Graduation 2026: Fulfilling a childhood dream to study space

As a child, UNSW Canberra graduate Shathria Ompragash would observe stars using telescopes with her dad, while she peppered him with questions about the universe.

Those evenings spent staring into the inky skies clearly left their mark, with Shathria graduating this week with a Masters by Research in Aerospace Engineering.

“I remember having really exciting discussions about space and the universe with my dad from a very young age, that was probably the catalyst to my career,” Shathria said.

“My parents both have STEM backgrounds, so it was natural that I followed in their footsteps into engineering.

“When I was in Year 11, I was very fortunate to attend Space Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Centre and that was when I realised that space was the place I wanted to be!”

After completing high school, Shathria undertook a Bachelor of Engineering in Aerospace with Honours at UNSW Sydney, where she produced a thesis on designing a spacecraft that could study a supermassive black hole.

Shathria swapped the Kensington campus for Canberra when she joined UNSW Canberra Space to complete her Masters by Research.

Her project centred on developing a mechanism that could control and manoeuvre CubeSats (small, cube-shaped satellites) by harnessing aerodynamic drag rather than with traditional propulsion systems.

In low Earth orbit, atmospheric density changes caused by the Sun’s activity affects the uncertainty of satellite orbits. Utilising atmospheric drag to manoeuvre a satellite could save significantly on size, weight and cost if a propulsion system wasn’t necessary – something that could significantly influence space traffic management in future.

While Shathria may have first been attracted to UNSW for its place as a top-ranked engineering and research university, it’s the people and community that have made her stick around.

Earlier this year she committed to extending the relationship when she began a PhD with UNSW Canberra Space that will examine combining optical and radio-frequency modelling to analyse the structure and composition of asteroids.

“I would say the biggest highlight of UNSW Canberra is the close-knit community,” Shathria said.

“Everyone knows everyone and they’re always happy to lend a helping hand. The academics, admin, professional and support staff, as well as the students, are so kind and supportive.

“Anytime I’ve had a question, issue, or just wanted to learn more about something, I could message someone, and we would have a chat over coffee.

“I would always walk away having gained more knowledge.”

Shathria also credited her fellow Space research students, nicknamed the Cobra Nest, with helping her navigate the challenges thrown up by her Masters project, including times when she questioned her chosen research area.

“They showed me that if you’re going to be dedicating years of your life to something, it should be something that you’re very passionate about and there’s nothing wrong with taking a few detours on the way to finding that passion,” she said.

The Ancient Greeks were renowned astronomers in their day, and Shathria finds parallels between space research and one particular Greek mythological figure.

“Most people remember Icarus as a cautionary tale to not fly too close to the Sun, but my interpretation is that Icarus, despite falling, knew what it felt like to soar,” she explained.

“Space research is hard, but it is so fulfilling because you get to learn about the universe and improve humankind’s technological capabilities.

“My advice to anyone considering their path in life is choose the biggest and most difficult challenges and work to solve them.

“At the end of the day, you will feel so empowered to have contributed to growing knowledge about the world!”