Australian space and defence infrastructure startup Terram Astra has announced a US$10 million seed capital raise to activate a sovereign, ground-based infrastructure platform aimed at strengthening communications resilience and space safety across the Indo-Pacific.
The company said the platform will integrate two initial capabilities: SHOT Comms, a sovereign optical and radio frequency satellite communications network, and Orbit DRAM, a ground-based orbital debris monitoring and mitigation system. Both capabilities will be co-located at secure, purpose-built hubs.
Terram Astra’s first hub is planned for a site near Alice Springs in Central Australia. The inland location is intended to provide resilient operations, secure land access and consistent atmospheric conditions suited to optical communications. The hub will deliver shared power, fibre connectivity, security and operational infrastructure to support multiple mission-critical services.
Chief Executive Officer Sean Thomas (pictured) said the company was responding to capability gaps in congested orbital environments, subsea cable vulnerability and limited sovereign test and training infrastructure.
He said the platform is designed as long-term infrastructure intended to provide assured access for Australian and allied government and commercial missions, with a focus on sovereign control and resilience.
SHOT Comms is described as an optical and RF satellite communications teleport network intended to provide deterministic performance and national control. Orbit DRAM is positioned as a scalable ground-based system to support orbital debris monitoring and remediation, aligned with emerging regulatory and insurance requirements around space safety.
Terram Astra said it had received interest from prospective clients in the United States, Japan and other allied nations, prompting the launch of the seed round to operationalise the platform. The capital is expected to support activation of the first Central Australian hub, deployment of initial SHOT Comms and Orbit DRAM systems, and engagement with early defence, government and commercial customers ahead of a potential Series A expansion in 2027.
The company operates under a Build–Operate–Lease model and has aligned its platform with AUKUS Pillar II priorities. It said the infrastructure is underpinned by secure land access and partnerships, including with Traditional Owners.
Following a future Series A raise, Terram Astra plans to expand the platform to include Wallis STARR, a commercially accessible training, testing and research range designed to support defence, space and allied capability development.
Terram Astra founder and chairman Scott Wallis previously founded the Arnhem Space Centre in the Northern Territory, which supported NASA launches in Australia. CEO Sean Thomas has held senior executive roles across defence, aerospace and infrastructure, including serving as President and CEO of the Alaska Aerospace Corporation.
