The Australian Space Agency has announced Adelaide nanosatellite manufacturer for the Internet of Things (IoT) Fleet Space Technologies as one of two recipients in round two of the Federal government’s Moon to Mars Supply Chain Capability Improvement grant.

This will ensure Fleet Space can continue to be a growing contributor to Australia’s thriving space sector, and play a key role in NASA’s Moon to Mars project, while cementing Australia’s ability to compete in the international space economy.

The $386,770 received through the grant will enable Fleet Space to improve the capabilities of its agnostic hybrid satellite low-powered wide area network (LPWAN), as well as expanding on its already deployed solutions for partners SA Power Networks (SAPN) and OZ Minerals, including collaborating to miniaturise and ruggedise sensors in the network.

Together, the partners will pursue commercial supply chain opportunities, illustrating a terrestrial application of space technology that can be extended to Moon and Mars activities.

The Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Christian Porter says “these grants will support the two local businesses to develop their work and tap into national and international space supply chains, helping grow skills and capabilities in the Australian space industry.

“We are helping Australian companies be part of NASA’s plan to return to the Moon and prepare for missions to Mars, at the same time as strengthening our own space manufacturing base.”

The success of this grant establishes Fleet Space as a major player in the Australian space sector, significantly growing its development of cutting-edge technologies and increasing international supply chain capabilities, as well as creating new Australian jobs as part of the government’s $150 million Moon to Mars initiative.

Fleet Space CEO Flavia Tata Nardini says “winning this grant means our team can expedite and improve our manufacturing processes on devices specifically designed for our partners, that will ultimately end up on the Moon and Mars. Making them smaller with the ability to function when exposed to extreme temperatures they would experience once deployed in space, is really cool.

“It is an exciting acknowledgement of the high quality of work we are producing right here in Australia, and a step towards scaling up our capacity for global space industry customers to access” she says.

Fleet Space, which already has five nanosatellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and its sixth is launching in the next couple of weeks, will be specifically channelling the grant into two of its customers SAPN and OZ Minerals, using its device agnostic LPWAN network for the development of remote massive IoT applications, both on Earth and in space, and deployed throughout urban and regional South Australia.

The other recipient in this round of grants was Crystalaid Manufacture, who supply electronic components to the international space industry.