A Fleet Space ExoSphere geode planted in the ground. Photo: Fleet Space

Fleet Space Technologies is forming a partnership with Canadian metal exploration company, Power Nickel, the company announced Feb. 1. It will mark the first deployment in Canada of Fleet Space’s satellite-based mineral exploration system. This system aims to enable faster, more environmentally-friendly exploration for high-grade nickel deposits at Power Nickel’s flagship NISK project in Quebec. New nickel deposits are required to reduce Canada’s dependence on imported minerals in nickel battery production for electric vehicles and wider transition to clean energy.

Power Nickel, which specializes in exploring high-potential nickel, copper, gold, and other battery metal prospects in Canada and Chile, will use Fleet Space’s ExoSphere technology to seek nickel ore deposits at its NISK site in Quebec. ExoSphere consists of sensors called Geodes, which uses ambient noise tomography (ANT) to collect subsurface data. This data is beamed to the ExoSphere constellation of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, then relayed to computers that use machine learning to generate detailed 3D subsurface maps. The combination of Geodes and satellite connectivity allows small teams to map vast amounts of land accurately and with little to no environmental disturbance.

“We’re delighted to see ExoSphere deployed in Canada for the first time, building on our success in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world. As well as great technology and commercial partnership, this is a real meeting of minds. We both understand the urgent need to accelerate the discovery process for these vital minerals; but we’re also equally committed to minimising its environmental impact. Power Nickel is precisely the kind of forward-thinking, responsible enterprise ExoSphere was designed for: it’s great to be working with them on this project,” Fleet Space founder Flavia Tata Nardini, said in a statement.