Back to

Young Space Explorers event developing Australia’s growing space industry

With the recent launches of NASA’s Artemis I and SpaceX’s CRS-26 missions, space is certainly a hot topic and the Young Space Ex

Published on the 01 Dec 2022
Space
Space

With the recent launches of NASA’s Artemis I and SpaceX’s CRS-26 missions, space is certainly a hot topic and the Young Space Explorers live event and webinar are being held to further capture the imaginations of school students and their teachers. 

The live event (held on 2 December) and the webinar (held on 9 December) aim to immerse students in the emerging Australian space industry and develop their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) knowledge via hands-on space-themed challenges.

In addition to the live event, an interactive webinar featuring leading members of the international space community is being held, with the aim of equipping teachers with the skills, insights and confidence to use space in their classrooms.

The two events will connect Australia’s vibrant space industry and space research community with students and teachers as part of a suite of activities aiming to adopt a “whole-of-government” approach to ensure Australia's future workforce is capable of supporting the 1.2 million jobs required in the tech industry worldwide.

At the live event, students were able to participate in a range of hands-on activities, including: 

  • Special guest presentations from key figures at the Australian Space Agency, UNSW Canberra Space and others
  • A Mars rover robotics challenge
  • A bottle rocket design challenge
  • Displays of satellite design processes
  • The SCRAMSPACE story and wreckage
  • Astrobiology

“Australia has the fastest growing space industry in the world, and we need to urgently develop a skilled space workforce to help ensure Australia's future prosperity and security," said Professor Russell Boyce from UNSW Canberra Space.

“The Australian Space Agency has announced it will be looking for 20,000 new jobs in its effort to contribute to the international space sector tripling its size to create a $1 trillion industry by 2040.

“Importantly, the jobs required will be in the overlaps between sectors, such as space, advanced manufacturing, cyber, robotics, AI and quantum.”

The NSW Department of Education’s STEM Project Advisor 7 – 12, Dr Scott Sleap was integral in the coordination of the events and he says it is crucial for Australia’s future economic growth and security that we start engaging young people to create awareness of careers in this industry.

“If we’re successful, we will see a significant share of the future $1 trillion international space economy coming to Australia. That's a huge opportunity for students to follow career pathways in the space sector and allied industries," Dr Sleap said.

The events were the result of collaboration between: 

Media Contacts

Professor Russell Boyce
Director, UNSW Canberra Space
M: +61 403644314
E: r.boyce@adfa.edu.au

Dr Scott Sleap

STEM Project Advisor 7 – 12 | Curriculum Secondary Learners | Curriculum and Reform Directorate
NSW Department of Education
M: +61 467 899 876 
E: scott.sleap@det.nsw.edu.au