South Australia’s Fleet Space Technologies has achieved a major milestone, successfully launching its next-generation Centauri 5 satellite onboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-5 mission.
Centauri 5 is a 6U sized microsatellite, weighing a total of 12kg. It was launched into Low Earth Orbit on 26 May at an altitude of 530km.
The satellite will reduce latency and increase data capacity to the existing six-strong Centauri constellation. The Centauri constellation is set to become one of the world’s most advanced low-power satellite networks, securing global coverage for internet of things (IoT) devices by using its in-house nanosatellite technology.
Fleet’s CEO and co-founder, Flavia Tata Nardini, said the launch success is further proof the company is developing technologies that address real world needs reliably and cost-effectively.
“Centauri 5 will bring important new capabilities to our existing constellation,” said Ms Tata Nardini.
“It also supports the development of our forthcoming Alpha constellation, which enables our pioneering ExoSphere mineral exploration tool with transformational benefits for the exploration of critical energy transition materials.”
This is the third time the company has launched with SpaceX – the second in the past year, with Centauri 4 being launched on the Transporter-2 mission in June 2021.
