Saber Astronautics: An upward force in Australian Space

By Saber Astronautics

Coming up on their 15 year anniversary, Saber Astronautics continues making significant contributions to the space industry, building onwards and upwards as a force in the Australian space industry.

Space is historically viewed as complex and challenging, needing the brains of thousands of engineers and scientists, millions of calculations, billions of dollars and astronomical risk. It’s fascinating, mysterious, exciting and increasingly vital to modern society.

From space beer to a commercial astronaut program, Saber is pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a successful sovereign space company whilst working towards their goal of democratising access to space.

Like many brilliant ideas, Saber sparked as a simple ‘back of the napkin’ idea.

In 2008, Saber’s founder Dr. Jason Held turned his passion for space, love of video games and his doctoral thesis into Saber’s flagship software, Predictive Interactive Ground station Interface (P.I.G.I.™). It was the first of its kind, mission operations software developed using a video game engine, P.I.G.I. transforms massive streams of data into 3D visualisation offering efficiency, reliability and intuitive understanding and control.

P.I.G.I. is currently used by Saber as part of their full mission services offerings. It is a key technological disruption to the expensive and bespoke industry of space exploration.

The software also forms the baseline for a US Department of Defence specific program named Space Cockpit. Future-proofing themselves, both programs are built within a flexible framework, enabling continuous development as the space industry, available technologies and available data grow.

Flourishing beyond that first idea, Saber grew from a group of researchers in 2008 into an organisation operating at national strategic levels.

With a team of passionate and innovative engineers, space operators and flight teams, Saber now offers a range of products and services developed for space asset management. Like any other tech company, Saber is fast and agile, leveraging machine learning, artificial intelligence and other cutting edge technologies to improve efficiency and effectiveness for their customers.

One of the most important offerings by Saber is their mission operations services, which combine spacecraft control, dish management, and space traffic support into a single seamless service.

Saber conducts their operations and services using their Responsive Space Operations Centre (RSOC™) program located in Boulder, Colorado and the flagship centre in Adelaide, South Australia which was funded in part by the nation’s $6m Space Infrastructure Fund awarded to Saber by the Australian Space Agency.

The RSOC™ is a major driver pushing towards a more open and accessible space industry, removing the bespoke nature of flight operations and control. Those looking to fly with the Saber program can access a thriving marketplace of data providers, groundstations, sensors and other upstream suppliers who are fully integrated into Saber’s systems. The RSOC™ is a one stop shop for those looking to fly their satellites and keep them safe on orbit.

Linked to the organisational goal to democratise the access to space, is the responsible use of space which is a key focus for Saber Astronautics. To this end, Saber is extremely active in the field of space traffic management.

The organisation is the Pacific Cell lead in the US Department of Defense Sprint Advanced Concept Training (SACT), a joint global exercise understood as the largest space wargame in the world. SACT’s unclassified program brings together commercial, government and academic participants from across the globe in a virtual hackathon to experiment with real-world space domain awareness scenarios in real-time.

As the Pacific Cell lead, Saber coordinates over 200 people from 4 nations whilst continuing to innovate processes and procedures leading to the responsible use of space. SACT brings together the full potential of all the participants, who offer the latest processes and technologies tested in realtime, real-world scenarios offered by the exercise.

As a natural consequence of Saber’s groundbreaking work in space traffic, the company also supports the US DoD’s Joint Task Force Space Defense Commercial Operations Cell (JCO) as their night shift operators. Saber’s shift, alongside the UK Space Command, provides the JCO a 24/7 “follow-thesun” capability.

Another key achievement is the continued development of the “DragEN” concept, a small, passive, reusable aerodynamic drag sail and tether energised by interactions with Earth’s magnetic field. DragEN uses the harnessed energy to assist in responsible deorbiting by pulling a spacecraft down to where it can safely burn in the atmosphere.

Saber recognises that in creating greater access to space, they must promote an ethical and sustainable use of space, ensuring access for future generations. The ideation and continued progress of DragEN reflects this.

First developed in Australia by a Saber co-founder, Dr Daniel Bunker, DragEN receives continued NASA support and interest. NASA’s Flight Opportunities program selected the DragEN for low gravity flight campaigns in 2015 and 2016 verifying the concept. DragEN was also the subject of a NASA Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant to add a device for more responsive drag.

The next steps in the project, which are the subject of a University of Sydney CUAVA project and PhD candidacy, include developing control systems allowing the DragEN device to assist very small satellites in conducting basic manoeuvres on orbit. This is a critical capability ensuring small, lightweight spacecraft are able to change altitudes and avoid collisions, providing safe, continued productivity.

Future planned development of DragEN will contribute to decluttering space, especially critical orbits such as LEO (low earth orbit). Saber plans for the DragEN tether device to attach to orbital debris, generating energy and bringing debris down alongside the original spacecraft. DragEN will decrease threats to active spacecraft and decrease the potential of an occurrence of Kessler syndrome by removing two or more pieces of debris with each spacecraft deorbited using the device.

In recent years, Saber also developed and supported space startups in Australia, through a range of pitch events, competitions, and incubation. The highly popular space business plan competition Quest for Blue showed hundreds of university students how to develop their ideas and use P.I.G.I., going from “napkin sketch ideas” to “viable business plans”. Winning teams received cash awards and interest from investors. Goldfish Tank, a pitch competition, introduced Australian space startups to investors. Pitching in front of packed audiences, several teams won their first seed investments, many of them in business and thriving today.

In 2020, Saber partnered with TCG to develop a space manufacturing focused incubator Wolfpack Space Hub. The “hunt as a pack” philosophy and progressive, collaborative atmosphere allows new entrants to tackle the industry as a team while growing in a supported environment. From the Wolfpack Space Hub various successful space companies graduated, such as Dandelions, Spiral Blue and Sperospace. These companies are now established in their own right, continuously innovating and winning contracts as successful Australian SMEs.

Launching the Wolfpack Space Hub's new facilities in Sydney.

The latest Saber achievements include the successful integration, launch, monitoring, and command and control of the largest commercial communications array in LEO at the time of this writing. AST SpaceMobile’s BW3 launched late last year is now successfully deployed and undergoing operations– a massive achievement not only for AST but for Saber’s agile, and high performing team.

Another key achievement is the ideation and coordination to establish an Australian Astronaut Program, in partnership with US based company Axiom. With Axiom already flying successful private astronaut missions to the International Space Station (ISS), space travel is becoming more democratised, less limited by national capability and citizenship. The partnership led Saber to develop an Astronaut Program with the idea of opening up ISS access to Australian industry; Sending Australian products for development and commercialisation aboard the unique research environment of the ISS with an astronaut flying under an Australian flag.

Saber steadily supports the commercial space industry. The organisations’ achievements reflect their goal of achieving a democratised, sustainable and responsible access to space. From easing the path to responsible deorbiting to offering a more universal solution to mission operations, Saber is a driving force to open up space access to all.

The 15 year anniversary of Saber Astronautics will soon unveil brand new offices and a mission design centre accommodating for the growth of Saber’s international team of space engineers, operators, scientists and operational staff.

Saber is stepping up, with innovation and determination, creating a strong sustainable presence on the international and interplanetary stage. There is a bright future for us in the stars.