Adelaide Airport’s New Space Technology Hyper Factory Revealed

Space minerals explorer and satellite maker Fleet Space Technologies has revealed plans for its global headquarters and hyper factory at the Adelaide Airport. 

According to Fleet Space Technologies, the state-of-the-art facility would enable the organisation to accelerate production of its space mineral exploration technologies. 

The new global headquarters would comprise advanced manufacturing and data centre technologies, which would enable greater production capacity for the company’s patented smart sensors and hundreds of satellites annually.

It will also form the basis for Fleet Space’s exploration-focused AI supercomputer, ExoCore.

Fleet Space Technologies chief executive Flavia Tata Nardini said the supercomputer would put South Australia at the forefront of global AI innovation in its bid to discover energy transition minerals.

“[This is] a significant leap into the future for Fleet Space and Australian innovation, as we continue our mission to build revolutionary frontier technologies that address the dual challenges of climate change and space exploration, from the heart of South Australia,” Nardini said.

“What began as a bold vision 10 years ago when we founded Fleet Space has grown into a global force transforming the future of exploration on Earth and beyond.”

The new headquarters and hyper factory is a hybrid manufacturing model aimed at developing technologies to help achieve decarbonisation and net-zero targets. A hyper factory typically integrates AI, robotics, IoT and data-driven systems for greater efficiency flexibility, and scalability.

The factory would house research and development labs, 3D printing, data centre infrastructure and central operations for the company’s satellite network.

▲ Flavia Tata Nardini (chief executive), Matt Pearson (co-founder), Federico Tata Nardini (chief financial officer), Robyn Clay, (chief operating officer).

Fleet Space Technologies chief exploration officer Matt Pearson said the new 5300sq m facility would enable vertical integration of the business and serve as an innovation incubator.

Next year Fleet Space’s Spider will be deployed to the moon to search for water ice–the first Australian-born technology to be used on the lunar surface.

And earlier this year Fleet Space was awarded a Moon to Mars Supply Chain Grant from the Australian Government to develop gravity sensing capabilities for exploration on the Moon and Mars.

Manufacturing is South Australia’s largest sector, accounting for about 17 per cent of total state output by revenue and employing more than 68,000 South Australians.

There are more than 100 space-related organisations in South Australia.

The State Government also made a $20-million commitment to build a common-user manufacturing facility for the space industry at innovation district Lot Fourteen.