Space Machines and UTS to build Aussie space factory

The news: Space Machines Company (SMC) and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have partnered to establish Australia's largest industrial-scale spacecraft manufacturing facility, the Optimus Factory (OF-01), at UTS Tech Lab in Sydney. The facility will produce 300 kg class spacecraft and marks a significant development in Australia's sovereign space capabilities.

The numbers: The new facility will add 800 square metres of spacecraft production space and will have the capacity to produce five Optimus Viper spacecraft simultaneously, scaling to more than 20 units annually. SMC received an $8.5 million grant from the Australian Government in 2024 under the Australian Space Agency's ISI India Projects program for a collaborative demonstration mission with India.

The context: The facility, scheduled to be operational by late 2025, represents a shift in Australia's space industry from consumer to producer of critical space infrastructure. The project builds on SMC's development of the Optimus Viper spacecraft, announced in December 2024, and aims to address Australia's space production gap while strengthening Indo-Pacific security capabilities.

What they said: "OF-01 marked a historic transformation in Australia's sovereign capabilities, shifting our nation from a consumer to a producer of critical space infrastructure to close Australia's space production gap at a pivotal moment in Indo-Pacific security," said Rajat Kulshrestha, chief executive officer of Space Machines Company.