About us

National leadership for Australian space engineering research.

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Space engineering is an old business — from Sputnik wowing the world over fifty years ago to The Hubble Space Telescope celebrating its 30th birthday in 2020. After the US and France, in 1967, Australia was the fourth country to launch its own earth-orbiting satellite. But the intervening forty years have been ones of mixed fortune for Australians with an interest in space. With the establishment of the Australian government’s new Space Policy Unit, however, space engineering in Australia has entered a new era.

Background

The Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research (ACSER) was launched at the University of New South Wales in 2010 by former astronaut Dr. Jan Davis.

At a time when the US is imagining a citizen on Mars, when China and India imagine citizens on the moon, now is the time for Australia to re-imagine itself and its own contribution to space engineering.

ACSER aims to provide national leadership for Australian space engineering research. ACSER strives to foster collaborations between researchers, industry and government and to nurture links between our national and international partners to achieve Australia's space ambitions. ACSER's purpose is to develop space capabilities relevant to Australia's needs through research, innovation and education.

Expertise

The centre draws on the huge expertise of Australia’s largest Engineering faculty. ACSER resides in the School of Electrical and Telecommunications Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at UNSW and interacts with most of the Schools in that Faculty: Mining Engineering, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, as well as the Engineering and Information Technology School of UNSW Canberra.

Collaborations have been developed with the Faculties of Science, Business, Law, and Arts and Social Sciences. Future opportunities are being examined with Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering and Chemical Engineering.

Our research

ACSER has research strengths in Global Navigation Satellite Systems receiver design, Earth Observation satellite systems, cubesat development in radiation tolerant FPGA's, Novel satellite structures utilising rapid manufacture and GNSS remote observation research.

Through regular forums, workshops and seminars on a range of space-related topics ACSER tries to engage the interest of the wider space community. These events help bring everyone who is working on similar space related research and activity together to encourage future collaborations and strengthen Australia's place in space.

ACSER offers a wide variety of PhD topics for students looking to do further research in space. We also offer a comprehensive two-year Master program that prepare graduates with industry experience for Australia's developing space industry.

Our mission

    • To Provide national leadership for Australian space engineering research.
    • To foster collarborations between researchers, industry and government and to nurture links between our national and international partners to achieve Australia's space ambitions.
    • In pusuing the vision, ACSER upholds the principles underpinning its foundation.
    • Advance Australia's space aspirations.
    • Enhance the reputation of UNSW.
    • Promote collaboration between the schools, faculties and campuses of UNSW.
    • To develop space capabilities relevant to Australia's needs through research, innovation and education.
    • Promote collaborations between ACSER, groups with space capabilities and the Australian market for space services, technologies and expertise. 
    • Pursue programs and activities that fit the needs, expectations and contraints of the domestic and international space markets.
    • Create and transfer new knowledge in space capabilities, technologies and applications.
    • Raise Australian awareness of issues and developments in space, and educate a new generation of space proffessionals.
    • Enable access to facilties for ACSER collaborators.
    • Strengthen the ACSER expertise base through strategic recruitment and post-graduate education.
    • Develop a funding and operational model that guarantees ACSER's long-term viability.