UNSW Canberra and the Australian National University (ANU) will work together on the design, assembly and testing of spacecraft for future space missions.
The collaboration between the two universities in the ACT will provide joint access to the facilities at UNSW Canberra Space and ANU’s Advanced Instrumentation Technology Centre (AITC).
UNSW Canberra brings to the agreement its space engineering expertise and Australia’s first Concurrent Design Facility while AITC hosts Australia’s most sophisticated space testing facilities and expertise in spacecraft instrument design and calibration.
According to Professor Russell Boyce, Director of UNSW Canberra Space, the collaboration means Australia will now join the ranks of developed countries that are able to professionally design and deliver space missions.
"The UNSW Canberra team includes 40 highly skilled Australian space professionals from the global space sector. This includes scientists, engineers, faculty staff, postdocs and PhD students, who bring more than 150 years of experience in organisations such as ESA and NASA – where they designed, developed and deployed spacecraft and space instrumentation for near-Earth and deep space programs," Professor Boyce said.
The diverse set of skills represented by the two collaborating teams will allow Australia to come up to speed with the international space sector.
UNSW Canberra’s Concurrent Design Facility will also partner with the French space agency CNES, allowing Australia to lead the design and operation of future space missions.
According to the researchers, the agreement between UNSW Canberra and the Australian National University will help create the right environment in the ACT for space engineering to grow and deliver commercial operations.
The idea is that the partnerships will not just improve teaching and research outcomes, but also help support national programs and commercial opportunities. In fact, UNSW Canberra’s commercial spinoff, a company called Skykraft, will draw on the research to provide commercial services to a growing space sector.
[Image: UNSW Canberra scientists working on a Cubesat. Courtesy: UNSW Canberra]