Fleet announced today that the first satellite would be launched aboard an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle by Antrix/ISRO and the second nanosatellite, Centauri II, would launch on Spaceflight's SSO-A mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Air Force Base no earlier than the second half of 2018.

Fleet is developing nanosatellite technology — satellites weighing less than 10kg, roughly the size of a shoebox — in partnership with some of the world’s leading aerospace engineers, with its first satellite aiming to establish a global network that will connect the world’s sensors and devices free.

According to Fleet, just one satellite has the ability to cover 90% of the Earth.

Over the coming years, the Adelaide business says it will create a constellation of nanosatellites to create a scalable, global network to help connect many of the 75 billion sensors expected to dot the world over the next decade, “laying the foundations for the next industrial revolution”.

Fleet says nanosatellites will bring mass-scale efficiencies for industries like agriculture, mining, and logistics by enabling businesses to gather complex, revealing data to improve operations.

“It’s a huge milestone to have secured our first satellite launches with incredible organisations. We’re thrilled to work alongside some of the world’s leading space innovators to help transform industries down on Earth,” said Fleet Space Technologies co-founder and chief executive, Flavia Tata Nardini.

“Nanosatellite technology is ushering in unprecedented connectivity at a fraction of the cost of large scale, multinational space exploration projects, with lean manufacturing capabilities, simpler technologies and smaller payloads.

“Our world is facing huge challenges in the upcoming years with exponential population growth, rapid resource depletion, intensifying extreme weather events and heightening environmental issues.

“At Fleet Space Technologies, our constellation of nanosatellites will power the next industrial revolution, giving businesses new access to data and connectivity, so that many of these issues can be solved, from space.”

Curt Blake, president of Spaceflight, said: “We’re seeing some very ambitious and innovative space startups born in Australia, and Fleet Space Technologies is no exception. We’re looking forward to helping them reach the skies and advance the next generation of space exploration.”