Skykraft, an Australian-based company, has officially signed a Participating Project Partner Agreement for the “Demonstration of Collaborative Position Navigation and Timing (PNT) in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)” project. This agreement, supported by an International Space Investment (ISI) India Projects grant from the Australian Government, marks a significant step in promoting joint space projects between Australia and India.
The ISI India Projects initiative aligns with the India Economic Strategy to 2035, with a focus on strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between India and Australia. This collaboration aims to enhance bilateral relationships and activities, with a mutual understanding of common interests and shared values to support the prosperity of both nations. Further information on Minister Husic’s announcement can be found here: link. Additional information about the ISI India projects is available on the Business.gov.au website.
The primary goal of the project is to develop next-generation collaborative PNT systems. These systems play a crucial role in various sectors such as transportation, communication, and infrastructure. However, existing systems are prone to errors, which can have significant impacts. For example, the aviation industry has seen a growing number of regions affected by incorrect information being reported to Air Traffic Management (ATM) controllers or disruptions in aircraft navigation systems.
The project will demonstrate the feasibility of large-scale constellations in LEO, address the vulnerability of existing Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) in denied environments, explore additional applications for PNT signals that can be exploited from LEO, and provide a roadmap for enabling collaborative LEO-PNT through the demonstration of the resilience of large-scale constellations that can be easily updated and reconstituted.
This collaboration between Australia and India brings together leading institutions from both countries, including RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia; Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, India; Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), Delhi, India; FrontierSI, Melbourne, Australia; University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia; University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia; and Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia.
A significant aspect of this collaboration is the opportunity for Indian researchers and students to access Australian-generated data and test waveforms on Australian-built and operated satellites, fostering closer business, technology, and cultural ties between the two nations.
In addition to advancing PNT systems, the project aims to improve environmental sensing through GNSS-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) and Radio Occultation (GNSS-RO) technology, providing a better understanding of the Earth’s oceans, droughts, and floods. These technologies will also enhance real-time space weather and terrestrial weather forecasting, as well as emerging applications like tsunami monitoring and warning, demonstrating the technical expertise of both Australian and Indian organizations.
Michael Frater, CEO of Skykraft, expressed his pride in leading this joint Australia/India project, which will establish a strong foundation for both countries to develop and launch a next-generation PNT system. He looks forward to working with partners from both nations to successfully deliver the project and encourage the development of an operational independent PNT system.
This collaboration represents an exciting opportunity to push the boundaries of space technology and develop cutting-edge solutions for global positioning and timing challenges by fostering closer business, technology, and cultural ties between Australia and India.
About Skykraft
Skykraft provides Air Traffic Management (ATM) services from space, with a focus on global air traffic surveillance and communication, particularly in remote and oceanic regions where ground-based infrastructure is limited. The company, based in Australia, utilizes small satellites and specialized ATM infrastructure to support Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) worldwide. With a space-enabled approach, Skykraft aims to improve the safety and efficiency of air traffic management, offering a reliable solution to meet the evolving needs of the international aviation sector.
Media Contact
Iwan Morris
Email: iwan.morris@skykraft.com.au
Phone: +61 (0)408 137956.