Marte Indregard, VP of ground network at KSAT. Photo: KSAT

Kongsberg Satellites Services (KSAT) will play a key role in an ambitious lunar project in Australia. It will team up with  Australian company Starsite to build a 20-meter antenna for their new site in Western Australia. Starsite owns the land and will maintain and operate the antenna. KSAT announced the partnership, Nov. 26.

Starsite was selected to host, maintain, and operate this antenna, a critical component in supporting missions to the Moon. KSAT worked hand in hand with Starsite to secure the location. KSAT reported the site, located in a region known for its low radio frequency (RF) environment and proximity to First Nations communities, provides optimal conditions for seamless lunar communications. In addition to its strategic positioning, the area has reliable power and fiber connectivity to support critical operations of lunar mission, lunar and satellite operations.

KSAT is a provider of ground network services and Earth Observation (EO) services. The company owns and operates a global integrated ground station network combining polar location with a vast and rapidly expanding mid-latitude stations. The network consists of more than 380 antennas located at 28 sites worldwide.

“Starsite has impressed us in their willingness to go the extra mile and the long and varied knowledge in the space industry. Their local knowledge is essential,” Marte Indregard, EVP of Ground Network at KSAT, said in a statement.