Australian space exploration company Fleet Space Technologies has successfully deployed two next-generation Centauri satellites during the Transporter-12 rideshare mission, launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 earlier this week.
The launch of Centauri 7 and Centauri 8, Fleet Space’s most advanced satellites to date, will increase the capacity of its proprietary satellite network to support the expansion of its end-to-end mineral exploration platform, ExoSphere, while building on its world-first, microsatellite-enabled SATCOM capabilities.
The deployment of Centauri-7 and Centauri-8 comes at a time of increasing global demand for satellite-enabled applications to improve the efficiency, sustainability, and success rates of mining operations to accelerate discovery of energy transition minerals worldwide.
Used by global mining leaders like Rio Tinto, Barrick, and Gold Fields, ExoSphere integrates Fleet Space’s proprietary satellites, smart sensors, and AI to image mineral systems in real time while minimising environmental impact. Since the launch of ExoSphere in 2023, over 40 exploration companies have used the technology on projects across five continents.
“Frontier technologies that incorporate the latest advances in space, AI, and big data are essential to address the dual challenges of climate change and space exploration,” said Fleet Space Co-founder and CEO Flavia Tata Nardini. “By making these new capabilities rapidly deployable in a way that complements modern mining operations on a global scale, ExoSphere is charting a course to transform the exploration sector and accelerate mineral discovery before net-zero targets fall permanently out of reach.”
Powered by space and AI, the end-to-end capabilities of ExoSphere have driven widespread exploration results for mining companies since its launch. This lead to Fleet Space closing a AUD150 million Series D funding round with a valuation of over AUD800 million in December.
Led by Teachers’ Venture Growth, the late-stage venture arm of Canada’s Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and joined by a number of existing investors, the investment will be used to expand the capabilities of ExoSphere to enhance data-driven exploration for minerals needed for Earth’s clean energy future.
In parallel with the global adoption of ExoSphere, Fleet Space has continued to drive a pipeline of breakthrough innovations in the space sector. Last year, Fleet Space’s Centauri-4 became the world’s smallest voice-enabled satellite, preceding the demonstration of resilient, low-cost full duplex SATCOMs for the Australian Defence Force.
In collaboration with MIT Media Lab’s Space Exploration Initiative, Fleet Space is also helping to drive strategic off-world research to inform the planning of future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. In 2026, the lunar variant of ExoSphere’s smart seismic sensors, SPIDER, will be deployed on the Moon to unlock new insights about its subsurface. Centauri-6, Fleet Space’s next-generation satellite model, was also launched on SpaceX’s Bandwagon-1 mission.
“The fusion of space innovation, AI, and rapid 3D subsurface imaging is key to establishing permanent research stations on the Moon and Mars within our lifetime,” said Fleet Space Co-founder and Chief Exploration Officer Matt Pearson. “By advancing Earth’s subsurface understanding with ExoSphere, we are building the blueprint for scalable, data-driven exploration systems needed for new worlds, marking a bold new era in space exploration.”
“Advancing the capabilities of microsatellites is a critical part of this effort to make sure explorers of our solar system have the tools to achieve mission objectives faster and with greater precision, ultimately maximising their precious time on other worlds,” he added.
