Great South unveiled New Zealand’s first commercial satellite antenna for communicating with low earth orbit (LEO) satellites at the Awarua Satellite Ground Station, just east of Invercargill today.

The antenna provides real-time communication with satellites for its customers in New Zealand and around the world and is already seeing a huge number of bookings from overseas customers.

Great South engineering and ground segment station manager Robin McNeill said with the new antenna, the Awarua facility will likely generate approximately $1 million in revenue for the regional tourism operator.

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He said the satellite ground stations play a crucial role in the space industry and get used for all sorts of data-gathering missions. 

 “High-performance antennas such as this provide a way for satellite owners to get their data down to Earth or command their spacecraft."

"It is no surprise then that the antenna is already heavily booked by overseas space operators.” 

Great South space operations specialist Kerry Clapham holds the Auckland Universities APSS-1 satellite. PHOTO: Lucy Henry

The antenna can support New Zealand’s upcoming MethaneSAT satellite, a state-of-the-art satellite designed to detect global methane emissions, and uses advanced control systems developed by researchers at the University of Canterbury. 

University of Canterbury PHD student Kerry Clapham who works in space operations at Great South said a variety of customers will use the antenna by renting time slots. 

The data is then collated and sent out to each customer. 

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The demand from overseas commercial customers has been so high, Mr McNeill said three new antennas for overseas customers are currently under construction, with contracts for further antennas to be installed next year currently being negotiated.

Further to that, he also announced that Great South was building a new ground station facility in Northland, to communicate with spacecraft 1,200 kilometres further into the Pacific Ocean – "something that is important for some satellite uses,” he said.

Labour list MP for Invercargill Dr Liz Craig said the operation of the new antenna was a great opportunity for Great South to diversify. 

The nearby ‘Great South - A’ antenna will also support the University of Auckland’s APSS-1 satellite scheduled on an upcoming Rocket Lab launch.

Blown away . . . (from left) Robin McNeill, engineering and ground segment station manager, Rino Tirikatene, Labour MP for Te Tai Tonga and

Dr Liz Craig, Labour list MP for Invercargill enjoy fresh conditions in front of Great South-1 today. PHOTO: Lucy Henry

Labour MP for Te Tai Tonga Rino Tirikatene cut the ribbon at today's unveiling of Great South-1.

Great South has serviced the space industry from Awarua, since 2008 when it built the ground station facility to support the European Space Agency’s resupply missions to the International Space Station.