A new smart system with autonomous decision-making ability will be able to abort rocket flights in the event of anomalies during the mission, a Gold Coast company hopes.
The Autonomous Flight Termination System is a joint venture between Gilmour Space Technologies on the Gold Coast with the help of European firm SENER Aeroespacial.
Software is being developed that is able to identify flight deviations and rocket status, as well as sending a command to terminate the mission if necessary.
The technology aims to act as an equivalent to current land-based systems, giving an option to replace legacy equipment that requires a manual operator to terminate a mission.
It's believed the system will bring "a new paradigm" in launch operations, enabling more launches from more places and driving down costs.
For the Gold Coast firm, the international collaboration points to a growing focus in European markets.
"It's great to be working with SENER Aeroespacial, an established space company with a strong track record for delivering high-performance systems," CEO Adam Gilmour said.
The technology is designed for use on the Eris rocket, which is being developed for the small satellite market.
"Given the progress, we're confident that we will have a robust AFTS ready for our first Eris rocket launch in the second half of 2022," Mr Gilmour said.
