1944
1944
Our moment in the Sun
We pioneered the new field of radio astronomy in Australia, observing the Sun using new techniques and equipment at several sites in Sydney.
1961
1961
Opening of our Parkes radio telescope
Shortly after its opening, in 1962, the telescope tracked NASA’s Mariner 2 spacecraft as it flew by the planet Venus, marking the start of our longstanding relationship with NASA. After nearly 60 years' of service, the telescope remains one of the world’s leading radio telescopes thanks to regular technology upgrades.
1969
1969
Apollo 11 Moon landing
Apollo 11 Moon landing signals received by our Parkes radio telescope and NASA’s Honeysuckle Creek station near Canberra. 600 million people around the world watched the televised broadcast.
1979
1979
Collecting satellite data for Australia
We started acquiring and archiving satellite data for the Australian Government. This data underpins research from inland water, bushfire and land use mapping, to ocean colour monitoring and minerals exploration.
1983
1983
Revolutionising the satellite industry
We started an R&D program with the goal of placing Australian-designed antennas on the second generation AUSSAT satellites. Our work helped to revolutionise the satellite industry.
1989
1989
Our alliance with Boeing
Our longstanding research alliance with aerospace company Boeing commenced. Along with data analytics, our alliance will go onto develop breakthrough technologies in coatings and advanced materials, energy and direct manufacturing.
1992
1992
AUSSAT-B satellite launches
Launch of the first AUSSAT-B satellite, for which we designed and built a prototype antenna for the Western Australia spot beam antenna.
1996
1996
We revolutionise WiFi
Our Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) patent was granted, making fast WiFi possible. This was developed from our deep understanding of radio waves and is now used in billions of devices.
1996
Spacecraft tracking
We were given responsibility by the Australian Government to provide oversight of the treaty relationship between Australia and the United States for spacecraft communications and tracking at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex.
2002
2002
FedSat launched
Launch of FedSat, Australia’s third scientific satellite. We collaborated with universities and private companies on its design and construction.
2006
2006
Fighting fire with satellite data
The ‘Sentinel Hotspots’ demonstration system for bushfire tracking across Australia, developed in collaboration with the Department of Defence, Geoscience Australia and the US Forest Service, was transferred for routine operational service to Geoscience Australia. Today it uses data from multiple US and Japanese satellites to provide up-to-date public information on bushfires across all of Australia via the web.
2013
2013
World-class supercomputing
Pawsey Supercomputing Centre, our joint venture with university and Western Australian Government partners, became operational. It is used to process big radio astronomy data sets coming from Australia’s Square Kilometre Array precursor telescopes as well as for other data-intensive science.
2015
2015
Lab 22 offers 3D printing
We opened our 3D metal printing facility Lab22, which enables fast prototyping of components.
2016
2016
Creating our data-driven future
Our focus on data continued with the launch of our new leading data innovation group, business unit Data61.
2017
2017
NovaSAR observing Earth
We signed an agreement for a share in NovaSAR, one of the world's most sophisticated new satellites, that will make Earth observation data on the Asia-Pacific region more readily available. The satellite is due for launch in 2018.
2018
2018
Entering the new space era with Boeing
We agreed with Boeing, our long-term R&D partner, to work together on emerging space technologies.
2018
NovaSAR-1 launched into orbit
After blasting off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India, NovaSAR-1 will enter a commissioning period to be managed by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. CSIRO is a data share partner in the satellite.
2018
Space industry roadmap published
Key opportunities for growing Australia’s space economy are outlined in our latest industry roadmap.
2018
CSIRO invests $35M in future of space and AI for Australia
Australia's national science agency, CSIRO, is investing $35M in frontier research in Space Technology and Artificial Intelligence.
2019
2019
Improving decision-making for disaster risk reduction
UK and Australia teamed up to use space technology to co-design projects with our Pacific Island neighbours focused on managing threats like natural disasters and the impacts of climate change.
2019
50th anniversary of Apollo 11
CSIRO celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing with open days at its Parkes Observatory and the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex at Tidbinbilla.
2019
New Australian partnership with NASA
It was an exciting time for Australia in space with the establishment of an Australian Space Agency, the growth of new businesses in the local space industry, and collaborations with international agencies including NASA on their inspirational missions to the Moon and Mars that will create jobs and opportunities for Australians.
2020
2020
AquaWatch scoping begins
The AquaWatch Australia mission scoping study began, designed to boost national water quality management. Satellites in space and a network of ground-based sensors could be used to monitor the quality of Australia’s inland waterways, reservoirs and coastal environments.
2021
2021
Intuitive Machines lunar missions
CSIRO's Parkes radio telescope, Murriyang, joined Houston-based aerospace company, Intuitive Machines’ Lunar Telemetry and Tracking Network (LTN) which will provide ground station services to commercial lunar missions under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.
2021
NovaSAR-1 national facility open for business
CSIRO opens applications for Australian researchers in industries like agriculture and natural disaster management to task the Earth observation satellite NovaSAR-1, accessing Australia’s share of the satellite.
2021
ISRU Facility opens
CSIRO’s In-situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) Facility opens its doors. A lunar testbed including a sealed dust area to safely handle various types of lunar regolith simulant – fabricated Moon dust – to test rovers and related equipment at scale.
2022
2022
All our NovaSAR-1 data downlinked via CfAT; 100% Australian operation
All Australian operation – NovaSAR-1 data tasked and acquired by CSIRO’s share in NovaSAR-1 downlinked via with the Centre for Appropriate Technology, Australia’s first and only Indigenous-owned ground station service.
2022
Construction starts on new New Norcia antenna
The first stone was turned in the construction of a new deep space antenna in regional Western Australia, as part of a multi-million-dollar collaboration between the Australian Space Agency and the European Space Agency (ESA).
2022
Supported DART mission
CSIRO teams at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex and ESA’s New Norcia tracking station supported NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, the world’s first full-scale planetary defence test.