Centauri-6 Satellite Enhances Global Mineral Surveys on SpaceX's Latest Launch

Written by Copernical Team Monday, 08 April 2024 20:45

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Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 08, 2024

Fleet Space Technologies has successfully launched the Centauri-6 satellite as part of SpaceX's Bandwagon-1 mission, using a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. The satellite joins Fleet Space's constellation, enhancing its ExoSphere mineral exploration solution and expanding its advanced SATCOM capabilities utilizing microsatellite technology. Centauri-6 r

Centauri-6 Satellite Enhances Global Mineral Surveys on SpaceX's Latest Launch
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 08, 2024

Fleet Space Technologies has successfully launched the Centauri-6 satellite as part of SpaceX's Bandwagon-1 mission, using a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. The satellite joins Fleet Space's constellation, enhancing its ExoSphere mineral exploration solution and expanding its advanced SATCOM capabilities utilizing microsatellite technology.

Centauri-6 represents another stride in Fleet Space's portfolio after significant growth and innovations in the space industry. Notably, Fleet Space previously launched Centauri-4, the smallest voice-enabled satellite, which demonstrated Push-To-Talk capabilities to the Australian Defence Force. Additionally, Fleet Space plans to deploy its SPIDER seismic technology to the Moon under NASA's CLPS initiative with Firefly Aerospace, aiming to explore water ice and lunar soil properties.

The rapid uptake of the ExoSphere system has fueled Fleet Space's ongoing innovation and expansion. This system has already supported over 300 surveys for critical minerals globally, with major industry players like Rio Tinto and Barrick Gold utilizing the technology. Following a A$50 million Series C funding round and a doubling of its valuation to A$350 million, Fleet Space was recognized as Australia's fastest-growing company.

Flavia Tata Nardini, CEO of Fleet Space, emphasized the role of advanced space technologies in addressing global challenges, stating that these innovations are crucial for achieving sustainable mineral exploration and supporting the clean energy transition. According to Nardini, Centauri-6 will play a critical role in this effort by improving the efficiency and scale of satellite manufacturing and solution deployment.

Centauri-6 features enhanced uplink capacity and redundancy for more reliable data transfers, essential for the satellite-supported seismic sensors on Earth. The satellite boasts an ion electric propulsion system and incorporates 3D-printed components like its metal patch antenna, a pioneering technology from previous Centauri models.

Matt Pearson, Co-Founder of Fleet Space, highlighted the rapid advancements in microsatellite technology, noting the reprogrammability of the Centauri satellites which allows for significant in-orbit updates, enhancing their performance and flexibility.

ExoSphere leverages cutting-edge satellite connectivity, edge computing, AI, and geophysics to quickly generate 3D subsurface models with minimal environmental impact. By transforming traditional seismic data acquisition and processing, which could previously take years, into a process that delivers results in days, Fleet Space is markedly accelerating the pace of mineral discovery essential for the clean energy sector.