The platform brings together two initial capabilities, SHOT Comms, a sovereign optical and radiofrequency satellite communications network, and Orbit DRAM, a ground-based orbital debris monitoring and mitigation system, delivered through secure, purpose-built hubs.
Chief executive Sean Thomas said the company was responding to rapidly widening capability gaps facing Australia and its partners.
“Australia and our allies are confronting accelerating risks from congested orbits, vulnerable subsea cables and a shortage of sovereign test and training infrastructure,” Thomas said. “Terram Astra delivers scalable, ground-based solutions that directly address those vulnerabilities.”
The company’s first hub, to be built near Alice Springs, will provide shared power, fibre, security and operational services to support multiple mission-critical systems. The inland location offers hardened resilience, persistent clear skies and full sovereign control.
According to Thomas, the platform has been designed with long-term strategic relevance in mind.
“This is infrastructure intended to operate for decades. It can’t be interdicted offshore, it can’t be switched off by foreign operators, and it provides assured access for Australian and allied government and commercial missions,” he said.
He said sovereign communications continuity had become a national vulnerability, with SHOT Comms providing deterministic performance under Australian control. Orbital debris, he added, was also emerging as a strategic and regulatory risk, with Orbit DRAM offering a scalable mitigation capability aligned with tightening regulatory and insurer requirements.
Following strong interest from prospective customers in the United States, Japan and other allied nations, Terram Astra has moved to raise seed capital to operationalise the platform.
“This is an exciting phase as we activate the first Central Australian hub, deploy initial SHOT Comms and Orbit DRAM systems, secure early defence, government and commercial customers, and position the company for a Series A expansion in 2027,” Thomas said.
He said the raise offered early exposure to sovereign, dual-use ground infrastructure at the intersection of space safety, communications resilience and defence readiness.
“Terram Astra is execution-ready. Seed capital allows us to convert validated demand into first-of-kind, long-life infrastructure with clear pathways to scale,” he said.
The company said the opportunity would appeal to investors aligned with sovereign capability development and AUKUS Pillar II priorities, with sustained demand expected from Australian and international clients.
Once operational, Terram Astra plans to expand into Wallis STARR, a commercially accessible, all-domains training, testing and research range for autonomous and emerging technologies.
“We’re inviting strategic investors who want to help build the sovereign backbone Australia and its allies will rely on,” Thomas said.
Terram Astra operates as a long-life, dual-use infrastructure platform under a build–operate–lease model, with secure land access and enduring stakeholder partnerships, including with Traditional Owners.
The seed phase will focus on SHOT Comms and Orbit DRAM, with Wallis STARR to follow as part of a post-Series A expansion.