Deloitte successfully launches its own satellite with the help of SpaceX
Global professional services firm Deloitte has launched a satellite into space, with a view to harnessing space-enabled insights to empower its clients with better informed, real-time decision-making.
Dubbed ‘Deloitte-1’, the Big Four satellite was successfully sent into orbit with the rocket power of SpaceX and design and operational support of space tech services company Spire, marking what the firm said was a “significant milestone”.
Having formally established its space practice in 2023, the Deloitte-1 deployment follows a string of recent developments in Australia, including a collaboration with the ANU’s Space Institute and becoming a member of the AROSE consortium.
“Deloitte is now officially in space, expanding our tech capabilities for Space platforms,” stated US space practice leader Brett Loubert, with Deloitte US chief executive Jason Girzadas adding; “We’re driving space-enabled innovation and shaping what’s possible for industries both on and off this planet.”
Beyond that, little else has been revealed about the launch and how the satellite will boost support for Deloitte’s clientele. Judging by the timing, Deloitte-1 was presumably shot into orbit from California aboard SpaceX’s ‘Transporter-13 mission’, alongside 73 other ‘smallsat’ payloads at a base-line cost of $300,000 per 50 kilos.
Deloitte Space
The initiative is part of Deloitte’s broader space strategy, which aims to support various stakeholders, including government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and emerging space startups, with their projects. The company has consultants and technologists with expertise in rocket launches, satellite remote sensing, telecommunications, commercial space economy analysis, and private investment in space technology.
The firm also has expertise in the commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and human spaceflight sectors.
Deloitte’s space work in Australia
Commenting on the launch of Deloitte-1, Adelaide-based Asia Pacific and Australia space practice leader Jason Bender said ‘watch this space’, with more details to be shared about the mission and how it will propel the development of new capabilities in due course. For now, the local practice has been kept busy with a number of new initiatives.
The firm recently teamed up with ANU’s Institute for Space in an effort to “unlock commercial opportunities in space missions and programs at the intersection of academia and new industry frontiers”, exploring the entire space value-chain from the “manufacturing of new hardware to the utilisation of space technologies back here on earth.”
Deloitte’s Australian space practice also recently joined the local AROSE alliance (Australian Remote Operations for Space and Earth), a non-profit organisation which seeks to bridge the gap between the country’s traditional industry sectors and its burgeoning space scene through collaboration and by targeting specific projects to develop fresh applications.
“Officially joining AROSE solidifies our commitment to fostering a vibrant and self-sustaining Australian space sector through strategic collaboration with government, industry, and academia,” Bender said. “Inspired by its vision, innovative team, and diverse members, we look forward to making a significant contribution to this dynamic field.”
Deloitte, which is already well-embedded in the Australian space industry, globally describes itself as the biggest of the Big Four in the space consulting space, but faces significant competition from local rivals. Ernst & Young, for example, has been teaming up with Swinburne on the subject since 2022, while KPMG has also been promoting local innovation.
