Australian Space Innovation Institute (Asia) announced the launch of six new projects, aimed at using space technologies to solve problems on Earth, in particular in the areas of health care, of agriculture, mining industry and natural disaster monitoring. 11 February 2026 In 2018, the institute published the list of winners of the second round of the program "Cosmos for Earth: The challenge of innovation". The total amount of funding for the six selected projects is approx 2,8 Millions of US dollars.
Selected projects of the second round:
Development of an early flood warning system based on satellite data. The consortium is led by Frontier SI (Melbourne) and the University of New South Wales will develop the platform, which combines satellite Earth observation data, meteorological models and artificial intelligence for real-time flood forecasting.
Crop health monitoring using hyperspectral sensors. Air-Space Pty Ltd, together with the University of Queensland, will work on the creation of compact hyperspectral sensors for small satellites, which will allow farmers to receive detailed information about the condition of plants, nutrient content and early signs of disease.
Satellite system for detection and monitoring of forest fires. Consortium led by Spiral Blue (Sydney) will develop a system, which will use data from optical and infrared sensors for early detection of fires in remote areas of the country.
Geospatial analysis technology for the mining industry. The company Spear AI in partnership with the University of Western Australia will create tools based on artificial intelligence for the analysis of satellite images, that will help mining companies optimize production, reduce environmental impact and identify potential risks.
Telemedicine system for remote regions using satellite communication. The project, led by Vocus Communications and the Royal Air Medical Service, aims to create a reliable system for video communication and the transmission of medical data
in remote communities, which relies on satellite internet.
Development of sensors for monitoring water quality in rivers and coastal zones. A consortium led by Aquila (Perth) will work on creating compact sensors, which can be installed on small satellites or unmanned platforms for continuous monitoring of water pollution and algal blooms.
Each of the six projects received from 600 to 800 thousands of Australian dollars. The work should be completed within 18-24 months. Most of the projects envisage the demonstration of technologies in orbit or in real conditions during 2027-2028. ASII stated, which plans to conduct another round of financing in 2026 year, focusing on climate technologies and critical mineral resources.
Source: https://spacenews.com