Space Operations New Zealand

Space Operations New Zealand Limited, trading as SpaceOps NZ, is a New Zealand commercial ground segment provider headquartered in Invercargill. It operates two complementary sites: the Awarua Satellite Ground Station near Invercargill, optimised for high-availability LEO/MEO/GEO mission operations and constellation support, and the Warkworth Space Centre near Auckland, which provides deep-space and lunar mission support with large-aperture antennas, radio astronomy and space geodesy. The company offers end-to-end ground segment services including antenna hosting and leasing, LEOP and mission operations support, RF licensing, and engineering and integration. SpaceOps NZ grew out of New Zealand's early ground station activity in Southland. The Awarua Satellite Ground Station was commissioned in 2008 to support international launch campaigns, initially for the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle programme, and subsequently expanded to serve the global smallsat and commercial space community. In 2021 the operation became Space Operations New Zealand Limited to support continued growth and demand. The company is a 100% subsidiary of the Southland Regional Development Agency, publicly known as Great South, a council-controlled organisation whose shareholders include Invercargill City Council, Southland District Council and Gore District Council. SpaceOps NZ is an engineering-led organisation with professional engineers and skilled technicians supported by specialist contractors, working directly with customer mission teams. Its purpose is to deliver sustainable, innovative services to the global space market. The company is led by Chief Executive Officer Robin McNeill MNZM, an electrical and electronic engineer who has designed and built ground stations in Antarctica, Tokelau and Southland, and chaired by John Yaldwyn, founder and CTO of telecommunications company 4RF. In recent years SpaceOps NZ has played a significant role in the Trans-Tasman SouthPAN project, hosting two 11-metre antennas built by Lockheed Martin Australia at Awarua and a control centre in Invercargill, as part of a Satellite Based Augmentation System for New Zealand and Australia. The company continues to expand its infrastructure, including a second fibre link and the AWA-4 antenna commissioned in 2024.

Space Operations New Zealand traces its origins to New Zealand's early ground station activity in Southland. Work at the Awarua site began in 2004, and in 2007 a New Zealand–European Space Agency arrangement was negotiated and a CNES services agreement was signed. The Awarua Tracking Station opened in 2008, commissioned to support international launch campaigns, initially for the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) programme, which used Ariane 5 launches to the International Space Station. The first ATV downrange service followed in 2008. After five ATV transports the programme ended in 2014, and the ground station began to be expanded and a business model developed. Space Operations New Zealand was originally founded on 18 July 2016 by the Venture Southland Trust, behind which stood Invercargill City Council, Southland District Council and Gore District Council. The reason for founding the company was the takeover of the then Awarua Tracking Station from the European Space Agency in 2008. In the years that followed, the site hosted a series of installations and missions: Planet Labs antennas were commissioned in 2013, an ESOC GNSS monitoring station in 2014, a fibre-optic connection in 2016, protective security membership and a three-phase power upgrade in 2017, and KSAT established at Awarua in 2017. In 2018 the site supported Rocket Lab's 'Still Testing' launch, an INV-1 UHF ground station, and a University of Canterbury sounding rocket. In 2019 the operation was transferred to Great South, and in 2020 Covid-era antenna installs and the APSS-1 mission took place. On 21 June 2021 the Venture Southland Trust sold Space Operations New Zealand to the Southland Regional Development Agency (Great South) for a symbolic price of NZ$1, as recorded in its 2020/2021 Annual Report. On 1 October 2021 the agency's board resolved that the space operations business should become a subsidiary of the company trading as Great South. In 2021 the AWA-1 antenna was commissioned and SpaceOps NZ was formed as a limited company. In 2023 the company acquired the Warkworth Space Centre, and in 2024 a second fibre link was installed and the AWA-4 antenna was commissioned. SpaceOps NZ is a 100% subsidiary of the Southland Regional Development Agency, publicly known as Great South, which was founded on 29 March 2019. The agency's shareholders are Invercargill City Council with 48.73%, Southland District Council with 48.73%, Gore District Council with 2.15%, and five further shareholders with together less than 0.2%. Both companies are registered in New Zealand under the Companies Act 1993 and are considered council-controlled organisations under section 6 of the Local Government Act 2002. The company operates the Awarua Satellite Ground Station, about 11 km south-southeast of Invercargill city centre, established in 2008 under the ESA's ATV programme and continuously expanded since. The Warkworth Space Centre, about 50 km north of Auckland, has two full-motion antennas currently configured for receive only. In 2023 SpaceOps NZ's Awarua site began expanding to include a satellite uplink centre as part of the Trans-Tasman SouthPAN project, a joint partnership between Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) and Geoscience Australia. Two 11-metre antennas are being built by Lockheed Martin Australia at Awarua, linking to a control centre in Invercargill also hosted by SpaceOps NZ, with operations expected to begin in early 2024. SouthPAN will ultimately extend to more than 30 reference stations across New Zealand, Australia and further afield including Antarctica.

• 2024

  Second fibre link; AWA-4 antenna commissioned

• 2023

  Warkworth acquisition; Awarua satellite uplink centre construction begins for SouthPAN

• 2021

  AWA-1 antenna commissioned; SpaceOps NZ formed; sold to Southland Regional Development Agency for NZ$1 on 21 June

• 2020

  Covid-era antenna installs; APSS-1 mission

• 2019

  Transfer to Great South

• 2018

  Rocket Lab 'Still Testing'; INV-1 UHF ground station; University of Canterbury sounding rocket

• 2017

  Protective Security membership; three-phase power upgrade; KSAT establishes at Awarua

• 2016

  Fibre-optic connection; Space Operations New Zealand founded on 18 July by Venture Southland Trust

• 2014

  ESOC GNSS monitoring station

• 2013

  Planet Labs antennas commissioned

• 2008

  Awarua Tracking Station opens; first ATV downrange service

• 2007

  NZ–ESA Arrangement negotiated; CNES services agreement signed

• 2004

  Awarua site work begins

Complete southern hemisphere ground segment solution for LEO, MEO, GEO, lunar and deep-space missions.

• Antenna hosting

  Hosting customer antennas at Awarua and Warkworth sites.

• Antenna leasing

  Leasing options for UHF, S/X and Ka bands for fast mission start.

• LEOP and mission operations support

  Launch and early orbit phase and contingency support.

• RF licensing

  Radio frequency licensing services.

• Engineering and integration

  Engineering and integration services for ground segment.

1. 1Space Operations New Zealand — Southern Hemisphere Ground Segment Solutionsspaceops.nz
2. 2Our History - Space Operations New Zealandspaceops.nz
3. 3About Us - Space Operations New Zealandspaceops.nz
4. 4SpaceOps NZ's Awarua Satellite Ground Station plays significant role in Trans-Tasman projectspaceops.nz
5. 5Space Operations New Zealandwikidata.org
6. 6Space Operations New Zealandde.wikipedia.org