Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23714096 (091427ZOCT25) Notable: NASA Space Etc
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Australian nanosatellite snaps 1st selfie in space before tracking cosmic gamma-ray bursts
October 9, 2025
Australia's SpIRIT nanosatellite has snapped its first "selfie" from space, marking a successful start to its mission.
SpIRIT — formally known as the Space Industry Responsive Intelligent Thermal nanosatellite — is the first space telescope funded by the Australian Space Agency to carry a foreign space agency's scientific instrument as its main payload.
Launched in December 2023 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, SpIRIT has now completed its commissioning phase, testing all its onboard systems, including its winged thermal management and deployable camera arm, which it used to take a "selfie" in space.
Recent images shared by the University of Melbourne show the satellite in orbit, confirming that its systems were deployed and are functioning correctly.
The images include snapshots of the satellite's thermal radiator, electric propulsion thruster payload, telecommunication transceivers and solar panels, which together highlight the innovative technologies developed for the mission, according to a statement from the university.
"SpIRIT is a complex satellite designed and built in Australia, with many components flying for the first time and hosting a scientific instrument contributed by the Italian Space Agency [ASI]," Michele Trenti, principal investigator and a professor at the University of Melbourne, which leads the mission in collaboration with ASI, said in the statement.
"Now that SpIRIT has completed rigorous testing in space, we are confident it's ready to commence the next phase of its mission, which is truly exciting."
SpIRIT has logged over 600 days in orbit, during which it has circled Earth more than 9,000 tiPost too long. Click here to view the full text.