Defence industry and technology company Black Sky Industries has officially launched in Australia with the establishment of its multi-million dollar headquarters in Logan, South East Queensland, along with additional launch, test, and manufacturing facilities spread across Western Queensland.
These developments are set to accelerate the production of sovereign-scale rocket motors and defence systems, the company said in a media release.
Black Sky Industries, formerly known as Black Sky Aerospace, holds the distinction of being Australia’s only sovereign developer and supplier of solid rocket propellant and solid rocket motors to the defence sector.
The company was founded by aerospace, defence, and manufacturing veterans Blake Nikolic, Karl Hemphill, and Dr Vu Tran, who also co-founded the $3 billion technology startup Go1.
To date, Black Sky has made several key hires, including former L3Harris Technologies director David Johnson as General Manager, Enterprise Development, and defence innovation veteran Stephen Delo.
These strategic appointments reflect the company’s commitment to reimagining the design, development, and manufacturing of rockets at scale.
“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,” said Blake Nikolic, co-founder of Black Sky Industries.
He added, “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.”
The company’s capabilities include the local production of ammonium perchlorate (AP), a crucial component for conventional solid rocket motors used in aerospace and defence industries.
In addition to producing solid rocket propellant and motors, Black Sky offers its proprietary Wagtail Rocket Assisted Take-Off (RATO) technology, designed for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and drones.
Central to Black Sky’s operations is Cortex1, a proprietary software platform that underpins everything from research and development to manufacturing.
The platform powers products and platforms including launch control, tracking, and mapping, and leverages data-driven propellant formulation and characterisation technology using artificial intelligence.
Dr Vu Tran emphasised the importance of local manufacturing to secure and strengthen Australia’s defence supply chains, reducing 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,” Dr Tran stated.
“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.”
He added that local manufacturing offers numerous benefits, including lower geopolitical risks, increased operational transparency, and alignment with regulatory compliance.
“It 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,” Dr Tran noted.
These developments are set to accelerate the production of sovereign-scale rocket motors and defence systems, the company said in a media release.
Black Sky Industries, formerly known as Black Sky Aerospace, holds the distinction of being Australia’s only sovereign developer and supplier of solid rocket propellant and solid rocket motors to the defence sector.
The company was founded by aerospace, defence, and manufacturing veterans Blake Nikolic, Karl Hemphill, and Dr Vu Tran, who also co-founded the $3 billion technology startup Go1.
To date, Black Sky has made several key hires, including former L3Harris Technologies director David Johnson as General Manager, Enterprise Development, and defence innovation veteran Stephen Delo.
These strategic appointments reflect the company’s commitment to reimagining the design, development, and manufacturing of rockets at scale.
“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,” said Blake Nikolic, co-founder of Black Sky Industries.
He added, “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.”
The company’s capabilities include the local production of ammonium perchlorate (AP), a crucial component for conventional solid rocket motors used in aerospace and defence industries.
In addition to producing solid rocket propellant and motors, Black Sky offers its proprietary Wagtail Rocket Assisted Take-Off (RATO) technology, designed for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and drones.
Central to Black Sky’s operations is Cortex1, a proprietary software platform that underpins everything from research and development to manufacturing.
The platform powers products and platforms including launch control, tracking, and mapping, and leverages data-driven propellant formulation and characterisation technology using artificial intelligence.
Dr Vu Tran emphasised the importance of local manufacturing to secure and strengthen Australia’s defence supply chains, reducing 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,” Dr Tran stated.
“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.”
He added that local manufacturing offers numerous benefits, including lower geopolitical risks, increased operational transparency, and alignment with regulatory compliance.
“It 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,” Dr Tran noted.
