As of 8 April 2026, Australia has 73 space objects in orbit, including 2 rocket bodies.
This study presents an analysis of historical data on all Australia-owned satellites launched since 1967, starting with the inaugural Australian satellite, "WRESAT." Data was collected from various space catalogs and databases, including some based on orbital software data files and others referenced by satellite operators. It's important to note that the resulting dataset on Australian spacecraft is informative but not authoritative. This highlights the challenge of establishing precise spaceflight information. Nonetheless, the dataset includes information on each satellite's mission, launch year, operational status, mission type, application, operators, mass, volume, and more. Visual aids like graphs and histograms are included to provide a quick overview of Australia's historical spaceflight endeavors. Furthermore, the findings showcase Australia's in-house capabilities for space mission design, production, and operation.
In 2025, the database update was supported through the Telstra–UOW Hub for AIoT Solutions Industry Collaboration Funding Program. This support enabled the systematic collection, verification, and organisation of Australian space object data, improving the accuracy and completeness of the database.
The paper “Australian Owned Satellites from 1967 to 2022: Results of Initial Surveys” can be downloaded here.
2020 Austrlian satellite data base ASRC Sydney Sep 26-28 2022 paper 2 .pdf
A simple list of satellites, including satellite names and NORAD catalogue numbers, can be found here. Australian_Satellites_Simple_List.xlsx
For more details and visualizations about our study on Australian Owned Satellites Database, visit: https://aussatdatabase.wixsite.com/aus-ownedsatdatabase
If you happen to identify any inaccuracies in the database, please don't hesitate to correct the information by reaching out via email to l.qiao@unsw.edu.au.