Fleet Space Awarded $1.6M Grant to Propel STEM Upskilling Nationwide

At Fleet Space, we believe the power of STEM education and hands-on experience with advanced technologies are fundamental to inspire the next generation of explorers. Today we are thrilled to share that Fleet Space has been awarded $1.6M in grant funding under the Department of Defence’s Schools Pathways Program to build a groundbreaking new STEM initiative, bringing cutting-edge knowledge of satellite technology to secondary students nationwide. 

“Given the ascendancy of the global space sector, and Australia’s pioneering contributions to its expansion over recent years, the next-generation of Australian ingenuity will have potential career opportunities that most of us couldn’t even imagine growing up,” said CEO & Co-Founder of Fleet Space Technologies, Flavia Tata Nardini. “Preparing students with on-the-job experience to apply and refine their STEM skills with the technologies defining our future, is critical for building the world we aspire to live in.”

This grant will be used to deliver Launchbox, a national STEM initiative designed by experts at Fleet Space working at the forefront of space and defence industry technology. Students participating in the competition will receive real-world training in the development of satellites, led by domain experts and industry leaders through structured, interactive courses. Over the course of the program, students will hone their STEM skills by building their own educational satellite with real sensors and a 3D-printed frame supplied by Robinson Aerospace - culminating in an exciting launch, where students will watch their satellites soar into the sky on high-altitude balloons.

“We are proud to support and advance the Australian Government’s vision of creating highly-engaging STEM programs for rising generations that showcase exciting career opportunities,” said Silvia Piccaluga, STEM Coordinator at Fleet Space Technologies. “With Launchbox, we want to scale the opportunity for Australia’s young people to get hands-on with the frontier of advanced technologies, giving them a unique and unforgettable experience that can spark a lifelong pursuit of exploration and discovery.”

Designed to share Fleet Space’s passion and enthusiasm for space and exploration, Fleet Space’s STEM program focuses on a whole-community approach to develop new synergies between industry and the education sector. Started in 2023, Fleet Space’s STEM program has reached over 13,000 students from years 4-12 with interactive STEM experience in the space sector. Through engagement with high schools and universities, the program has facilitated over 60 professional opportunities, including work experience and internships with 50% female representation. It has also created a variety of highly-engaging events, such as the Land Your Design on the Moon competition giving students the chance to have their artwork 3D printed on Fleet Space’s seismic device heading to the Moon on a NASA initiative in 2026.

Recently, Fleet Space closed a A$150M Series D funding round, raising the company’s valuation to A$800M+. This follows from the global expansion of its space-enabled mineral exploration technology - ExoSphere - a fundamental breakthrough needed to accelerate the discovery of critical minerals needed for the energy transition. While advancing progress toward Earth’s clean energy future with ExoSphere, Fleet Space has also built a technology roadmap for the exploration of new worlds. A lunar variant of Fleet Space’s satellite-enabled smart seismic sensors - SPIDER - will be deployed on the Moon in 2026 to enhance humanity’s understanding of the lunar subsurface.