Space Minister checks in at Mission Control

The University of Auckland has been awarded $300,000 for its Rakiraki CubeSat mission, a small satellite project developing a new reference point for space-tracking networks.

The project is led by Associate Professor Nicholas Rattenbury and research fellow Dr Joseph Ashby from the Department of Physics, with AUT’s Professor John Cater and operational partner Space Operations New Zealand completing the team.

The Rakiraki project is the round-two recipient of the Kiwi Space Activator pilot programme.

Space Minister Hon Chris Penk made the announcement on 11 June during a visit to the University’s Mission Operations Control Centre (MOCC), following a meeting with Interim Vice Chancellor Professor Frank Bloomfield at the University’s ClockTower.  

The announcement was attended by Professor Bloomfield; Dean of Engineering and Design, Dr Richard Clarke; Director of Te Pūnaha Ātea - Space Institute, Professor Guglielmo Aglietti; and recipients of rounds one and two of the Kiwi Space Activator pilot programme.

Among them was senior research fellow Dr Ben Taylor, mission lead for the TPA-2 project, which received $283,827 in round one.

Taylor led the Minister through a tour of the Space Institute, including the MOCC and the Fabrication Assembly Facility (FAF/Cleanroom).

The Minister received a hands-on look at the Institute’s satellite technologies, including TPA-2, and gained a sense of the industry-focussed research and spin-out activity underway.

Professor Bloomfield said it was valuable to have the Minister on campus to see the work firsthand.

"It was a pleasure to host Minister Penk and showcase the depth of space research underway at the University," he said.

"Support for projects like Rakiraki and TPA-2 helps strengthen New Zealand’s space capability and highlights the important role our researchers play in advancing this growing sector."

The Kiwi Space Activator programme supports New Zealand innovators to move new space technology and concepts from lab to launch.

"It has been encouraging to see the large number of high-calibre applications – they reflect the quality of space innovation in New Zealand," Minister Penk said.

"A total of $1.78 million has been awarded to the Kiwi Space Activator including funding awarded to four projects across rounds one and two. These are exciting projects, and I look forward to watching their progress and launch."