Close encounters of the drone kind

The United States Congress recently held a hearing into “unidentified aerial phenomena” and while it’s likely they’re drones of terrestrial origin, they’re rekindling interest into the possibility of alien visitation.

Mining the Moon and Mars

Off-earth mining may once have been purely the stuff of science fiction, but now it’s potentially a US$1 trillion industry that is likely to be vital if humans are serious about colonising Mars or the Moon.

Is anybody out there?

The passive search for alien intelligence has failed to bear fruit, so scientists are now actively sending messages to potentially habitable planets.

Data literacy is the best weapon against fake satellite images

A new algorithm can detect faked satellite images with a high degree of accuracy, but the best safeguard is an informed public.

A sphere surrounded by cubes

Since 1998, more than 3400 nanosatellite missions have been launched since 1998, and the shrinking size of satellites are making it ever cheaper and more accessible to do science in space.

From Taree to NASA

Walking the corridors of places such as NASA and the European Space Agency never crossed the young Jeffrey Walker’s mind when he was tinkering with his dad in the garage of their Taree home, on the mid-north coast of New South Wales.

Planet wars

The DART mission to test the redirection of an asteroid is billed as potentially planet-saving, but in the wrong hands the technique has seriously destructive potential.

Australia’s new space command

Australia has copied the American model in creating a ‘space command’ to unify its space faring efforts and counter hostile actions by Russia and China in orbit around the Earth.

Australia’s strategic space update

Australia’s strategic space update should envision an ambitious future incorporating sovereign launch capacity and a composite space control program.

Asteroid hunting

Although the end of the world is far more likely to emerge from a Russian ICBM silo than the skies above at the moment, Australia can play a useful role in searching for potential planet killers from the asteroid belt.

We have liftoff

The $10bn James Webb telescope has left Earth on its mission to view the first stars to light up the Universe and perhaps find signs of extra-terrestrial life.

Space is the place – for war or peace

If a war in space does take place, the devastation would be long-lasting and perhaps irreversible. We must work towards civil and commercial activities that enhance capabilities and promote peace in space.