SAPPHIRE Space LiDAR
Spiral Blue
Space-qualified LiDAR sensor for rendezvous, proximity operations and space domain awareness — multi-km range demonstrated at 4.2+ km in ground testing. Exported to Lodestar Space (UK).
Technical specifications
- Technology
- FMCW (Frequency-Modulated Continuous Wave) LiDAR
- Scanning range
- Multi-kilometre (4.2+ km demonstrated on ground, June 2026)
- Applications
- Rendezvous, proximity operations, space domain awareness, ISR
- Teal-1+ EO horizontal accuracy
- 1m
- Teal-1+ EO vertical accuracy
- 10 cm
- Capability
- Foliage-penetrating
- Orbital demo target
- 2027
- Export
- Lodestar Space (UK) for defence proximity operations
- CRC-p funding
- AUD $3M (September 2025)
About
SAPPHIRE is Spiral Blue’s space-qualified LiDAR sensor engineered for multi-kilometre scanning range, targeting satellite rendezvous, proximity operations, and space domain awareness (space-to-space). The sensor uses FMCW (Frequency-Modulated Continuous Wave) technology and has been demonstrated at a range of 4.2+ km in ground testing with Macquarie University in June 2026.
The first international unit was exported to Lodestar Space (UK) for persistent co-orbital defence capabilities. SAPPHIRE underpins Spiral Blue’s TEAL-1+ constellation development for ground-truth-grade 3D Earth observation (1m horizontal, 10cm vertical accuracy), and was funded in part by an AUD $3 million Australian Government CRC-P grant in September 2025 to advance the system from TRL 4 to TRL 7, with stratosphere testing planned for 2026 and an orbital demonstration in 2027.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.