Working in partnership with Flinders University at the Factory of the Future facility within the Tonsley Innovation District, the project will focus on developing advanced front-end electronics and a low-power analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) capable of interfacing directly with AICRAFT’s Pulsar Pro edge computing platform.
South Australian Minister for State Development Chris Picton welcomed the announcement, stating, “Supporting South Australian businesses to explore technologies, particularly in growth industries such as space and defence, is critical for the state’s manufacturing future.”
The initiative marks a significant expansion of AICRAFT’s capabilities beyond edge computing, enabling full-accuracy data acquisition and real-time signal processing directly onboard satellites.
The front-end electronics and Pulsar Pro system will also integrate with a lightweight and compact synthetic aperture radar antenna developed by Indian partner Guerin Technologies, creating a highly compact radar payload tailored for smaller satellite platforms.
AICRAFT chief executive Dr Tony Scoleri said the project addressed growing demand for rapid, real-time information from space-based systems.
“Now we are developing a disruptive capability that meets the increasing demand for real-time information, with a solution compact enough to operate on 100 kg-class satellites instead of multi-tonne platforms,” Scoleri said.
Synthetic aperture radar systems generate massive amounts of data and are increasingly relied upon for applications, including agriculture, flood mapping, iceberg detection, maritime surveillance, infrastructure monitoring and surface deformation analysis.
By combining innovative ADC technology with onboard edge processing, the project aims to significantly reduce the energy requirements associated with radar data collection and processing, enabling sophisticated radar systems to operate on satellites weighing around 100 kilograms.
Several of the project’s core hardware components will be jointly designed and manufactured alongside Flinders University researchers, laying the groundwork for future advancements in Australian-developed space electronics.
Flinders University acting vice-chancellor Professor Ray Chan said the collaboration highlighted the strength of partnerships between government, academia and industry.
“The partnership with AICRAFT, combined with the support of the South Australian government through the Manufacturing Growth Accelerator, is an outstanding example of what’s being achieved,” Chan said.
“Advances which not only position our state and nation for the future but deliver solutions for our community – and opportunity for our students.”
Chan added that the Factory of the Future initiative was designed to connect industry with world-class expertise and advanced technologies.
“Flinders Factory of the Future partners with industry to bring together the right expertise, technologies and world-class researchers – across Australia and globally – to tackle problems and develop solutions,” he said.
Scoleri said the collaboration reflected a longstanding and growing relationship between AICRAFT and Flinders University.
“Our journey with Flinders University – from residency at the New Venture Institute to employing Flinders graduates and now launching this research program – reflects a partnership that continues to grow in strength,” he said.
A space technology demonstration of the system is planned for the second quarter of 2027, with the electronics set to be integrated into a satellite platform for in-orbit validation.
The project builds on earlier support provided through the South Australian Space Collaboration and Innovation Fund, which helped establish initial collaboration between AICRAFT and Guerin Technologies on early-stage radar systems.
Collectively, the technologies under development are expected to strengthen Australia’s sovereign capability in advanced space electronics and manufacturing, while also creating opportunities for integration into satellite constellations, airborne platforms and drone-based radar systems.
AICRAFT designs and manufactures low-power edge computing systems with machine learning capability for data-intensive applications across aerospace, defence and remote sensing sectors.
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