Cicada Innovations Blog

Unveiling Our Stellar Space Hub Residents: Pioneering the Future of Space Innovation

Written by Julie Autuly | 24 October 2023

 

Ever wondered who resides within the National Space Industry Hub? We are home to 14 startups and organisations, the driving force shaping the future of Australia's space industry and cultivating a competitive global landscape. 

We are excited to introduce you to the National Space Industry Hub residents:

 

Aquila Earth

Aquila is powering the future by building and operating an infinitely scalable wireless energy network of light. Lately, they have executed their first trial partnership with New Zealand Surf Lifesaving to power drones that fly forever on beaches—keeping beachgoers safe from sharks and rips!

Founders: Billy Jeremijenko and Nelson Smith 

 

Amentum Scientific

Amentum Scientific is an Earth science analytics company. Lately, they joined the Partner Programme of Yocova - Rolls-Royce's data exchange and collaboration platform for the aviation sector. This partnership expands its reach to aviation organisations needing to streamline the assessment of in-flight cosmic radiation exposures of aircrew to satisfy regulatory compliance.

Founder: Iwan Cornelius 

 

ANT61

ANT61 has developed the Beacon, a special device that is installed on satellites, monitors their health in space and allows the team on the ground to recover their satellite from failure. The early product prototype has attracted attention from potential customers in Australia and overseas. The first Beacon will be launched and tested early next year in partnership with a major European space company.

Founder: Mikhail Asavkin

 

Contactile 

Contactile is giving robots a human sense of touch and enabling robotic dexterity. Lately, they have had their tactile sensor array - a key piece of technology in developing robotic arms in space - incorporated into a payload that was delivered to Waratah Seed for their 2024 mission.

Founders: Heba Khamis, Benjamin Xia

 

Crest Robotics 

Crest Robotics is increasing human safety and productivity by developing advanced cobots that can walk, climb and hold tools to perform simple repetitive labour. Lately, they have presented their vision for a cobotic-enabled future at the world conference on inspection and maintenance robotics in Houston, Texas.

Founder: Clyde Webster

 

DENEB Space 

A space mobility company advancing satellite agility by developing revolutionary systems that ensure mission success by leveraging aerospace expertise and a commitment to reliability and accessibility. Deneb Space is developing responsive autonomous rendezvous solutions for multi-domain space exploration.

Founders: Anne Bettens , Zihao Wang, Xueliang Bai

 

Extraterrestrial Power

Extraterrestrial Power is powering the solar system by delivering mass-manufactured, radiation tolerant, silicon solar cells for 10 times cheaper than current space solar cells, modules, and panels. Recently, they have delivered vibration test models to a customer flying mid-next year as well as flight models for a solar cell experiment on the Waratah Seed satellite.

Founders: Peter Toth and Babett V. 

 

Frontier SI

Frontier SI is a social enterprise that solves large problems using our space and spatial expertise. Recently, they've been instrumental in helping to deliver Australia's largest-ever space investment, SouthPAN, which will provide high-precision augmentation services for satellite navigation in Australia and New Zealand.

CEO: Graeme Kernich

 

LeoLabs Australia

LeoLabs Australia delivers critical space domain awareness and space traffic coordination services to the Asia Pacific Space community. LeoLabs Australia this year commissioned the West Australian Space Radar, in Collie, WA - their sixth global site - which is now a work-horse of space surveillance of low Earth orbit in the Southern Hemisphere.

Managing director: Terry van Haren

 

Mawson Rovers

Mawson Rovers is building robotic vehicles to keep people safe in space and on earth. They recently delivered their first spaceflight hardware, a thermal management test payload. It will fly in 2024 on the Waratah Seed satellite mission in partnership with UTS and supported by SmartSat CRC.

Founder: Matt Ryall

 

SmartSat CRC (NSW Node)

SmartSat CRC (NSW Node) is the joint funding program between SmartSat CRC and the NSW Government. Lately, they’ve run a final call for projects, which was massively over-subscribed, and they are now working through the submissions to decide what projects to support.

CEO and Managing Director: Professor Andy Koronios

 

Spiral Blue

Spiral Blue designs and builds space-edge computers. They develop AI and general algorithms to analyse and process data in orbit, enabling cloud detection, vessel detection, and GPU compression. Recently, they have launched and operated this complete package in orbit onboard a Satellogic satellite.

Founders: James Buttenshaw

 

NSW Space Research Network

The NSW Space Research Network is a university consortium aiming at developing space research and technologies through funding collaborative projects between academia and industry. They’ve just opened a new funding round!

 

VXB Aerospace 

Using evolutionary AI, VXB Aerospace is solving the design challenges of expensive legacy satellite propulsion systems. They have just executed a $1.5 million CRC-P project with The University of Sydney and GPC Electronics, validating their algorithms to develop two novel plasma propulsion systems.

Founder: Alexander Ryan

If you're a space startup looking purpose-built labs, prototyping facilities, flexible offices, as well as tight-knit community of likeminded space entrepreneurs, please get in touch to explore our residency options.

 


Interested to learn more insights in space tech? Read our other space related blogs.