The new SST facility building at Exmouth. (Sitlzer Construction)

Defence’s Capability Acquisition & Sustainment Group has taken possession of the new Space Surveillance Telescope Building at Exmouth in WA from the Defence Estate and Infrastructure Group (E&IG).

As part of Project AIR 3029 Phase 2, the building will house Defence’s new Space Surveillance Telescope (SST) which is scheduled to achieve an initial operational capability (IOC) in 2021. The facility comprises a 270 tonne rotating dome enclosure and supporting facilities, and will house the SST which is being relocated from New Mexico in the US.

“These $97.2 million facilities are the first of their type built for the Australian Defence Force and represent a significant achievement by Defence and Australian industry to enable the capability to be realised,” Chief of Air Force AIRMSHL Leo Davies said in a statement. “Air Force is working with Australian industry and educational institutions to build domestic space surveillance capability for Australia.”

The SST will be remotely operated by the RAAF in collaboration with the US to monitor orbiting satellites, space debris, and near earth asteroids.

Construction of the facility was overseen by Aurecon as Project Manager/Contract Administrator and Sitlzer Construction as Prime Contractor, while the dome’s track and bogie mechanisms were designed and manufactured by Perth-based Hofmann Engineering.