Published on Saturday, 10 December 2022 at 8:15:00 AM
ThothX and the Shire of Carnarvon are pleased to announce a collaboration to bring a new deep space surveillance capability to Western Australia. ThothX has acquired a lease on the historic OTC antenna with plans to equip it with a state-of-the-art deep space radar for Space Situational Awareness (SSA).
“ThothX is bringing Earthfence, a new deep space radar technology, to the Pacific to range objects in geostationary orbits and beyond using the Carnarvon OTC dish,” said Dr. Caroline Roberts, Chief Executive Officer of ThothX. Roberts is referring to a digital pulse compression radar originally developed in Canada and now being deployed globally. Earthfence measures the location of space objects up to fifty million meters from Earth to meter scale accuracy to provide SSA as a service for clients including US Space Force.
“The Shire is thrilled to have a contemporary purpose for this iconic structure that continues its role in cutting-edge space technology and proud of the contribution Carnarvon continues to make to the space economy,” said Eddie Smith, President of the Shire of Carnarvon. “We are delighted with the ThothX partnership that brings many benefits to our community,” he said.
The Carnarvon OTC dish has been at the forefront of space exploration for decades. “In addition to relaying the moon landing in 1969, the station has supported many space projects and is a site of international cultural heritage,” said Phil Youd, an Australian director of ThothX. The Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum is co-located with the antenna and provides a multisensory experience charting the history of space technology.
Requests for interview
Caroline Roberts caroline@thothx.com
Eddie Smith smith.e@carnarvon.wa.gov.au
Phil Youd phil@carnarvonmuseum.org.au
About ThothX
ThothX is a global space company based in Canada, the United States, and Australia with a mission to deploy deep space radar technology for Space Situational Awareness. ThothX has developed the world’s only commercial deep space radar that uses very large apertures to range resident space objects in geostationary orbits to very high accuracy. ThothX’s data service enables the real time analysis of threats on critical space infrastructure and enhances the safety of robotic and human spaceflight beyond low Earth orbit through collision mitigation.
About The Shire
The Shire of Carnarvon is a regional Local Government covering a vast 46,663km2 on the coast of Western Australia, north of the 26th Parallel; where the desert and the mighty Gascoyne River meets the Indian Ocean. The Shire acknowledges the Yinggarda People, Traditional Owners of lands around Carnarvon, and the Baiyungu People as Traditional Owners of lands around Coral Bay.
The Shire provides a range of municipal services and facilities to the 5500 residents of Carnarvon, Coral Bay and of the plantations and pastoral stations in between - along with the thousands of annual visitors who visit Carnarvon as the gateway to the Shark Bay World Heritage Area to our south, and the World Heritage Ningaloo Reef to the north. The town's historical OTC dish, overlooking the Carnarvon townsite, is an iconic symbol of Carnarvon's rich history and place in the history of the world.
Pictured (L-R) Shire Staff involved with the Lease Agreement And ThothX: Amanda Leighton, Caroline Ballard, Shire President Eddie Smith, CEO Andrea Selvey, Dr Caroline Roberts (ThothX CEO), Ben Quine (ThothX Chief Technical Officer), Carolien Claassens.
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