Our news
27th of September 2024
The Beagle Waveform, a cutting-edge technology developed in Australia, is set to revolutionize narrowband two-way tactical communications, offering a new level of protection for personnel in defense, space, and civil applications. Designed to safeguard lives by maintaining situational awareness, the Beagle system offers unparalleled communication capabilities, ensuring no one is lost due to lack of connectivity.
Recently pitched at the very first Australia Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) Pitch Day at the Australian, Defense, Science, Technology and Research Summit (ADSTAR) in Canberra on the 18th September 2024, the Beagle Waveform detects and locates users while avoiding counter-detection. Initially developed to track astronauts during future lunar missions, this low-power, small-signature system ensures reliable connectivity even when traditional networks are denied or degraded. The system was conceived with defense in mind but has proven versatile across multiple sectors.
The Beagle Waveform integrates state-of-the-art technologies into a flexible, resilient solution. Much like downloading an app on your phone, the waveform can be uploaded to planes, vehicles, satellites, and ground terminals. Beagle has been tested rigorously via FlatSat demos on multiple communication bands. Demonstrating its versatility, Beagle achieved a world-first by enabling tactical voice communications over CubeSat and has been proven effective in multiple orbit types.
With its rapid deployability at scale, Beagle provides an asymmetric advantage for the Commonwealth and its international partners. The waveform can be integrated across various platforms, offering tactical communication solutions to a wide range of applications. Beagle’s history of over $1 million in local and international investments highlights its readiness for broader integration, miniaturization, and testing on additional host platforms.
This dual-use technology has seen extensive collaboration, including partnerships with the Army’s C4Edge Program, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the Mars Society (Australia and the U.S.), Fleet Space, and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre, which has supported the project since 2019. Field trials will commence in Australia next April, further advancing the technology.
Beagle’s unique capabilities position it as a key player in defense, space exploration, and civil applications such as chemical spill tracking. Its promising potential for future Artemis missions further cements its role in cutting-edge space exploration. Dr. Lisa Muzzuca, a lead astrophysicist at NASA, hailed Beagle as a game-changer, particularly in its two-way messaging applications for Search and Rescue missions.
Whilst not successful in the on-the-day Presentation category of the ASCA Pitch Day, Beagle hopes to be considered for future contracts with defense as the technology presented has a clear advantage over traditional networks.
The Beagle Waveform represents a significant leap forward for Australia in the defense and space technology sectors, promising to enhance both military operations and space exploration, all while safeguarding lives.
For more information, please contact:
Alex Ryan
Safety From Space
alex.ryan@safetyfromspace.com
2nd of September 2024
Two innovative South Australian space start-ups, AICRAFT and Safety from Space, have each secured $100,000 in funding from the inaugural South Australian Space Collaboration and Innovation Fund.
The fund, launched earlier this year, is designed to accelerate the development of local space innovation and collaboration with international partners. It supports projects that are focused on proof-of-concept or delivering space capabilities with a clear path to commercialisation.
Safety from Space will use the funding for its Lunar Search and Rescue (LunaSAR) project, which will trial advanced satellite communications (SATCOM) for future astronaut search and rescue operations on the surface of the Moon. The LunaSAR system is designed to be lighter and more reliable than current devices on the market, with a longer battery life.
The project will be conducted in collaboration with NASA, The Mars Society (US and Australian arms) and several Australian partners including SmartSat CRC, UniSA and Flinders University.
Safety from Space founder Dr Mark Rice welcomed the grant’s contribution to making the mission possible:
"Our collaboration with NASA has put Australia at the forefront of two-way communications for search and rescue, and we are extremely grateful for the funding from the South Australian Government to make it possible"
A successful trial could pave the way for a unique Australian contribution into NASA’s Artemis Program as well have applications for emergency communication in remote areas on Earth.
"Ensuring the safe return of astronauts in the event of an emergency is critical to interplanetary exploration, and we are passionate to see our breakthrough communications technology playing a pivotal role"
The South Australian Space Collaboration and Innovation Fund is an initiative of the South Australian Space Industry Centre in collaboration with the Defence Innovation Partnership.
Details on the next round of funding will be announced soon.
15th of November 2022
SmartSat has announced a project agreement to further develop new Search and Rescue (SAR) beacon technologies with partner NASA.
Australia and the United States, as leaders in the field, have a long history of cooperation in Search and Rescue. In 2020 NASA and SmartSat announced a collaboration to advance satellite-based emergency communications and Search and Rescue, combining communications and navigation technology. This new project deepens the strategic collaboration in this important field.
The project is studying a new search and rescue system for future human exploration on the surface of the moon, known as LunaSAR. Astronaut safety is paramount and the ability to reliably communicate an emergency incident must be maintained, even if other services are not available. Similar to distress beacons on Earth, this system will provide miniature low power radio beacons mounted on space suits and lunar rover vehicles. The technology will support SOS and two-way messaging over a lunar orbiting satellite constellation. It will also allow the beacon location to be accurately determined, in the absence of GPS. This information will be provided securely and quickly to both the mission control centre on Earth and the response team on the moon who are able to take immediate action.
Under the agreement, NASA’s Search and Rescue Laboratory (SARLab) at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland will bring experts to the project to help guide and review the technical direction. NASA will also provide access to unique and comprehensive test facilities for assessment of performance of the new technology as it is being developed by SmartSat funded research team, led by industry partner Safety from Space. The research team will design a new specialised beacon for extraterrestrial environments based on a new waveform. As well as direct Artemis applications, they will also investigate the potential for enhanced services to extend beyond SAR to broader emergency management such as natural disaster warning systems.
Full media release is available: download PDF
18th of August 2018
Today the University of South Australia has announced the five companies that have been chosen to be part of the State’s first space incubator program, Venture Catalyst Space.
Safety from Space is working on a safety system for those in remote locations too far from wireless coverage. With satellite phones being prohibitively expensive, the team proposes an alternative and supplementary service (and the support infrastructure) to provide specific messaging via satellite for dangerous situations that could easily and rapidly develop into an emergency.
For more information about projects and technology licensing opportunities please contact us at alex.ryan@safetyfromspace.com