UNSW joins Wolfpack Space Hub to support space start-ups

Wolfpack will operate as UNSW’s non-exclusive incubator for the university’s space start-ups. These are independent entities established by students and/or staff of UNSW but not controlled by UNSW. Wolfpack will provide the start-ups with services such as business training, access to funding and customer networks, as well as space readiness capability-building. UNSW will provide the start-ups with access to equipment at ACSER (Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research), including a thermal vacuum chamber, an anechoic chamber, vibration testing equipment, frictionless air beds and Helmholtz coils.

UNSW Professor Andrew Dempster, Director of ACSER, said the aim was to develop an ecosystem of Australian start-ups in the space business.

“The space industry is moving away from the ‘big agency/big satellite’ model and is becoming much more commercial,” said Dempster. “There is a new way of doing space business. These businesses will benefit greatly from working together in groups and by collaborating to put together missions and to really develop and grow. That’s why we want to find people with great ideas and convert them into successful businesses.

“Australia has the fastest growing space start-up community in the world. The best time to be doing space in Australia is right now. The Wolfpack team is an ideal partner for this endeavour. With various government funding schemes starting to recognise Australia’s development in space, many inexperienced outsiders are trying their hand at space.”

Examples of previous success stories are Spiral Blue, which develops onboard computers for Earth observation satellites, and Sperospace, which designs robotic arms — both of which were founded by UNSW graduates and received significant space and defence agency funding while in residence at Wolfpack.