PROJECTS AND GRANTS
Information about our programs and funding
MOON TO MARS SUPPLY CHAIN CAPABILITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
The Australian Government's Moon to Mars Supply Chain grants delivered by the Australian Space Agency supports Australian businesses to build their capacity, skills and capabilities to participate in domestic and international supply chain opportunities.
In May 2022, Skykraft were awarded $978,000 in funding to upgrade proprietary Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) which will significantly improve satellite pointing accuracy.
The upgrade to the satellite platform will support Earth Observation (EO) instruments, including hyperspectral cameras.
This grant will enable Skykraft to service both domestic and international civil and defence markets and supply various high technology level opportunities including optical remote sensing by growing the capability of Skykraft’s in-house designed spacecraft platform.
INTERNATIONAL SPACE INVESTMENT (ISI) INITIATIVE
The Australian Government's ISI grants delivered by the Australian Space Agency supports strategic space projects that build relationships with international space agencies. Its purpose is to grow Australia’s space industry capability.
In June 2020, Skykraft were awarded $878,193 in funding to design and qualify a launch adaptor system that deploys constellations of up to 30 satellites into Low Earth Orbit from low cost rockets.
The mechanical qualification was carried out in collaboration with New Space India Limited (NSIL) who are the commercial provider of India’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) on behalf of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
FUNDING ROUND
In December 2021, Skykraft closed a $3.5 million funding round aimed at delivering a world-first global satellite constellation for space-based Air Traffic Management.
The funding contributes to the design and launch of Skykraft Block II validation satellites, 300kg satellite stack that aims to go to space in late 2022 onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch Vehicle from the United States.
ACT GOVERNMENT’S PRIORITY INVESTMENT PROGRAM
The ACT Government's Priority Investment Program grants facilitates collaboration between the ACT Government, industry, research and the tertiary sectors to attract investment and grow both established and emerging priority sectors of Canberra’s economy.
In September 2019, Skykraft were awarded $1.0 million in funding to conceptualise and design the ATM satellite constellation that will provide global air traffic management capabilities. This early definition work was significant in developing a supply chain along with the creation of new space capabilities in the ACT. This was alongside another $1.2 million in cash and in kind from Skykraft, UNSW and Xtek.