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.

Dr Hugh Mortimer is a planetary scientist at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, the largest space science department in Europe.

However, he's also moonlighted as an adviser on major arts projects and movies involving space, including Ridley Scott's Prometheus.

In this special episode recorded in the UK, Dr Mortimer talks about the importance of using arts to encourage the next generation to consider a career in the industry.

He also talks about his role in helping to develop a closer partnership between Australia and the UK's space sectors.

In this episode of the Space Connect podcast, David Ball, regional director of space for Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand, and Dr Martine Woolf, branch head, Positioning Australia branch, space division at Geoscience Australia, discuss Satellite-based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) and the organisations' ongoing collaboration on SouthPAN.

• The trio begin the podcast defining what Satellite-based Augmentation Systems are, and why they are critical for civilian infrastructure and primary industries.
• Woolf and Ball discuss how the SouthPAN SBAS will continue to improve over coming years, and the advancements scheduled to come online.
• The podcast wraps up discussing how Lockheed Martin Australia and Geoscience Australia are supporting an enduring sovereign space industry.

In this episode of the Space Connect podcast, Professor Peter Moar, head of Space Instrumentation Engineering Group at Swinburne University, unpacks Swinburne's recent DESIS mission in collaboration with the German Aerospace Centre, and discusses Swinburne's upcoming Space Industry Supply Chain Readiness Course.

• The pair begin the podcast discussing the DESIS mission, and future applications of the instrument.
• Professor Moar then invites industry to attend the Space Industry Supply Chain Readiness Course (SISCRC) and provides some advice on how Australian companies can better position themselves to enter the global space supply chain.
• The podcast wraps up with an evaluation on whether Australia's space industry can meet its ambitious targets, and what's next on the horizon for the Swinburne University's space offering.

To secure your ticket for the SISCRC, visit the event page here.

Enjoy the podcast, The Space Connect team

To further our knowledge of space and Earth, we need to both create new technologies but also use our existing ones in innovative, new ways.

In this episode, Western Sydney University's Gregory Cohen explains the concept behind neuromorphic systems — tech that mimics the human brain.

Cohen is one of Australia's most esteemed space researchers and was nominated for Academic of the Year at our Australian Space Awards last year.

He tells host Adam Thorn how biology-inspired cameras will both unlock new discoveries about our world and allow us to learn more about nature, too.