Booster propellant and electronics manufacturing among projects supported through $3 million in Moon to Mars grants

A further $3 million in grants under the Supply Chain Capability part of the federal Moon to Mars initiative have been announced, supporting projects by Gilmour Space Technologies, Crystalaid Manufacture, Black Sky Aerospace, and Inovor Technologies.

“Space and manufacturing go hand-in-hand and these projects are leveraging that relationship to drive economic growth and create jobs,” said Australian Space Agency head Enrico Palermo.

Grants announced on Wednesday were:

• $1 million to Gilmour Space to improve manufacturing capability to produce qualified composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) that can hold fluids under pressure, for use in the aerospace industry;
• $538,882 to Crystalaid to improve its high-tech manufacturing capability to produce electronic components for space use;
• $678,487 to Black Sky for expanding production of its Responsive Common Use Booster (RCUB) propellant for commercial use: and
• $750,000 to Inovor to deliver rapid, high-reliability and cost competitive satellite manufacturing capability in Australia.

The capability grants are part of the Moon to Mars initiative, budgeted at $150 million overall. It also offers grants under Trailblazer (for projects supporting NASA’s Moon to Mars space exploration program), and Demonstrator (develop and launch products into space, which will create new capability and build space heritage) program streams.  

The Trailblazer program is the “flagship element” of the initiative, according to the industry department’s website, and is expected to open later this year. 

Picture: Gilmour Space Technologies

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