Fleet Space delivers full-stack sovereign satcom plan to ADF

Fulfilling its $6.4 million ASCEND2LEO contract, Fleet Space has successfully delivered a full-stack, multi-orbit SATCOM system for Australia’s sovereign space capabilities. Laying a foundation for Australian-made SATCOM, Fleet Space’s ASCEND2LEO (A2L) demonstrations outline a sovereign LEO microsatellite platform for high-speed, secure, and resilient battlefield communications tailored to the ADF’s evolving operational needs with strict capability requirements.

Fleet Space’s completion of its A2L contract delivered multiple technical breakthroughs representing significant advances in the global space sector. In November, Fleet Space demonstrated the first ever use case of two-way voice and data SATCOM with a microsatellite architecture, opening a new innovation path for state-of-the-art miniaturised LEO satellite networks to deliver high-performing, resilient SATCOM at a fraction of the cost of geostationary platforms. In the lead-up to this milestone, Fleet Space also showed Push-To-Talk (PTT) capabilities, making the company’s Centauri-4 the world’s smallest voice-enabled satellite.

“With voice-enabled applications encompassing 80% of the global SATCOM market, Fleet Space’s delivery of its A2L contract represents a step change in Australia’s sovereign space capabilities – outlining a path for Australia’s leadership in advanced manufacturing of resilient, compact LEO SATCOM solutions,” said Fleet Space, Co-Founder & CXO, Matt Pearson. “Our sustained ability to drive world-class technology breakthroughs in rapidly changing economic and geopolitical conditions is a testament to Australia’s robust whole-of-society collaboration between government, the private sector, and academia. Building a future made in Australia is critical to ensure we have the sovereign capabilities needed to continue being strong partners for allies and industry worldwide.”

A full-suite of agile SATCOM solutions tailored to the evolving operational needs of the ADF, Fleet Space’s demonstrated capabilities under its A2L contract represent a LEO system architecture to enable an integrated force and multi-orbit satellite communications platform, ensuring secure and resilient connectivity across land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains. In addition to two-way, full duplex SATCOMs and Push-To-Talk via microsatellite, Fleet Space also demonstrated:

• Multi-Orbit Resilience & High-Speed Data Transfer: Via fixed gateway and Fleet Space microsatellite, Fleet Space demonstrated high-speed, one-way data transfer, enabling live video calls and data streaming, supporting the ADF’s goal of sovereign, multi-orbit SATCOM across LEO, MEO, and GEO for enhanced resilience and flexibility.
• Enhanced Situational Awareness & Secure Connectivity: Through a custom beacon and access control channel, Fleet Space transmitted modulated beacon signals for real-time satellite tracking, enhancing the ADF’s ability to locate and connect with spacecraft, enabling secure, dynamic connectivity and supporting a fully integrated, multi-domain battlespace.
• Real-Time, Low-Latency Battlefield Communications: Enabled full-duplex, two-way IP voice communication via Fleet Space microsatellite, allowing handheld devices to connect through mobile and fixed gateways, demonstrating on-the-move SATCOM and supporting the ADF’s need for secure, adaptable battlefield communications.

Fleet Space Technologies is advancing Australia’s sovereign capacity for advanced manufacturing, reinforcing the nation’s position as a partner-of-choice to allies and industry worldwide. The company’s new global headquarters and advanced manufacturing facility in South Australia will enable the mass production of hundreds of satellites and thousands of smart sensors annually, bolstering Australia’s sovereign space capabilities. This facility will also provide a foundation for hundreds of new high-tech jobs, future-proofing Australia’s role as a leader in space technology and advanced manufacturing, essential for flexibility as national security priorities evolve while supporting an integrated force.

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