Space Connect Podcast

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.