University of Sydney and DLR sign Memorandum of Understanding for aerospace research
September 27, 2017
University of Sydney and DLR sign Memorandum of Understanding for aerospace research
Cooperation between DLR and University of Sydney
The MoU was signed by Hansjörg Dittus, DLR Executive Board Member for Space Research and Technology, Archie Johnston, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, and Hubert Reile, DLR Programme Director Space Research and Technology (from left to right in the photo).
The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt; DLR) and the renowned University of Sydney have declared their intention for future cooperation in research and teaching activities related to aerospace research by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 27 September 2017 at the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide, Australia.
The MoU was signed by Archie Johnston, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, Hansjörg Dittus, DLR Executive Board Member for Space Research and Technology and Hubert Reile, DLR Programme Director Space Research and Technology. On the Australian side, the activities will be carried out at the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, which is part of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Sydney. For the next three years DLR will support the faculty with the design and development, building and testing, as well as integration and launch of satellite technology.
Cooperation for Earth observation satellite MISAD
"We are pleased to have found a partner in the University of Sydney for a cooperation with Australia. We expect ground-breaking insights from this cooperation," said Dittus. Warwick Holmes, Executive Director of Space Engineering at the University of Sydney continued: "We will be able to take full advantage of DLR's technological experience and competency in operating a small, 150-kilogram satellite for Earth observation. This experience will help us to launch the Multi Spectral Satellite for Australia and Germany (MISAD)." Hubert Reile commented: "We will only be able to find answers to global climate change challenges if we work together on a global scale."
MISAD will be equipped with two payloads: a multispectral camera that will image the Australian continent, for instance by monitoring the water quality of lakes, rivers and dams for agricultural purposes. The second payload will be the Australian equivalent of the DLR BIROS satellite, which identifies so-called high-temperature events, such as forest fires, from space. MISAD will be the first Australian satellite to be entirely operated by Australia.
