Australian start-up Quasar Satellite Technologies (Quasar) has been selected as one of seven companies – and the only international organisation – to participate in the 13th Catalyst Accelerator, a program backed by the US Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate (AFRL/RV).
The Catalyst Accelerator’s panel of judges selected Quasar due to its advanced phased array system which can detect and characterise radio frequency (RF) signals from space.
Fully software-defined, our system can be designed for rapid deployment in forward-operating scenarios. Our inclusion in the Catalyst Accelerator recognises our ability to provide unique insights into the SDA intelligence sector,” said Richard Singh, Chief Sales Officer at Quasar.
“We launched our world-first SDA technology with resounding success – the number of satellites in space is ballooning, and civil, commercial and government defence and intelligence agencies not only want their own stake in the space race, but all-sky visibility to see what the rest of the world is doing in orbit.”
The Catalyst Accelerator was created to enable nontraditional technology companies to become involved in the US national defence ecosystem, offering connections to US government agencies, mentorship and fast tracked business development opportunities.
The 13th cohort is focused on space domain awareness (SDA), the first Accelerator established in partnership with The Space Domain Awareness Tools, Applications and Processing Lab (SDA TAP Lab).
“The TAP Lab is partnered with Catalyst Campus to feed companies directly from the Catalyst Accelerator into the lab. They mature the business model, and the lab helps accelerate the product," said Major Sean Allen, Chief of the SDA TAP Lab.
This means companies are better positioned to build what the NSDC and Delta 2 need, and are more likely to make sales. Last week, I had the privilege of reviewing pitches for the Catalyst Accelerator. I learned a lot and am confident our partnership will ultimately improve the quality of commercial space battle management software.”