Eight Indigenous Australian students from Monash University’s National Indigenous Space Academy (NISA) have gained the chance to work alongside scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California and the UK’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL Space), two of the world’s leading research centres.
Over ten weeks, they will work alongside American and UK space researchers on projects such as testing UV-resistant space organisms, analysing Jupiter’s atmosphere, and developing software within NASA’s Flight Software Framework.
Departing Melbourne on Sept. 4, six students will head to NASA/JPL, while two will be stationed at RAL Space.
The programme’s expansion to the UK shows how far NISA has come since it opened in 2023, said Professor Christopher Lawrence, NISA Lead and Associate Dean (Indigenous) at Monash University.
“By partnering with RAL, NASA/JPL, the Australian Space Agency, and CSIRO, we are creating pathways for First Nations students to pursue international careers in STEM while bringing Indigenous knowledge and perspectives to the global stage,” he said.
“I hope one day to see the world’s first Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander astronaut, and NISA is helping pave that path.”
Before leaving, students attended a “Space Boot Camp” at Monash, where they heard from retired Lieutenant General Larry James, connected with past participants, and joined Monash’s rover and rocketry teams, gaining insights into astrophysics, robotics, planetary science, engineering, computer science, and aerodynamics.
The Australian Space Agency, the main funding partner of NISA, is supporting the students’ placements.
Head of the Agency Enrico Palermo said NISA was creating unique opportunities for Indigenous Australian students to contribute to some of the world’s most advanced space projects.
Elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge is one of the five Australian Government’s National Science and Research Priorities.
Next-gen Space Careers
Mitchell Cooper, a member of the indigenous Boandik clan and Bachelor of Mechatronic Engineering student at the University of Sydney, is one of the students heading to RAL Space.“I am excited to travel to the UK and gain hands-on experience at a world-class research laboratory,” Cooper said.
“This is an opportunity I never imagined, and I hope my journey shows other young Indigenous people that there are no limits to what we can achieve in STEM, both in Australia and around the world.”
RAL’s Associate Director Hugh Mortimer said they were thrilled to welcome Cooper and fellow student Chloe Radoll this autumn.
“This is an exciting opportunity for students to work on inspirational projects with our RAL Space teams,” he said.
“From building and testing instrumentation and using world-class facilities, to analysing earth observation and planetary data, we hope to build on this so that many more Indigenous students can benefit from similar placements in the years ahead.”
In the future, NISA will continue to work with partners across Australia and internationally to expand the program, support Indigenous-led space ventures, and inspire the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scientists and engineers.
Eight students from universities across Australia—including ANU, UNSW, and UTS—will take part in the placements. Six are heading to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, and two will join RAL Space in the United Kingdom.
