Canberra-based advanced manufacturing company New Frontier Technologies (NFT) is leading innovation in carbon composite structures for the space sector, with several major projects underway through the Department of Education’s iLAuNCH Trailblazer program.

NFT specialises in the design, additive manufacture, and digital twinning of advanced carbon composite structures, using cutting-edge automation and digital tools to shorten the development cycle and deliver lightweight, space composite structures with superior performance compared to traditional designed and manufactured composites. Solutions can be bespoke for one-off or low-volume production or can take advantage of the scalability of additive technologies for highly repeatable volume.

The company has pioneered the use of laser-assisted automated fibre placement (laser-AFP), a clean, lean additive manufacturing technology for rapid production of thermoplastic composite structures with near-zero coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE), a key performance metric for precision instrumentation and optical systems, that demand dimensional stability under extreme temperature changes.

New Frontier Technologies work with iLAuNCH includes the development of a composite rocket body with a structural digital twin, which successfully underwent vibration testing to NASA’s sounding rocket qualification standards. Other projects include designing and manufacturing optical mounts and telescope structures for space and ground-based observatories, including structures for KECK observatory (Hawaii, US) instrumentation, and the locally developed DREAMS telescopes and OzFuel satellite. In 2026, NFT will begin work on an international project to develop composite structures for European Southern Observatory (ESO) instrumentation.

Image: Assembly of the DREAMS telescope with lightweight,
load-bearing low-CTE composite structure for the primary
and secondary mirror mounts, prior to deployment
to the Siding Springs Observatory (NSW).

New Frontier Technologies CEO and Director Dr Paul Compston said collaboration across Australia’s research and industry networks has enabled NFT to further refine its advanced composite and digital manufacturing technologies for space applications.

“Working alongside university and industry partners through the iLAuNCH Trailblazer has allowed us to take our design and manufacturing processes to the next level, meeting the demanding performance and verification requirements of the space environment,” Dr Compston said.

“Our ability to design and digitally verify thermally stable, lightweight composite structures is enabling new levels of performance for Australian-built space systems.”

Their expertise in digital twinning and advanced composites is creating new pathways for innovation that strengthen our national space supply chain.

NFT’s technologies are also gaining international recognition, with its digital twinning (DigiTwin) platform for composite components receiving the JEC World 2025 Innovation Award in the Digital, AI and Data category. The company’s composite rocket project, developed through the iLAuNCH Trailblazer, won the R&D Project of the Year at the 2025 Australian Space Industry Awards.

Building on its success in space, NFT is expanding its advanced composites expertise to other high-performance sectors, including aerospace, defence, marine and clean energy.

“The precision, performance, and digital assurance we’ve developed for space are directly transferrable to other demanding applications,” Dr Compston said.

“Our goal is to see Australian-made composite structures playing a vital role in future global space missions and beyond.”

Image caption: Additive manufacture with laser-AFP of a
conical low-CTE lens barrel for the Quantum Optical Ground Station
at Mount Stromlo Observatory (Canberra).

About iLAuNCH

The Innovative Launch, Automation, Novel Materials, Communications and Hypersonics (iLAuNCH) Trailblazer is part of Trailblazer Universities Program administered by Australian Government Department of Education. ILAuNCH is led by the University of Southern Queensland in partnership with the Australian National University and the University of South Australia. This program is building Australia’s enduring space capability through the commercialisation of projects, a fast-track accelerator, and skills development to build the workforce of the future. To find out more, visit ilaunch.space.

About New Frontier Technologies

New Frontier Technologies designs, manufactures and tests complex components for high-performance applications, specialising in space, aerospace and defence.

Based in the Momentum Industry Hub, a start-up incubator at The Australian National University, New Frontier Technologies has access to some of the most advanced 3D scanning technology and simulation. They can take any component or design and test it against specific criteria, helping customers refine carbon composites and minimise waste. Their advanced manufacturing methods achieve unmatched precision, producing high performance carbon composites designed for purpose – ensuring materials and structures meet highly demanding performance requirements.