Space Connect Podcast

Last week, Space Centre Australia revealed it was set to work with NASA on an audacious proposal to launch satellites via military aircraft. The plan – similar to that pioneered by Virgin Orbit – has already begun testing at the US space agency's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia using a modified C-130J Super Hercules. In this episode of the Space Connect podcast, SCA's chief executive, James Palmer, discusses how his team plans to do it and if it could lead to a closer collaboration with the US space agency.

If you have been paying attention to the news for the past few weeks, you might have heard about a “city-destroying” asteroid – 2024 YR4 – spotted late last year that had the potential to impact Earth in 2032. While the chances of 2024 YR4 hitting us were once thought to be as high as 3 per cent, they have, fortunately, since been revised down to near zero – but with new asteroids and other objects being spotted all the time, our luck at avoiding the big ones may not hold forever. Fortunately, the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), comprising astronomers and organisations around the world, is on the case, cataloguing and tracking potentially hazardous asteroids and near-Earth objects to keep the risk of being caught by surprise to a minimum. Professor Ed Kruzins of UNSW Canberra is one member of the IAWN and he joins the Space Connect Podcast to discuss how asteroids are tracked, what might happen on an impact – and what we could do to prevent one.

This week, ELO2 Consortium beat out rival AROSE to win the right to create Australia's upcoming lunar rover. The rover is designed to collect regolith, or moon soil, that will eventually be turned into oxygen to support a permanent NASA base. It's arguably the biggest and most exciting project Australia's space sector has ever been involved with, and will work in tandem with NASA's Artemis mission to return humans to the lunar surface. Here, host Adam Thorn interviews two of the key figures at ELO2 overseeing the project: Lunar Outpost's Joseph Kenrick and EPE Oceania's Ben Sorensen. 

Space Centre Australia plans to build a spaceport in far north Queensland that it hopes will become like an international airport for launch vehicles.  However, unlike its local rivals, it believes it can one day host larger rockets manufactured by companies such as SpaceX. In this episode, SCA's founder and CEO, James Palmer, joins host Adam Thorn to talk about the latest developments as well as the appointment of its new chairman, Scott Morrison. The pair also discuss the latest industry topics, including the high-profile cancelling of the JP 9102 tender with Lockheed Martin. 

In 1999, an archived speech was discovered that had been written for US President Richard Nixon 30 years before in case a disaster on the Apollo 11 mission left the astronauts with no hope of recovery. Thankfully, that speech never had to be given – but what if it had? What if some key component on the lunar lander had failed, stranding Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon, to slowly run out of oxygen as the world watched in horror? It's a question asked by author David Dyer in his new novel, This Kingdom of Dust, which provides a fictionalised look at just such a scenario. In this Space Connect podcast, he talks to Jake Nelson about NASA's concerns with the Apollo program, how the world might have reacted, and whether the enthusiasm for space travel so prevalent in the 1960s can be recaptured.  

In October, Scott Morrison was surprisingly unveiled as the new chairman of Space Centre Australia, the planned spaceport in Far North Queensland. The move has the potential to hugely disrupt Australia''s launch sector, which already has four spaceports scattered around the country. Now, a few weeks later, the former prime minister joins Robert Dougherty in our studio in North Sydney. The pair discuss the new government's cuts to the space sector, whether the industry will recover, and how Australia can take advantage of its geographical advantages to become a leader in launch.

From 29 September to 25 November, Earth will have a new temporary ‘mini moon'. Named 2024 PT5, the object is actually an asteroid from the Arjuna asteroid group that will be captured by Earth's gravity for 57 days. It's so small and faint that it won't be visible to the eye or even with small telescopes, but it will be visible to larger telescopes. Astrophysicist Dr Laura Driessen, from the University of Sydney, talks through the history of mini moons and what the rare discovery means. 

In 2013, Swedish researchers discovered that beetles used the Milky Way to navigate at night, realising its fixed point in the sky could help them roll dung balls in a straight line. Now, a decade later, researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) are using that breakthrough as inspiration for a new project aimed at improving navigation for satellites. They have developed a computer vision system that reliably measures the orientation of the Milky Way, which could one day lead to a back-up method of stabilising satellites in low light. Here, Professor Javaan Chahl, who oversaw the initiative, discusses how the plan works. 

The iLAuNCH trailblazer is a partnership between academic institutions and more than 20 industry partners that aims to accelerate the development of the space manufacturing sector. This week, we're joined by Dr Joni Sytsma, the chief technology officer overseeing iLAuNCH at the University of Southern Queensland.  Sytsma trained at the University of Florida over 20 years ago and has had an amazing career as an aerospace engineer, with spells working at high-profile companies such as Gilmour Space Technologies and Department 13. Here, Sytsma discusses the best recent iLAuNCH projects, including a Fitbit-style wearable for astronauts and a plan to film blast-offs in Australia. 

A recent study by RMIT has suggested that the isolated environment of the International Space Station, rather than just a lack of gravity, is behind reports from astronauts that food tastes blander in space. It's an important development because if we're going to send humans to Mars and beyond, we'll have to consider their diet and psychology. On this episode, Dr Julia Low, an RMIT senior lecturer, talks to host Adam Thorn about the study's results. The pair discuss how they replicated the ISS on Earth, how its findings can be used to tailor meals for astronauts, and where the research goes next.

As commercial space missions increase, it is important to be able to simulate space conditions to ensure equipment is up to the task. Components need to withstand not only a high vacuum but also extreme temperatures, high radiation, and other harsh conditions not found on Earth. Ezzi Vision has supplied scientific vacuum and thin film technology to sectors, including the space industry, for more than 18 years. Jake Nelson spoke to Dr Adil Adamjee, CEO and managing director of Ezzi Vision, on how and why space simulation on Earth is done.

Last year, LeoLabs Australia opened its pioneering West Australian Space Radar (WASR) near Collie in the southwest. When it began operating, the site could already track tens of thousands of satellites in low-Earth orbit, but it has since been upgraded to improve its coverage further. In this episode, the company's president and managing director, Terry van Haren, talks about WASR's progress and how it works with the company's network of global radars.

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and other failed missions led NASA to rethink how it fostered leadership and culture. Now, NSW-based Crazy Might Work is using an ultra-modern version of the same program, based on the current space program, to share those learnings with other organisations and leadership teams. In this special episode recorded at the Australian Space Summit & Exhibition, Paul Hawkins, the company's chief combobulator, talks to host Adam Thorn about the firm's origins in Antarctica, whether leaders are born or made and how NASA became the Best Place to Work in federal government for the eleventh year in a row.

This week, the third annual Australian Space Summit & Exhibition took place at the ICC in Sydney. Now a two-day event, headliners included senior figures from the US Space Force, Virgin Galactic, and the new head of Australia's Space Command. In this special episode, recorded during the event, Space Connect's Adam Thorn and Defence Connect's Liam Garman and Stephen Kuper discuss the key takeaways from the summit. 

Space Connect has just announced that the Under Secretary of the US Air Force, Kristyn E. Jones, will headline this month's Australian Space Summit and Exhibition. Jones is one of the most senior figures involved in the US Space Force and oversees the entire US Air Force's annual budget of more than $205 billion. As part of her role, she also directs the US Air Force's strategy and policy development, weapons acquisition and technology investments while being the principal adviser to the Secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall. In this episode, Defence Connect's senior analyst, Stephen Kuper, chats about the significance of her appearance, and what local industry can learn at the event.

This month, Space Connect reported how researchers operating the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) in NSW used an athletics-style method to measure the speed of neutron star jets. The international team timed the phenomenon like a “100-metre sprinter” to record that it travelled at 114,000 kilometres per second – one-third the speed of light. In this episode, Tom Russell, who led the research, talks through the mysterious jets and how they developed a new way to track them. Plus, he discusses why the ATCA telescope is still such a pioneering machine and what the future of the research holds. 

We're less than two months away from our annual Australian Space Summit and Exhibition. The two-day event will be the biggest yet, featuring headliners including Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and the commander overseeing the US Space Force's Indo-Pacific team. Hosting the event is Alan Duffy, a professor in astrophysics and pro-vice-chancellor of flagship initiatives at Swinburne University. He joins the show this week to discuss his incredible career and the biggest issues in the sector this year. 

An astronomer from Curtin University discovered 49 new galaxies from just three hours of operating the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. Dr Marcin Glowacki was leading an international collaboration aiming to study the star-forming gas in a single radio galaxy. However, while the team didn't discover the star-forming gas in the galaxy they were studying, they instead uncovered other galaxies when inspecting the data later. This week, Dr Glowacki tells the story behind his incredible finding.

A new industry-wide group dedicated to promoting diversity in the space sector has launched with the support of the Australian Space Agency and Defence Space Command. The Australian Space Diversity Alliance (ASDA) aims to help senior leaders and minimise the barriers that marginalised groups face. This week, two of its co-founders, Mei He and Dr Elise Stephenson, talk about the initiative and what they hope it will achieve. 

This month, Space Connect reported how researchers from the University of Sydney discovered that Earth's interactions with Mars can drive deep sea circulation here on Earth. The teams used geological records of the deep sea to discover a link between the orbits of the two planets and past global warming patterns. In this episode, co-author Professor Dietmar Müller talks through the research and the unique collaboration with Sorbonne University in Paris. He also discusses what comes next and how researchers can use their discovery to understand better future climate outcomes. 

Late last year, the US and Australia signed a landmark deal that will allow more US rockets to blast off from Australian spaceports. However, the full text of the Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) was only recently released to Australian industry for its feedback. In this episode, Joel Lisk, a research associate in space law at Flinders University, talks through what the deal means. He also explains how it differs from similar TSAs agreed between the US and other nations.

Helen Tung left her career as a London litigator to become an international space lawyer based in the UAE. In this special episode presented by Space Connect's sister brand, Lawyers Weekly, Jerome Doraisamy talks to Tung, who is also a College of Law lecturer in international arbitration. The pair discuss her move into the space industry, how the sector is rapidly growing, and her work with start-ups. Finally, they examine why the barriers to entry are lower for women moving into space law because the sector is so new.

Craig Jones is the deputy director of business incubation at the University of South Australia. His job is to work with start-ups and help them expand and thrive. He tells host Adam Thorn how hard it is for young organisations to go from having a great idea to commercialising it. The pair also talk about the growth of our local industry since it began to rapidly expand. 

SmartSat CRC is a collaboration between universities and research organisations that partner with industry. Funded by the federal government, it has helped pioneer projects as varied as monitoring crops from space, managing bushfires, and even working with NASA to develop rescue beacons in space. In this episode, the organisation's CEO, Professor Andy Koronios, discusses its work as well as how the Australian space industry has expanded and evolved over the years.

CyanoSat is the first Australian-designed and built hyperspectral imager designed to monitor water quality on Earth.  Hyperspectral imaging analyses the composition of materials and is being used by the CSIRO to differentiate harmful cyanobacteria from other algae in coastal and inland water bodies. In this episode, Dr Stephen Gensemer, who led the project, talks about how advancements in space can improve life on Earth. 

The launch of the University of Melbourne's SpIRIT mission last month was a milestone moment for Australia's space industry. A unique collaboration between industry and academia, the nanosatellite will search for gamma rays using scientific instruments created by the Italian Space Agency. In this episode, the professor leading the project, Michele Trenti, talks through the nerve-racking moments before launch – and what happens next. 

The Australian Centre for Space Governance is an organisation that brings together experts from a variety of fields across six different universities. It recently released a very intriguing survey looking at just how aware the general public are is of Australia's space industry. The results suggest that the sector has much more to do if it's to highlight its achievements. This episode, two of the people behind the report, Dr Cassandra Steer and Dr Tristan Moss, discuss its findings.

Australia's space industry is currently grappling with a skills shortage, which means tens of thousands of new workers are needed for the sector to continue to grow. But while the problems are well known, the industry is struggling to explain how it can find solutions to encourage the next generation to pursue what should be the country's most exciting career. In this episode, our guest is Jen Malone, a woman who single-handedly set up the Young Astronauts Club, an initiative that aims for school children to take an interest and be involved in space exploration. She talks about how she did it and how we can encourage more participation, and diversity, in STEM. 

Anntonette Dailey has seen first-hand how Australia's space industry has been transformed from a minnow into one of the country's fastest-growing sectors.   Now working for Defence Council Victoria, she tells host Adam Thorn how she turned a passion for space as a child into a lifelong career.   The pair also discuss how we can attract more young people into the industry, and why it's important to make space accessible to women. 

The One Giant Leap Australia Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is to advance STEM education and careers. It provides life-changing opportunities for students and educators to develop and build their knowledge and understanding of these crucial subjects. This week, Jackie Carpenter, its managing director, joins host Adam Thorn to talk more about the organisation.  

The $180-million iLAuNCH trailblazer is a partnership between universities and industry that aims to accelerate space innovation in Australia. This week, Darin Lovett, the organisation's executive director, tells Adam Thorn how academia and private companies can work together for everyone's benefit. Plus, the pair discuss his astonishing CV, which has seen him oversee South Australia's space strategy, help create Defence's revolutionary Loyal Wingman aircraft, and even work in the Pentagon.

Equatorial Launch Australia made global headlines last year when it launched three NASA rockets from its pioneering spaceport in the NT. A year on, its CEO, Michael Jones, joins the Space Connect Podcast to talk about what's next for the business. Jones also discusses how Australia should both compete and collaborate with other international space industries as demand for launch outstrips supply.  

Earlier this month, Space Connect reported how the University of Queensland unveiled a new furnace that can help create the components used on hypersonic “spaceplanes”. The device will be able to heat materials to almost 3,000 degrees, allowing it to replicate the extreme temperatures experienced by hypersonic vehicles as they travel beyond Mach 5. UQ Associate Professor Michael Heitzmann, one of Australia's leading experts on composite materials, tells Adam Thorn how the furnace works.  Plus, he reveals how far away we are from a world where spaceplanes become a reality.

CSIRO's 36-dish ASKAP telescope – or Australian SKA Pathfinder telescope – has spotted a galaxy that may be surrounded by a “polar ring” of gas.   In this episode of the Space Connect podcast, Dr Bärbel Koribalski, a co-author of the project, explains what this means and how it can shape our understanding of the universe.

Earth observation satellites can provide a wealth of data that can't be gathered at ground level – and a lot of this data, such as land use and vegetation, is useful for agriculture.   SmartSat CRC's “Maya Nula” project aims to use Earth observation technology to help the agriculture industry develop sustainable farming techniques and improve its climate resilience.   In this episode of the Space Connect podcast, Dr Jasmine Muir discusses how Maya Nula will help secure our food supply and why Australia needs sovereign Earth-observation capability.

Dr Chelsea Huang of the University of Southern Queensland has discovered and catalogued thousands of potential exoplanets using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). As part of her research into exoplanet formation, Dr Huang has earned valuable time on the James Webb Space Telescope to examine a pair of planets around 190 light-years away to find out how they have moved through their protoplanetary disk. She joins the Space Connect podcast to discuss her research and what she hopes to find.  

The origins of Earth's atmosphere are an enduring mystery – but by looking at the formation of atmospheres on planets outside our solar system, we may be able to unravel it. That's the hope of Dr George Zhou, from the University of Southern Queensland, who is looking to win time on the James Webb Space Telescope to see how a young planet is having its atmosphere stripped away. Dr Zhou, who has already used the Hubble Space Telescope for his research, is hoping Webb will give him an even better idea of how atmospheres come to be. On this episode of the Space Connect podcast, he speaks to Jake Nelson on his research and what he hopes to learn from Webb.  

Earlier this week, Space Connect reported how astronomers at Curtin University followed up their landmark discovery of a pulsating stellar object last year by finding a second. The team believe it could be an ultra-long period magnetar, a rare type of star with strong magnetic fields that can produce powerful bursts of energy. Here, Dr Natasha Hurley-Walker, who led the study, talks through the research and reveals how her team used the MWA telescope in Western Australia to spot the object. Plus, she discusses what comes next and analyses the theories as to exactly what it could be.

This month, Space Connect reported how a University of Southern Queensland PhD student was among a team of scientists who calculated the age of a white dwarf going through crystallisation. Alexander Venner's world-first discovery on HD 190412 C came only three years after researchers in the UK discovered the first evidence of the unique phenomenon. On this episode, Venner tells host Adam Thorn about the importance of the crystallisation process and how the team made the breakthrough. Plus, they discuss where future research could go next.

Dr Simon Murphy uses pulsations detected in data from NASA missions to make inferences about stars.   What this means is that he can use the stellar pulsations like clocks, discovering new binary systems in a way that would be impossible with other techniques.  In this episode, Dr Murphy discusses how he can use these pioneering techniques to take the guesswork out of finding new planets, speeding up the process. 

Dr Scott Sleap is a veteran STEM educator and space luminary who recently returned from a fellowship program in the US, where he visited aerospace sites such as NASA, Boeing, and the Smithsonian. He believes Australia is in need of a National Space and Deep Tech Centre to boost our sovereign space capabilities and help our domestic space industry compete on the global stage. Scott speaks to the SpaceConnect podcast on his learnings from the US trip and how he believes they can be applied to the Australian space industry. He also offers his insights from decades of STEM teaching on how to get people involved in the space sector and the best way to educate them.

In 2003, regularly updated maps of recently burnt areas of our bush were uploaded onto a website hosted by Charles Darwin University, known as the North Australian Fire Information service, or NAFI.  Twenty years on, NAFI's maps of active fires and burnt areas underpin fire management across northern Australia. The maps are used for planning, response, implementation, and reporting. This week, Rohan Fisher joins Space Connect Podcast host Adam Thorn to talk through more about how it works.

Researchers using the 36-dish ASKAP telescope have made a discovery that challenges the hypothesis around how “fast radio bursts” form. Fast radio bursts are intense bursts of radio emission that can last just milliseconds and were only first detected in 2007. The exact processes that cause them have long been shrouded in mystery. Traditionally, they have only been recorded in colliding galaxies, but now, an Australian-based team have detected them in a much calmer galactic environment. In this episode, Curtin University's Marcin Glowacki, who led the study, and Dr Karen Lee-Waddell, explain the significance of the findings.

The Australian Space Awards 2023 was the biggest in the event's history. In this episode, two of the nominees from KBR join host Adam Thorn to discuss their progress in the sector. Ben Wanders was nominated for Graduate of the Year for his work investigating space supply chains, while Lauren Hassall got the nod for Best Engineer for her work supporting a human spaceflight study with the ASA. The pair are joined by Dr Ray Merton, a technical professional adviser at KBR, who discusses their achievements, as well as how the local industry has changed since he entered it.

LeoLabs Australia is best known for its pioneering work tracking tens of thousands of satellites in low-Earth orbit. In this episode, the company's president and managing director, Terry van Haren, discusses its recently opened West Australian Space Radar (WASR), which monitors 80 per cent of LEO traffic. He tells host Adam Thorn why giving everyone, not just governments, access to space situational awareness is important and how he believes countries should tackle the space junk problem.  Plus, he talks about his extraordinary career that saw him move from the Air Force to embracing a new role in space.

The Waratah Seed consortium is an industry-spanning effort that aims to make space more accessible by offering opportunities for organisations to put their innovations into space.  It hopes to unite businesses, academic institutions, and the government.  In this episode, two of its leading figures, Professor Iver Cairns and Dr Tim Parsons, talk through how it came about and what innovations its winners will bring. 

Dr Rodrigo Praino is an associate professor of politics and public policy at Flinders University.   In a new book, Dr Praino says the race between countries to settle on the moon and Mars is also a race to gain power in space.   In this episode, he tells host Adam Thorn why we need to build better communication between the major powers of the US, China, and Russia to avoid future conflict.   Plus, he discusses what tactics a smaller space player such as Australia should take as the sector continues to grow. 

In this episode, host Adam Thorn is joined by Monash University's Christopher Lawrence. In March, Space Connect reported how the university partnered with the ASA to give Indigenous STEM students the opportunity to intern at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. Launched in Adelaide as part of NASA administrator Bill Nelson's visit to Australia, the National Indigenous Space Academy (NISA) will offer 10-week internships to five First Nations university students studying science, technology, engineering or mathematics degrees. Here, Lawrence talks about how he got the project off the ground and what the successful candidates can expect in their trip to the US.

More satellites than ever are being launched globally — but their reflections threaten to stop us from seeing many of our stars at night.  University of Southern Queensland PhD student Jessica Heim was part of a team that studied the issue and compiled new evidence that quantifies the extent of the problem. In this episode, she tells host Adam Thorn what can be done to solve the problem and its threat to science and culture. The pair also discuss the importance of safeguarding the night sky to inspire the next generation into the industry.

Adelaide-based Neumann Space is pioneering a range of new technologies, including using electric, rather than chemical, propulsion for spacecraft. The business believes its “Neumann Drive” has the potential to change the game by making propulsion simpler and paving the way for tech that could effectively “refuel” satellites in space, alongside making deorbiting easier. In this episode, CEO Herve Astier and executive chairman Peter Schultz discuss how they built the business by thinking about existing technology in a new way. 

Air Vice-Marshal Paul Godfrey is a British RAF fighter pilot who rose up the ranks to head the country's first military Space Command. In this special interview from the Avalon Airshow, AVM Godfrey tells Adam Thorn how he made the transition from the skies to the stars. The pair discuss the challenges and opportunities of creating a military space division, why it's important for the UK and Australia to collaborate, and how satellites will continue to change life on Earth.