South Australian space companies entX and Fleet Space Technologies have secured nearly $2 million in Australian Government funding to propel their innovative technologies into space.
The two firms are among five companies across Australia to share in $3.6 million as part of the Australian Space Agency’s Moon to Mars supply chain capability grants.
Nuclear science and engineering company entX will invest its $1 million in advancing its radioisotope heating unit (RHU), which enables spacecraft and their systems to endure the extreme low temperatures on the moon, extending their lifespan on the lunar surface.
While plutonium-based RHUs have been used as a heat source to power NASA space missions for decades, entX is creating alternative technology that offers greater safety and accessibility for commercial applications.
entX Managing Director Bryn Jones said the grant would help accelerate the development of the technology ahead of future lunar explorations.
“This is the culmination of three years of collaboration between entX, the Australian Space Agency, iLAuNCH, ANSTO and great industry partners like Fleet to make an RHU that is accessible to the civil space industry, rather than being just the domain of government,” Mr Jones said.
“With the huge ramp-up in lunar exploration the timing of this is perfect as demand for this type of solution has never been higher.”
Fleet Space Technologies also received nearly $1 million for the development of a gravity measurement instrument to improve exploration for critical minerals on the moon and Mars.
The company’s advanced Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems gravity sensor prototype will support gravity field mapping of planetary surfaces, providing insights about geological formations and subsurface features, like water reservoirs and mineral deposits.
This is a critical process for de-risking landing site selection, rover navigation and future infrastructure development, according to Fleet Space Co-Founder and Chief Exploration Officer Matt Pearson, who said the technology has the potential to maximise the value of every mission to the Moon and Mars.
“Earth urgently needs next-generation, off-world exploration technologies to maximise the value of every mission to the Moon and Mars over the coming years,” Mr Pearson said.
“Leveraging Fleet Space’s terrestrial end-to-end mineral exploration platform, ExoSphere, as a blueprint – we have created a model for a hyper-scalable, off-world exploration system designed to operate at the planetary level.”
Head of the Australian Space Agency Enrico Palermo said the funded projects demonstrate the ingenuity that Australia has to offer international partners in space.
“Through this investment we are helping Australian companies gain crucial space heritage and grow strong customer bases – which will generate more opportunities for Australia to collaborate on the global stage,” he said.
