The deal will see the SA-based firm provide real-time 3d images of locations up to 7km underground.
Fleet Space recently cemented its position as one of Australia’s most valuable space companies after it raised a further $150 million from investors in December last year.
The success has been fuelled by its ExoSphere product, which can help detect minerals underground from space.
It effectively allows mining companies to both speed up the hunt for minerals and reduce costs by lowering the need for invasive land surveying. Already, clients include Rio Tinto, Barrick Gold, and Core Lithium.
Fleet said the agreement with Maaden represents a “significant expansion” of its operation in the Middle East and will see it tap into its unique suite of technologies, including LEO satellites, ground sensors and advanced AI models.
“How the most ambitious global mining companies use data to design and execute their exploration strategies is undergoing a phase transition,” said Flavia Tata Nardini, Fleet's co-founder.
“Space-enabled, real-time exploration is unlocking unprecedented speed, reach, and data quality—transforming mineral discovery into a dynamic, data intelligence-led system.
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“Similar leaps to real-time data have produced breakthroughs like commercial space travel, autonomous vehicles, and AI, among many others.
“With this partnership, Maaden is set to unlock the most valuable untapped frontier of the data revolution: the global mining sector.”
The news comes shortly after Fleet said it would partner with Koloma, a US-based clean fuel start-up, to detect hydrogen reserves hidden in remote areas.
The project will combine Koloma’s “advanced data analytics tools” with Fleet Space Technologies’ ExoSphere satellite sensors to create 3D images of potential hydrogen sites underground.
Koloma has raised more than US$305 million since it was founded in 2021, while high-profile backers include Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, United Airlines’ Breakthrough Energy
Fleet also recently announced it has begun work on a new 5,000-square-metre headquarters near Adelaide Airport and also recently launched two new satellites – Centauri-7 and Centauri-8 – onboard Spacex’s huge Transporter 12 rideshare mission.
Adam Thorn
Adam is a journalist who has worked for more than 40 prestigious media brands in the UK and Australia. Since 2005, his varied career has included stints as a reporter, copy editor, feature writer and editor for publications as diverse as Fleet Street newspaper The Sunday Times, fashion bible Jones, media and marketing website Mumbrella as well as lifestyle magazines such as GQ, Woman’s Weekly, Men’s Health and Loaded. He joined Momentum Media in early 2020 and currently writes for Australian Aviation and World of Aviation.
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