By
LACW Simone Liebelt
AS the only Air Force member of the C1 satellite project, Flight
Lieutenant Shane Cooper has helped make ADF history with the successful
launch of the shared Optus and Defence communications satellite
on June 12.
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Flight
Lieutenant Shane Cooper with a model of the satellite, which
is also shown (inset) being successfully launched into orbit.
Photo by LACW Simone Liebelt
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Unable
to view the event live from French Guiana, FLTLT Cooper still
received a “buzz” when he watched the spacecraft launch successfully
into orbit on a video recording in Canberra.
“It wasn’t quite as effective as watching it live, but it was
still satisfying to see it successfully launched, and to know
that it’s now in space,” he said. “You get that feeling when you
see something complete and know that you’ve had a part in it.”
Joining the Air Force as a communications electronics technician
15 years ago, FLTLT Cooper was selected for the first intake of
the Airman Access to the Academy scheme at the Australian Defence
Force Academy in 1996, graduating as an electrical engineering
officer in 1999.
With
his previous experience working in satellite communications as
an Air Force technician, FLTLT Cooper expressed an interest in
the C1 project, and was posted into the engineering position straight
from ADFA. Before the launch, he and Mark Thompson, a civilian
payload engineering specialist, evaluated the contractors’ test
results of the Defence communications payloads. They will now
shift their focus to in-orbit testing.
“As
we speak, it’s sitting in space undergoing its final testing phase,
having successfully deployed all its antennas,” he said. “Because
it gets shaken around a fair bit during the launch, we need to
make sure all the systems work as they were tested on the ground.”
As the C1 project ends in late August, FLTLT Cooper will make
a gradual transition into his next position with the Navigation
Warfare Systems Program Office.
“It’s
been a rewarding project. I’ve been part of a very skilled and
professional team and I’ve learned a lot, particularly in satellite
communications and operations. Both are areas I’ve found to be
very interesting and something I want to pursue further throughout
my career,” he said.
