A prestigious space program has recently opened at the University of South Australia, bringing together more than 50 participants from 11 countries.
Running until 15 February 2019, the Southern Hemisphere Space Studies Program (SHSSP) is being conducted by the University in partnership with the International Space University, based in Strasbourg, France.
According to a recent report, more than 250 students have graduated from the program, which is on its 8th year now.
This year’s class of 54 participants is the largest batch yet. They hail from Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, UAE and the USA.
The University has an extensive commitment to the space industry and the SHSSP is a part of that.
South Australia’s well-established contribution to the space industry was further recognised with the recent announcement that Adelaide will be home to the Australian Space Agency, as shared by Dr James.
Dr Ady James is the Co-Director of the SHSSP program as well as a Senior Research Fellow at the University College London Department of Space and Climate Physics and an adjunct staff member at the University.
With a new Space Agency and the growth in interest in space in the community, particularly among the young people, there are opportunities for the alumni of the program to create a critical mass of expertise in a variety of areas.
The recent extension of the relationship agreement between both universities provides an opportunity to continue to expand this productive educational collaboration to support the wider space community.
The program is designed for professionals involved in the international space sector, graduate researchers seeking broader knowledge of international space activities, and undergraduate students in the final two years of their studies seeking exposure to the various aspects of space studies.
There are four public events to participate in. These are:
- Astronaut and Human Spaceflight Panel
- Hazards of Human Space Exploration presentation
- Opportunities in Australia’s Space Industry panel
- Interstellar Program Alpha Centauri event
During the program, the participants will have the opportunity to design and build rockets in teams and then launch them, with altitudes of up to 900 metres expected to be reached.
They will also be given the opportunity to launch a high-altitude balloon, which will carry a satellite payload designed to simulate a small satellite mission.
Aside from this program, the University’s Innovation and Collaboration Centre (ICC) has also launched the Venture Catalyst Space.
This is an incubator program to develop ideas from entrepreneurs and start-up companies in the space sector.
OpenGov Asia had earlier reported on the establishment of the Industry 4.0 Testlab in the University. The Testlab will be a part of a national network of six institutions and will be providing local SMEs and high-tech start-ups with access to smart factory technologies.
Moreover, OpenGov Asia also reported on the announcement that Adelaide is to be the home of the Australian Space Agency. This just reinforces South Australia’s long-standing contribution to the nation’s space journey.
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