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After stepping aside from the operations of ed-tech unicorn Go1, entrepreneur Dr Vu Tran is adding extra fuel to a Southeast Queensland startup that develops and supplies solid rocket propellant and solid rocket motors to the defence sector.
Formerly known as Black Sky Aerospace and initially co-founded by aerospace, defence and manufacturing industry veterans Blake Nikolic and Karl Hemphill, Black Sky Industries has formally launched with a multimillion-dollar headquarters in Logan and Tran coming on board as a co-founder.
The business, which aims to greatly accelerate the production capability of sovereign-scaled rocket motor and defence systems, also has launch, test and manufacturing facilities throughout western Queensland.
Black Sky has ambitions to create hundreds of advanced manufacturing and defence industry jobs over the next decade.
"At Black Sky, complex rocket manufacturing is done with a high degree of innovation, security and safety but at much lower cost than others. This has the potential to save Australia and our allies billions of dollars and ensure taxpayer funds can be utilised in other areas," says Nikolic.
"We innovate, move quickly, and deliver results. We achieve what others won't even attempt and we imagine the unimaginable and bring it to life.
"Like traditional technology and software companies, we have a strong focus on product velocity, a concept we think will be essential in future defence technology development."
Black Sky is a producer of ammonium perchlorate (AP), which is crucial to conventional solid rocket motors used in aerospace and defence industries, which it produces alongside solid rocket propellant.
The company also offers its homegrown proprietary Wagtail Rocket Assisted Take-Off (RATO) technology for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and drones.
This is also supported by Black Sky's proprietary software platform Cortex1, underpinning all aspects of its operations, from research and development and manufacturing to powering products and platforms, including launch control, tracking and mapping through data-driven propellant formulation and characterisation technology using artificial intelligence.
Tran says Black Sky will help secure and strengthen local defence supply chains and reduce Australia’s dependence on external jurisdictions.
"Australia spends $50-$55 billion on defence each year yet we’re lucky to have just one company in the top 100 list of defence suppliers. Black Sky aims to change that," Tran says.
"Having sovereign defence capability will help Australia achieve greater efficiency and resilience in the delivery of defence technologies, and in our ability to protect the nation.
"There are myriad benefits to manufacturing locally, including lower geopolitical risks, increased operational transparency, regulatory compliance alignment, intellectual property protection, enhanced ability to customise products, less dependence on international suppliers, reduced exposure to global supply chain disruptions, faster time to market and quality control - with a predictable cost structure."
Tran adds that local manufacturing also encourages the growth of local businesses while building a skilled workforce to develop a consistent pipeline of local talent with proximity and access to local R&D institutions.
Recent key hires at the company include former L3Harris Technologies director David Johnson as general manager, enterprise development and defence innovation veteran Stephen Delo.
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