CSIRO’s Space Technology Future Science Platform (Space FSP) harnesses our nation’s technical strengths and natural advantages, generating new innovations that hold the potential to generate significant societal benefits and commercial opportunities and will help transform the Australian space sector.

Connect with us to see how our innovative space technologies, advanced manufacturing capabilities and space research facilities can help us all make the impossible, possible.

multiresolution scanner mounted on top of a tracked rover sitting on a Moon-like surface in the dust area of the ISRU Facility

Multi-resolution 3D scanner

Combining CSIRO’s wildcat and stereo-depth vision technology for high resolution, autonomous 3D scanning for space-vehicle interiors, exteriors or off-world rover applications.

scientist holds jar of blue pellets

MOFs for space

Metal organic framework (MOFs) are able to separate different types of molecules efficiently and with high precision. We’re exploring potential space exploration applications including for in-situ resource utilisation and CO2 recycling for closed-loop systems.

Lunar dust mitigating coatings

Developing coatings that could passively prevent or reduce the adhesion of lunar dust on surfaces, such as vehicles, solar panels, lunar habitats or spacesuits. These coatings could be used alone in applications where active protection systems are not feasible, or in combination, to reduce the energy and weight requirements of the active systems.

Radiation shielding

Developing novel metal matrix composite and polymer matrix composite materials for space radiation shielding. Results from ground-based proton radiation tests show a more than 40 per cent improvement when compared to standard aluminium shielding.

Space situational awareness

In addition to conducting radio astronomy, our portfolio of radio telescopes can track objects in orbit, characterise space objects, track asteroids, and communicate with spacecraft.

Staff at CSIRO's In-Situ Resource Utilisation facility control a small rover on our lunar testbed surface.

In-situ resource utilisation

CSIRO’s lunar testbed simulates some of the physical characteristics of the Moon’s surface at various scales for realistic testing and evaluation of rovers and related equipment.

Flexible solar arrays

A lightweight, self-deployable solar power generation system that significantly improves upon the power output (W/kg) of existing solar panels for CubeSats.

Optical sensor payloads

Leveraging our advanced manufacturing and Earth observation infrastructure, to design, manufacture and test satellite optical sensor payloads. We are developing wide field of view, hyperspectral imagers for high resolution, narrow bandwidth, Earth observation satellite missions.