Satellite Operations

[Music plays and the Earth can be seen spinning in Space, and inset images appear of a female operating a computer, a satellite dish, and a female smiling at the camera, and then text appears: Space Careers Wayfinder]

[Image changes to show a satellite orbiting around the Moon, and text appears: Meet Sweta Balakrishna and Tim Phillips of Saber Astronautics]

[Image changes to show Sweta Balakrishna on the left and Tim Phillips on the right seated on stools in conversation, and text appears: Tim Phillips, Space Operator II & Engineer Saber Astronautics]

Sweta Balakrishna: First question, where did you grow up?

[Image changes to show a view of Earth from Space, and then the image changes back to show Sweta and Tim in conversation seated on stools]

Tim Phillips: So, I was born in Adelaide but spent a lot of my childhood all across the world because my dad was a pilot, and so we obviously moved around a lot.

[Image changes to show a view of the Festival Centre in Adelaide]

For the last 15 years I’ve been back in Adelaide.

[Image changes to show an aerial view of Sydney, and then the image changes to show Tim working on a computer]

I did have a quick stint in Sydney in 2020 when I first got a job at Saber.

[Image changes to show a side view of Tim talking]

But getting a new role as an operator, I have been moved back here. So, I’ve been here for the last year.

[Image changes to show a side view of Sweta talking, and text appears: Sweta Balakrishna, Space Operator II & Engineer Saber Astronautics]

Sweta Balakrishna: So, for me I was born in India. I came to Melbourne when I was four years old.

[Image changes to show an aerial view looking down on the city of Melbourne]

I did my primary school, high school and university all in Melbourne.

[Image changes to show Sweta and Tim in conversation seated on stools, and then the image changes to show a view of the Saber buildings]

I worked as an Aerospace Engineer for one year in Melbourne and was fortunate enough got a position here at Saber as a Space Operator Engineer.

[Image changes to show a Lot Fourteen sign near the buildings]

So, I moved here, it’s been three months now, going good.

[Image changes to show a side view of Tim in conversation]

Tim Phillips: So Sweta, did you always want to go to university, or did you want to take another route?

[Image changes to show a side view of Sweta in conversation]

Sweta Balakrishna: Yeah, nice question.

[Image changes to show Sweta and her friends watching a female giving a demonstration about Space]

Since I was eight years old, I was very passionate about space.

[Image changes to show a rocket blasting off]

So, in primary school, there we did like a space/science topic for one term and that got me really interested.

[Image changes to show Sweta and Tim seated on stools in conversation, and then the image changes to show a side view of Sweta in conversation]

And, you know, going home and asking my parents and a few people what, you know, opportunities and jobs there are in space, they told me aerospace engineering, and looking that up, you know, you had to go to university for that to get a degree.

[Image changes to show a female dressed as an astronaut looking at an electronic device]

So, since then I have always wanted to go to university because I wanted to follow my space passion.

[Image changes to show Sweta and Tim in conversation, and then the image changes to show a side view of Sweta in conversation, and then the image changes to show a satellite orbiting Earth]

So, when you were younger and when you were in school, how much did you know about the space industry, or were you provided with any opportunities in school to learn about the space industry?

[Image changes to show Sweta and Tim seated on stools in conversation]

Tim Phillips: When I was going through school, the space industry was basically all startups and there was very little knowledge about what’s going on and any opportunities.

[Image changes to show a close side view of Tim in conversation, and then the image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools]

Probably the only space related thing we did at school was maybe building those pressure rockets.

Sweta Balakrishna: Yes

[Image changes to show a close side view of Tim in conversation, and then the image changes to show a close side view of Sweta listening]

Tim Phillips: So Sweta, I often get asked what I do at Saber. How would you describe what you do?

[Image changes to show a Saber Astronautics sign]

Sweta Balakrishna: Right. So, at Saber I’m a Space Operator Engineer.

[Image changes to show Sweta working in the office looking at various computer screens]

So, we operate satellites and spacecraft.

[Image changes to show a satellite orbiting the Earth, and then the image changes to show diagrams and maps on the computer screen]

So, we have companies come in with their satellites and, you know, we help them, we guide them and once they are up in space, we do control them, and we do get data as well. We also monitor space weather, just to make sure you know, all of our company assets are taken care of.

[Image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools, and then the image changes to show a close side view of Sweta talking]

As part of the space engineering side of my role, I work with the Infrastructure Team.

[Image changes to show a digital diagram of orbit circuit lines around the world globe]

So, we do a lot of development and that requires, you know, a lot of orbital mechanics I would say, and a lot of physics and a lot of calculations.

[Image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools]

That’s kind of what, you know, just the gist of what I do.

[Image changes to show a satellite orbiting the Earth]

Tim Phillips: How did you feel when you first started working at Saber?

[Image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools]

Sweta Balakrishna: It was a little overwhelming I would say.

[Image changes to show a female working on a computer showing a diagram of an engine, and then the image changes to show a side view of Sweta talking to the camera]

My degree covered mostly the aeronautical side of aerospace engineering, not so much space, and the work I did as an aerospace engineer was with Defence. So, you know, that again was not really space related.

[Image changes to show a rear view of a male looking at a bank of computers]

So, starting at Saber I knew that there was going to be a lot that I’d need to learn.

[Image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools, and then the image changes to show a close side view of Sweta talking]

Even during the interview process for Saber, a lot of the information I had to just Google and go through textbooks and learn myself.

[Image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools]

And yourself, how did you find it when you first started with Saber?

Tim Phillips: I’d agree with you. I think it was a bit overwhelming at first.

[Image changes to show a close side view of Tim talking, and then the image changes to show males working on computers screens, and then the image changes back to show Tim talking again]

It was my first full time job and so transitioning from going through uni and working part-time to then working a full-time job with real and large commitments was definitely a hurdle to jump over. But it was something that we transitioned into easily.

[Image changes to show a rear view of Tim working on a computer]

Sweta Balakrishna: What did you do to prepare yourself in order to give you the best advantage in securing a position here?

[Image changes to show a close side view of Tim talking, and then the image changes to show Tim and his colleagues working on computers in the Responsive Space Operations Centre with four colleagues]

Tim Phillips: When I joined on with Saber at the start of 2020, the company was still quite small, 20 to 25 employees throughout the company.

[Image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools, and then the image changes to show Tim and his colleagues working on the computers again]

So, I was quite fortunate in that the position I was applying for, at the time they had recently won a contract to develop a specific type of tool.

[Image changes to show a close side view of Tim talking]

And I was very lucky in that my honours project at university was developing a very similar kind of tool to what they were looking for.

[Image changes to show a view looking down on the surface of the Earth, and then the image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools]

Sweta Balakrishna: Did you find that more than technical skills, that there were soft skills that really helped you in your job application and doing well in Saber?

[Image changes to show a close side view of Tim talking]

Tim Phillips: One of the main things that I have aspired to achieve in terms of soft skills when I was going through uni was leadership. So, going through uni I did some extracurricular work with a non-for-profit called Project Everest.

[Image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools, and then the image changes to show a view looking down on a large overseas city]

And through that, I developed a lot of leadership skills which I was able to use to help university students develop sustainable businesses in third world countries.

[Image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools]

And so, by doing that I developed a lot of soft skills around leadership and crisis management and just how to deal with people.

[Image changes to show a close side view of Sweta talking, and then the image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools]

Sweta Balakrishna: So now, I do agree with you.

[Image changes to show a close side view of Sweta in conversation]

So, whether you do extracurriculars that school or university provides for you, or whether you yourself take up on a project, or any part-time job. So I, you know, I have worked as a teacher at Kumon. I have also worked as a food and beverage attendant at the Grand Hyatt, Melbourne.

[Image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools, and then the image changes to show a close side view of Sweta talking]

So, working in hospitality or even in the teaching business, they teach you a lot of skills that’s not industry specific, you know, in order to be able to interact with people, you know, be able to work under pressure.

[Image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools]

And those skills were very important and those skills I think I was able to convey across and although they were not engineering specific, for my first job, I could say, you know, these skills can then transfer over into a role that I might potentially get, so yes.

[Image changes to show a diagram of a rotating satellite, and then the image changes to show a satellite orbiting Earth, and then the image changes to show a side view of Tim talking]

Tim Phillips: I find there’s a big misunderstanding from mainstream media about what engineers and programmers look like.

[Image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools]

They seem to be portrayed as these dark and shady characters that sit in dark rooms with…

Sweta Balakrishna: Typing numbers or words.

[Image changes to show Tim and colleagues talking together in a room with many computer monitors, and the camera pans around the Responsive Space Operations Centre room]

Tim Phillips: typing numbers on giant monitors. That’s just not how it is anymore.

[Image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools]

You need to be able to communicate effectively and you need to be able to work in a team to…

Sweta Balakrishna: Exactly.

Tim Phillips: to be an effective member.

[Image changes to show a side view of Sweta talking, and then the image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools]

Sweta Balakrishna: You know Tim, I am actually very excited about the space industry in Australia. It’s really blooming and there’s so much happening right now. How do you feel?

Tim Phillips: Yeah, I feel the same way.

[Image changes to show a Moon landscape, and then the image changes to show a close view of Mars]

You know NASA and ESA are looking at going back to the Moon and moving beyond that towards Mars. There are opportunities for Australia to really contribute to its Space exploration.

[Image changes to show a close side view of Tim talking]

For us being in the industry, there is an opportunity for us to really be a part of that.

[Image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools]

So, it is very exciting.

Sweta Balakrishna: Most certainly. And I only hope, you know, students are able to realise how much Space is growing in Australia.

[Image changes to show a close side view of Sweta talking]

And that we can get more if people come in with younger, fresher minds to grow the industry even more. So, I am very excited to be part of this time. There is a lot of movement happening.

[Image changes to show Tim and Sweta in conversation seated on stools]

I can’t wait to see what happens in the future.

Tim Phillips: Me too.

[Music plays and the image changes to show the CSIRO logo and text appears: CSIRO, Australia’s National Science Agency, Space Careers Wayfinder 2022 except where otherwise indicated, The Space Careers Wayfinder materials may be used, reproduced, communicated and adapted free of charge for non-commercial educational purposes provided by all acknowledgements associated with the material are retained, Space Careers Wayfinder is a collaboration between the CSIRO and ANU]

[Image changes to show the ANU logo on a white screen]