Southern Space - 31 March

Southern Space is a weekly newsletter produced by SIAA to inform the Australian space industry?

Industry News

Deloitte Gravity Challenge 05 Champions Announced:?SIAA Foundation member Deloitte has announced the challenge champions, finalists and award winners of?Gravity Challenge 05?this week. Nine teams worked on six challenges to use space technology and capability to detect economic activity and behaviour through carparks, monitor space assets to prevent in-orbit crashes, improve?vineyard quality and yield, optimise EV charging infrastructure for government fleet vehicles in NSW, monitor the world’s wetlands to inform conservation decisions and unlock agrifinancing for Brazilians through monitoring of crops. Going forward, Challenge Champions will work together with their Challenge Provider to develop a commercial pilot of their proposed space-based solutions.?

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Northern Territory Government’s Earth Observation for the NT Grants Announced:?The Northern Territory Government has partnered with Geoscience Australia to deliver the Earth Observation for the NT (EO4NT) program, announced 3 successful grant recipient this week. The recipients are:?

• Charles Darwin University (CDU) and its North Australia Fire and Rangelands Information (NAFI) service to create commercially viable high-resolution burnt area maps to improve planning and operational risk assessments for bushfires.?
• Maitec to use earth observation data to map pastures and measure grass biomass over the Northern Territory’s savannah region to provide an in-depth understanding of biomass for grazing and fire management purposes and land management decisions.?
• Office of Planetary Observations?to deliver an Earth observation dashboard to provide urban greening insights to enhance city and urban planning and maintenance decisions.?

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Faulty Soyuz Spacecraft Returns to Earth:?This week a?Soyuz MS-22 space capsule?that suffered a major coolant leak in December while docked at the International Space Station safely landed back to Earth. Roscosmos has confirmed a recovery team will retrieve the capsule and its cargo for close analysis to assist in future missions and determine the causes of the coolant leak, which was initially blamed on a micrometeoroid impact.?

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Blue Origin Releases Findings From NS-23 Mishap:?Blue Origin has released details of the?NS-23?mishap late last year, noting that a thrust misalignment triggered the capsule crew escape system. The company intends to?resume?flights in the coming months, after US regulators accept the company’s published findings.?

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New Framework for Sustainable Lunar Activities Launched at UN:?Last week the Global Expert Group for Sustainable Lunar Activities (GEGSLA) launched its?Recommended Framework and Key Elements for Peaceful and Sustainable Lunar Activity?at the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space meeting. The framework offers recommendations for how to implement safe and sustainable lunar activities through norm-setting, coordination, and management and builds on principles established in international space law, relevant UN outer space treaties and soft law documents. SIAA Life Member Dr Alice Gorman also released a?reference document?on lunar natural and cultural heritage management. The GEGSLA is now seeking sponsors for its operations phase. Please contact Alice Gorman for more information.?

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NASA Starliner Launch:?NASA has announced plans for the first crewed flight of SIAA member Boeing’s?Starliner?space capsule to the International Space Station from July. Launch will be confirmed following further certification of the parachute system designed to return the crew safely back to Earth.?

Job Opportunities

View new job postings on?SIAA’s Southern Space Jobs Board?to see what job opportunities are available in the space industry.?See new jobs from SIAA members BAE Systems, Boeing Defence Australia and Space Machines Company.?

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SIAA members can advertise job positions for free on the Southern Space Jobs board. For more information, please email?[email protected]??

Industry Opportunities

SIAA US Industry Tour??

Prior to the Colorado Springs Space Symposium SIAA has confirmed that it will facilitate a two-day US space industry tour of LA and Denver-based space companies on Thursday 13th and Friday 14th April. For more information on how your organisation can participate in one or both days of the tour please contact [email protected] by COB today.?

Sustainability in Space Pitch Competition?

Hosted by SIAA member Boeing in partnership with Advance Queensland and the Queensland Government the ‘Sustainability in Space Pitch Competition’ provides an opportunity for innovative Queensland-based businesses from any sector to gain access and exposure to key tech industry stakeholders including corporates, investors and government. Companies are encouraged to apply if they can demonstrate how their products/services can be utilised to address at least one of the competition’s three key topics.?

The competition is open to QLD-based companies.?

Applications closes April 10.?Apply here?

Upcoming Events

Diversity At the Frontier: Gender Equality in the Space Industry?

When: 12 – 14 April?

Where: The Shine Dome, Canberra?

The ANU - Global Institute for Women's Leadership?has launched registrations for their inaugural Diversity at the Frontier: Gender Equality in Space Conference. From the 12th-14th April the conference and associated expert workshops and high-profile public event aim to convene world-leading academic experts, high level industry representatives, policymakers, and the next generation of the space workforce to understand the critical issues and opportunities surrounding Australia’s role in space. The conference is supported by SIAA members ANU InSpace and ACT Government.?

Register for the?conference here??

SIAA Member Profile: BOC

BOC?supplies compressed and bulk gases,?chemicals?and equipment around the world. BOC develops safe,?sustainable?and innovative solutions for customers across a variety of applications from traditional manufacturing, mining and specialty sectors to heavy industry, medical?applications?and space.?

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For more than a century, BOC's gases and?expertise?have contributed to advances in industry and everyday life, including steelmaking, refining, chemical processing, environmental protection, wastewater treatment, welding and cutting, food processing and distribution, glass production, electronics,?healthcare?and space.?

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BOC and the wider Linde group have a rich history within the?space industry having supported many milestones.?In Australia,?BOC?have utilised this global?expertise?to support the growth of the industry by working closely with universities, research start-ups and testing facilities through to large space ports for launch activity.?BOC are?driving positive industry change through partnerships with?space organisations in Australia to ensure the success of the?space?economy in Australia.

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Header?Image Credit - ESA, Hubble & NASA, R de Jong; Acknowledgment, Judy Schmidt (Geckzilla)