This is Major Tom to Great South. . .
SOUTHLAND
A SOUTHLAND agency will play an essential role in a large satellite launch next week.
The Rocket Lab launch to send 30 satellites 500km into space is scheduled for Monday at 3pm.
It will be the first time development agency Great South’s space operations team has actively worked with one of the spacecraft on board the satellite known as APSS1.
Space operations manager Robin McNeill said his team would communicate with APSS1 to assess the health of the satellite and extract science data.
Great South’s work with the satellite could last for months or a few years, depending on when the satellite naturally went out of orbit.
‘‘All going well, we’ll communicate with the spacecraft for up to eight minutes at a time, six times per day over that time.’’
APSS1 had a probe attached to collect data that could help predict earthquakes.
Mr McNeill said his team’s involvement in the launch was another important step for Great South, as it further developed the range of services it could offer the international space community.