Australian Research Council Training Centre for Space Domain Awareness announced in collaboration with other universities and industry partners.
UNSW Canberra Space has been successful in a combined grant application for an Australian Research Council (ARC) Industry Transformation Training Centre, which will receive $5 million of ARC cash over five years in addition to significant cash and in-kind contributions from 18 Partner Organisations.
The ARC Training Centre for Space Domain Awareness will bring together UNSW Canberra Space with the University of Western Australia and the University of Tasmania, as well as 22 other organisations, to transform Australia’s ability to detect, track and characterise artificial and natural objects in Earth’s space environment.
UNSW Canberra Space will hold the Deputy Director position of the Centre, using the funding to support research across their themes of space safety, security, and sustainability. The applications of this research, although centred on space technology, extend to everyday life on Earth.
Professor Ed Kruzins, Dr Edwin Peters, and Dr George Bowden are also Chief Investigators for UNSW Canberra Space’s segment of the successful bid.
“I’m particularly excited by the research this grant will support”, says Dr Peters.
“I’m looking forward to advancing what we can learn from combining passive RF observations with optical observations, such as the manoeuvre detection and characterisation of spacecraft” - Dr Edwin Peters
UNSW Canberra Space Director, Associate Professor Melrose Brown, says that the Centre will also provide unrivalled education opportunities for Australia’s space sector. It has secured funding for 25 Higher Degree Research students (Masters and PhD) and 5 Post-doctoral positions.
"UNSW Canberra Space is driving world‑leading capability in detecting, observing and tracking objects and spacecraft in Earth's orbit," he said.
"As this part of space becomes busier by the day, this capability is increasingly critical for safe operation and exploration in space while also maintaining the critical services on Earth that rely on satellites." - Associate Professor Melrose Brown
As Australia’s space sector continues to grow, this grant highlights the importance of UNSW Canberra and its partners in creating sovereign space capability and workforce alike.
