The growing focus on defence capabilities in space is likely to be a boon for many participants in the sector. Here are three companies set to benefit.

Fleet Space

Fleet Space Technologies is an advanced micro satellite constellation providing high value data and automation for global industry.

Fleet’s current focus is on its core commercial application using a network of highly sophisticated satellites and connected seismic devices on the ground to disrupt the booming global critical minerals exploration industry.

However as we are seeing with some of the more innovative space companies, there’s another use case here where compelling defence applications share the same set of technologies.

Fleet Space is pre-eminently positioned to deliver a sovereign space communications network for the Defence Department which has recently defined one of the highest priority capability challenges as addressing the Beyond Line of Sight (BLoS) communications for highly mobile end-users.

Small squads of special forces moving on foot behind enemy lines, and aerial drones lurking in the skies of hostile powers, both require secure, high capacity, low power and resilient communications channels that Fleet Space can deliver through its multi-orbit reliance strategy.

“Satellite technologies have already proven vital during the Ukraine war and will continue to do so in the aftermath in relation to investigations,” says Flavia Tata Nardini, CEO and co-founder of Fleet Space.

“Fleet Space is moving forward with plans for a proliferated LEO constellation of dedicated Defence satellites that deliver global high quality, low latency, resilient and secure SATCOM on the move to provide reliable, tactical voice and data beyond line of sight. This will ensure that Australia retains its strong and sovereign protection of the nation and the protection of allies in neighbouring nations.”

Kleos

Once the domain of an alphabet soup of intelligence agencies, space-based surveillance is emerging from the pandemic as a growing field of private enterprise. Kleos Space, an ASX-listed Radio Frequency Reconnaissance company, has already launched three clusters of satellites harvesting data on radio spectrum use in critical maritime zones such as the South China Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.

As CEO Andy Bowyer explains, “Kleos owns and operates satellites which orbit the planet, locating and listening to radio transmissions. The satellites detect communications devices using the radio spectrum, like cell phones, sat phones, and radio transmitters.”

The satellites continually collect data on how and where the spectrum is being used and that data is sold as a subscription. Kleos’ technology also serves two markets – government defence such as the Self Defence Force in Japan, but also civil government applications such as Japan’s Space Imaging Corporation. The Japanese use the data to protect over 18,000 miles of coastline and the territorial waters beyond.

Initially targeting illicit maritime activities such as drug smuggling, people smuggling, piracy and illegal fishing, the data flows will increasingly be merged with other sources of information to offer enhanced value propositions to customers.

“We'll be launching multiple clusters into different orbits to collect data over different parts of the world for different customers,” says Bowyer. “Those satellites will have different payloads listening to different parts of the spectrum, which opens up different markets for us."

Space Machines

In the future, everything will be a service, including space exploration. Sydney-based space solutions provider, Space Machines Company (SMC), is building out plans and platforms to deliver that service.

Its Optimus range of reusable orbital transport vehicles will blast off within 12 months. It will offer payload deployment to desired orbits, inclination changes, orbit raising (LEO to MEO, LEO to GEO and GTO to GEO)*, servicing (inspection and maintenance, life extension of space-based assets) and exploration missions, including cislunar** and interplanetary.

Commercial interests, such as Fireball International, maker of a bushfire detection satellite, are among the early passengers of Space Machine’s Optimus vehicles, but Company Founder and CEO Rajat Kulshrestha has also identified the Australian government and specifically Defence as potential customers.

“We believe Optimus presents a developing capability for Australian Defence which can support, for example, space domain awareness, earth observation, space intelligence, defensive space operations and rapid deployment of assets,” says Kulshrestha.

SMC offers the military cost-effective sovereign access to the high frontier to significantly enhance the responsiveness of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) activities, and adapt Space Situational Awareness (SSA) assets to changing requirements.

With the Government’s urgent strategic Defence review reporting by March next year and likely to lead to a significant acceleration of military deployment into the ‘fourth domain’, Space Machines is well placed to assist with any increased tempo of ‘rendezvous, proximity and docking’ operations for sovereign Australian orbital assets.

“In-space transportation services like SMC’s Optimus vehicle can be a critical component to ensure sovereign access to that region and support US and Allies’ initiatives,” says Kulshrestha.

*Low to Medium Earth Orbit, Low to Geostationary Earth Orbit, Geostationary Transfer Orbit to Geostationary Orbit

**Between the earth and the moon