The Asteroid Century mission concept developed by HEO Robotics has been selected by CSIRO as one of the contenders for Australia's next flagship space mission. HEO Robotics developed the Asteroid Century concept based on CEO Dr. William Crowe's PhD research. With this mission, HEO Robotics proposes to acquire high-quality image data of 100 asteroids passing through Earth-Moon system over the next decade. The nanosatellite swarm technology current used by the company to image satellites and space debris in LEO and GEO is extended to achieve this goal.
CSIRO plans to select the most suitable mission for Australia with the help of Australian research and industry experts over the next few months. CSIRO plans to back the selected flagship mission over the next 5-7 years. The main aim of this space mission is to, build industry capability, inspire the public and students, and demonstrate Australia’s commitment to space
The other 9 potential missions selected by CSIRO focus on areas such as Lunar gateways, Lunar communications, Earth observation and solar sails. More information on the Asteroid Century mission can be found below.
