Selling space: How Myriota brings its high-tech back to Earth

South Australian space startup Myriota spun out of a breakthrough at the University of South Australia in 2015, and six years later has attracted more than $50 million in outside investment.

Paul Brescia 30 July, 2021

Myriota co-founder Alex Grant. Source: supplied.

As the cost of launching objects into space comes down and the availability of private space launches increases, getting a satellite into space can cost half a million dollars instead of millions.

It’s also a function of size and weight. From satellites measured in tonnes, the sector has moved to kilograms. These small satellites are called ‘cubesats’, because they are built in 10cm x 10cm modules.

Cubesats have completely reshaped the economics and viability of space-enabled businesses. Space used to exclusively be the domain of governments, and the defence contractors that worked alongside them.