Home to over 30% of Australia’s space businesses, NSW plays a key role in shaping the nation’s space industry. The NSW Government supports this growth through five key funded programs and initiatives that drive innovation, foster collaboration, and position NSW as a launchpad for world-class space technologies and ventures.
The National Space Industry Hub (the Hub), operated by Cicada Innovations, is Australia’s leading deep-tech incubator dedicated to supporting space and technology ventures solving complex global challenges.
The Hub offers a range of tailored commercialisation programs – providing startups with expert guidance, industry networks, and targeted support to navigate the complexities of the space and technology sectors.
With access to specialised facilities, mentorship, and residency opportunities, the Hub helps ventures scale and commercialise cutting-edge technologies.
These efforts have facilitated over:
- over 80 businesses supported
- $52 million in private capital raised;
- $72 million in revenue generated; and
- 160 jobs supported.
- 16 patents filed
Beyond founder support, the Hub strengthens Australia’s space ecosystem through advocacy, industry engagement, and ecosystem development across space, aerospace, deep-tech and advanced manufacturing - contributing significantly to NSW’s innovation landscape.
Find out more
To find out more, contact our team at space@investment.nsw.gov.au or visit National Space Industry Hub.
The NSW Node of the SmartSat CRC (the NSW Node) is a collaboration between NSW Government departments: Investment NSW, and the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer.
The objective of this program is to foster industry-research collaboration and drive the commercialisation of space-related technologies that address real-world challenges.
The NSW Node has delivered grant programs to support growth in the space industry and accelerate the commercialisation of research and development. In 2024, these efforts continued into the NSW Space+ Program - designed to help NSW businesses bring innovations to market and showcase their capabilities at IAC 2025.
To date, the NSW Node has awarded over $1.9 million to 15 collaborative projects, including funding three NSW-led syndicates to fly payloads on the Waratah Seed Space Qualification Mission.
Find out more
To find out more, contact our team at space@investment.nsw.gov.au or visit New South Wales Node - SmartSat CRC.
The NSW Space Research Network (SRN) is a university-led initiative supported by the NSW Government, established to strengthen the state’s space industry through research collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Seth Lazar
The SRN brings together government, industry, and academic institutions to foster partnerships, identify shared research priorities, and support the translation of cutting-edge research into practical space applications.
To date, the SRN has awarded over $2.3 million in grant funding, supported 14 university-based student groups, and continues to play a central role in facilitating R&D collaboration across the sector. Its activities help build capability, grow talent, and accelerate innovation in areas critical to the future of space in NSW and beyond.
Find out more
Looking for a research partner or contact within the NSW space research ecosystem? The SRN can help connect you with the right people and expertise to support your next space project.
Reach out to our team at space@investment.nsw.gov.au to learn how we can assist, or to learn more.
Waratah Seed-1 is Australia’s first industry ride-share satellite, launched on 16 August 2024 aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-11 mission. Designed, built, and managed by the ARC Training Centre for CubeSats, UAVs and Their Applications (CUAVA) at the University of Sydney, the mission was initiated through the NSW Government’s pilot NSW Space Qualification Mission grant.
Now past its first year of successful operations, Waratah Seed-1 is a landmark in building sovereign capability for Australia’s space sector. It allowed NSW startups to demonstrate and validate their technologies in orbit, gaining critical space heritage to attract investment and accelerate exports.
Technologies on board include:
- advanced solar cells from Euroka Power and Extraterrestrial Power
- edge computing solutions from Spiral Blue
- materials demonstrators from Contactile
- biomaterials testing packages from Dandelions
- an electropermanent magnetorquer from Deneb Space, CUAVA, and the University of Sydney; and
- other GNSS reflectometry tools, and instruments for studying space debris.
Global Recognition
In 2025, Waratah Seed-1 was awarded AIAA SmallSat Mission of the Year in Utah, beating ten international nominations. It has also been selected as a Highlight Lecture at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2025 in Sydney, placing NSW’s innovation on the world stage.
To track the position and status of Waratah Seed-1 yourself, visit the mission’s public operations dashboard.
Find out more
For more information about the onboard technologies or participating organisations, contact us at space@investment.nsw.gov.au.
The NSW Space+ Program is a funding initiative to grow NSW’s space industry and accelerate the development and commercialisation of local space capabilities.
Crest Robotics, in partnership with Earthbuilt Technology, was the successful grant recipient, developing “Charlotte” - a fully autonomous, roving 3D printing robot capable of building low-carbon, low-cost homes using materials collected on-site, such as dirt, sand, clay, and gravel.
With the potential to build a structure within days, Charlotte’s technology also holds immense potential for lunar applications in the support of future sustainable Moon bases.
Find out more
Reach out to our team at space@investment.nsw.gov.au to learn how we can assist, or to learn more.
Establish in NSW
NSW is Australia’s largest economy and the nation’s space capital. Find out how NSW can accelerate your growth.