Copper on Alert: Chile’s Leadership Under Pressure

Fleet Space Technologies challenges the traditional mining model with space-based technology and artificial intelligence to accelerate copper exploration in Chile.

While Chile remains the world’s largest copper producer—accounting for 26% of global supply and over 55% of its national exports—its mining industry faces a silent crisis: reserves are running low, and the rate of new discoveries is not fast enough to sustain its leadership.

Since 2018, national copper production has dropped by 9%. Mines are aging, ore grades are declining, costs are rising, and permitting takes years. In this critical context, the arrival of #FleetSpace Technologies in Chile represents a real solution for an industry many describe as “stuck in the 20th century.”

Fleet Space, an Australian company pioneering mineral exploration using space technology, proposes a paradigm shift: mining optimized through satellites, AI, and real-time data. The company enters the heart of Chile’s mining sector with a clear message.

With its ExoSphere platform—powered by surface geophysical sensors, artificial intelligence, and a proprietary constellation of satellites—Fleet Space can scan vast geological areas from both Earth and space, reducing exploration cycles from years to months and survey times from months to days —something unthinkable with traditional methods.

Thanks to its partnership with #PuntaElMonte, Fleet Space has established permanent operations in #Chile to  deploy its solution across public and private projects nationwide.

“Chile has the copper, but not the time. If it doesn't accelerate its exploration processes, more agile tech-driven countries will take the lead,”says Felipe Hödar, Punta El Monte’s Director in Australia. “Exploration in Chile continues to face the same challenges it has for decades: slow processes, limited digitalization, and low technological integration,” the expert adds.

Felipe Hodar

Punta El Monte Director Australia

Fleet Space is here to break that mold. Its value proposition is based on four key differentiators: high-quality real-time data; geophysical sensors (Geodes) that collect exploration data  and transmit it via satellite to analysis platforms; unprecedented scalability—enabling large-scale surveys across hundreds of kilometres of high-value geological zones; and finally, seismic data integration with traditional exploration methods , reducing decision-making uncertainty with data-rich insights. Together, these create a customer-centric approach with customized solutions.

Fleet Space’s technology has already been tested globally with proven results. Projects  with Gold Fields in Chile at Salares Norte, Rio Tinto at the Rincon Lithium project in Argentina, and Barrick Gold at Reko Diq in Pakistan have driven faster, smarter, and cleaner outcomes with its  accelerated exploration system. These projects  identified zones of interest in weeks, optimized resource allocation, and enabled investment decisions months ahead of traditional timelines.

Another example of Fleet Space’s reach is its recent landmark exploration contract with Ma’aden (Saudi Arabian Mining Company), covering up to 12,012.6 km² across the company’s priority projects in the Arabian Shield.

Ma'aden contract with Fleet Space and Tahreez JV

“How the most ambitious global mining companies use data to design and execute their exploration strategies is undergoing a phase transition ,” said Flavia Tata Nardini, Co-Founder & CEO of Fleet Space Technologies. “Space-enabled, real-time exploration is unlocking unprecedented speed, reach, and data quality—transforming mineral discovery into a dynamic, data intelligence-led system. Similar leaps to real-time data have produced breakthroughs like commercial space travel, autonomous vehicles, and AI, among many others. With this partnership, Maaden is set to unlock the most valuable untapped frontier of the data revolution: the global mining sector.”

Flavia Tata Nardini

Co-Founder & CEO of Fleet Space Technologies.

Fleet Space is not just offering a technological solution—it is proposing a new mindset for an industry that has been losing competitiveness to other global leaders like Australia and Canada.

“Chile still leads the world in copper production, but the risk is clear: if it doesn’t modernize how new deposits are discovered, the country could lose its competitive edge to countries like Peru, Australia, or Canada, who are already adopting faster, data-driven models. Our mission is not just to help find copper faster—it’s to transform the culture of mineral exploration in Chile to become a powerhouse in exploration data intelligence. Chile cannot continue mining with tools of the past if it wants to lead the future.”