maintains an active Satellite Program.