Australian startup Quasar Satellite Technologies has won a Defence Ministry innovation award to develop its multi-beam, phased array SATCOM ground antenna. (Quasar, via LinkedIn)
WASHINGTON — As the Australian Defense Force works to improve space domain awareness, Quasar Satellite Technologies has garnered a contract from the Australian Defence Ministry’s Defence Innovation Hub to develop a new ground-based antenna that can scan the sky to track multiple satellite communications bands, the company announced last week.
Under the $5.3 million ($3.57 million) contract, the Australian startup will speed up development of its multi-beam, phased array ground system that the firm says can establish comms with hundreds of satellites simultaneously. This will not only ease and enhance MoD satellite communications, but also provide a methodology for keeping tabs on how many active satellites are overhead, according to the company’s Feb. 20 announcement.
Both mission sets are high priorities for the Australian MoD, under its new(ish) space strategy issued last March — the same time that the ministry announced the official creation of a new Defence Space Command.
“This support allows us to fast-track expansion of our unique phased array technology into new satellite bands, and ultimately contribute to our vision of creating a powerful, flexible, scalable, sovereign satellite communications capability for Australia,” Phil Ridley, Quasar’s CEO, said in the announcement.
Most current ground antennas for satellite communications — those distinctive, large parabolic dishes — can tune into only one satellite at a time. And for most militaries, including the US Army, military SATCOM ground systems are vendor-locked to individual systems designed for each specific platform. Phased array satellites don’t have to physically move to track SATCOM beams, and also can fix on multiple satellites at the same time across low, medium and geosynchronous Earth orbits.
Quasar, based near Sydney in Marsfield, New South Wales, was started in 2021 from a partnership with Australia’s national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, focusing on using radio astronomy technology and techniques radio to help deal with satellite data congestion. It almost immediately joined the Microsoft for Space Startups Australia program, aimed at supporting firms providing satellite data to Microsoft’s Azure cloud-based computing network, with seed funding of some $12 million AUD ($8.08 million US). It since has been seeking some $10 ($6.74 million US) in early-stage venture funding, or pre-series A round, according to the Australian Financial Review.
Further, the firm has been shortlisted for an AVALON 2023 Innovation Award, along with 12 other companies across a variety of sectors. Winners will be announced Tuesday at the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition at Avalon Airport near Melbourne.
