Fleet Space Technologies secures Australian defence space command contract

Written by Copernical Team Tuesday, 25 April 2023 10:06

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Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 24, 2023

Fleet Space Technologies, an Australian space technology company, has signed a AUD$6.4 million contract with Australia's Defence Space Command. The agreement marks the company's first foray into the defence sector and will see Fleet's next-generation Centauri satellites used to develop and demonstrate a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications system. The program, named ASCEND2LEO, w

Fleet Space Technologies secures Australian defence space command contract
by Staff Writers
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 24, 2023

Fleet Space Technologies, an Australian space technology company, has signed a AUD$6.4 million contract with Australia's Defence Space Command. The agreement marks the company's first foray into the defence sector and will see Fleet's next-generation Centauri satellites used to develop and demonstrate a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications system.

The program, named ASCEND2LEO, will be a collaboration between Fleet, government, defence industry, and academia. The Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), University of South Australia, Rice Satcom Pty Ltd, and SmartSat CRC will take advanced research and technologies to demonstrate LEO capabilities to the warfighter. Fleet's commercial satellites will be used to provide tactical communication and data transmission where connectivity is limited.

The collaboration aims to advance the domestically-led national space and defence industry by utilising Australia's competitive strengths. Fleet Space Technologies is an emerging Australian force in the global 'New Space' industry and has a unique opportunity to develop and embrace cutting-edge technologies and methodologies for domestic satellite technology production.

Colonel Clifford White, Director Space Services at Defence Space Command, praised the partnership, saying, "Australia is fortunate to have a talented space industry with an inventive spirit. Space is operationally critical to the achievement of the Defence mission, and this is an example of an innovative way to advance our capability and support the development of a sustainable national space enterprise."

Fleet Space's capabilities include low-power, high-performance edge computing in small spacecraft and terrestrial devices, as well as additive manufacturing. The company's focus on developing and embracing new technologies and methodologies positions it to become a leader in Australia's growing space and defence industry.

In addition to expanding into the defence sector with their groundbreaking LEO satellite communications systems, Fleet Space continues to innovate and diversify their offerings. Their ExoSphere system provides a cutting-edge solution for mining exploration. It comprises highly portable sensors called Geodes, which use ambient noise tomography (ANT) to collect subsurface data.

This data is beamed to the ExoSphere constellation of LEO satellites, then relayed to computers that use machine learning to generate detailed 3D subsurface maps. These maps help guide explorers to find the resources needed to build Australia's sovereign mineral wealth for future industries and energy security.

Fleet Space's CEO and co-founder, Matt Pearson, stated that the company is "investing heavily in advanced manufacturing, high tech engineering talent, and have a laser focus on delivering innovative solutions at scale for our customers worldwide." This investment in talent and technology will not only benefit the company's growth but also contribute to the development of a sustainable national space enterprise.

The ASCEND2LEO program is a prime example of how SmartSat can help partners develop and demonstrate innovative Australian technology to customers such as Defence. It delivers one of the Defence Space Strategy objectives, being that 'Defence may benefit from repurposing civilian technology for military means, without having to invest in R and D or venture incubation'. SmartSat was able to work with Fleet to develop a proposal to do just this - repurpose technology being used for world-leading mineral exploration, and technology SmartSat developed to build more resilient Search and Rescue infrastructure, into a demonstration of tactical voice communications.

Australia has an inventive and growing space industry, with the potential to drive innovation and support national security across land, air, sea, and space. Fleet Space's collaboration with Defence Space Command, government, defence industry, and academia demonstrates the potential for domestic satellite technology production and sustainable national space enterprise development.

ASCEND2LEO enables Fleet Space to provide cutting-edge solutions that enhance satellite communication capabilities for Defence and other customers. The program positions the company to be a leader in Australia's growing space and defence industry, contributing to the development of a sustainable national space enterprise.