South Australia-based space technology company Fleet Space Technologies has announced a $150 million funding round to expand the capabilities of its global exploration platform ExoSphere, to accelerate the discovery of minerals critical to Earth’s clean energy future.

The ExoSphere platform integrates Fleet Space’s low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites, smart seismic sensors, and artificial intelligence (AI) into an end-to-end solution. The technology optimizes the collection, processing, and integration of exploration data, delivering high-quality insights to the global mining industry faster than ever before, while minimizing environmental impact.

technology
ExoSphere technology could accelerate the discovery of key minerals needed for clean energy technology. Photo: Fleet Space

CEO and co-founder Flavia Tata Nardini emphasized the importance of technology in achieving clean energy goals. “We have two scenarios for the future: either advances in space, AI and big data are geared towards building a clean energy future, or we risk missing our net zero emissions targets due to the slowing pace of discovery of the necessary minerals,” Nardini shared.

The ExoSphere platform is designed to integrate seamlessly into modern mining operations, bringing advanced exploration technology to the global mining industry in a single process.

Over the past year, ExoSphere has been deployed in resource-rich areas such as the Macquarie Arc in Australia, and has partnered with major corporations such as Rio Tinto and Barrick Gold, providing real-time 3D imaging surveys.

Working towards a sustainable future The latest investment comes from Teachers' Venture Growth (TVG) and existing investors Blackbird Ventures, Hostplus, Horizons Ventures, Artesian Venture Partners, and Alumni Ventures. "Critical mineral exploration needs to grow exponentially if we are to electrify society by 2050. Breakthroughs like ExoSphere are key to achieving this," Blackbird partner Niki Scevak said.

Fleet Space was founded by Flavia Tata Nardini, a former propulsion engineer at the European Space Agency (ESA), and aerospace entrepreneur Matt Pearson, with the goal of using space exploration technology to drive decarbonization and the global energy transition.

(According to PV-Magazine)

Fusion Reactor: Realizing the Dream of Infinite Clean Energy The International Experimental Thermonuclear Reactor (ITER) is moving closer to operational status after all the special magnets used to build the reactor core were shipped to France.