Where to next on the final frontier?

A critical mass of participants, initiatives and developments are riding a wave of government enthusiasm and private-sector support for Australia’s space industry. It’s a good time to be involved in the sector, but what should its priorities be from here?

Australia should become a leader in strategic space diplomacy

Now that we have a dedicated space agency, we have an opportunity to influence international behaviour through strategic space diplomacy by overtly espousing a non-militaristic approach. The key question is whether the Australian Space Agency’s strategic focus should be on science or on commerce.

We can send people to Venus

While the surface of Venus is utterly hostile, it should be possible to float in its clouds and study a planet which was once Earth’s twin and may hold clues for the future of climate change.

Australia probes space mystery

Australian researchers using a CSIRO radio telescope in Western Australia have nearly doubled the known number of ‘fast radio bursts’— powerful flashes of radio waves from deep space.

Sky hopping with Australia’s first space telescope

Australia has entered a new chapter in the exploration and understanding of space by creating a National Space Agency. Now innovative design is combining with new, low-cost nano-satellite technology to build Skyhopper, Australia’s first space telescope.

Getting it right: The most complex space telescope ever built

The Hubble Space Telescope has revolutionised astronomy and produced images of space that have captured the public’s imagination like no other telescope. But as Hubble approaches its 30th birthday, its successor is waiting in the wings.

First Buccaneer satellite mission declared a success

A satellite jointly developed by UNSW Canberra Space and Defence Science and Technology (DST) has been operating on-orbit successfully for more than nine months, performing a range of experiments as part of a mission that is paving the way for small spacecraft development in Australia.

A quiet Sunday night discovering a super-massive black hole

The story of how a small team of researchers from Australian universities found the ‘hungry monster’ – one of the most exciting discoveries in astronomy this year.

Australia’s space agency needs certainty

The Australian Space Agency, led by Dr Megan Clark AC, officially opened for business at the start of July. How will it help develop the fledgling domestic space industry?

Blood moon: lunar eclipse myths from around the world

Last evening, six of Earth’s seven continents saw the longest lunar eclipse this century. From fake kings and celestial jaguars, Daniel Brown explores the many myths behind the “blood moon”, and why this evocative phrase is a thorn in the side of science.

Can artificial intelligence help find alien intelligence?

In the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, we’ve often looked for signs of intelligence, technology and communication that are similar to our own. Now scientists are considering whether artificial intelligence (AI) could help us search for alien intelligence in ways we haven’t even thought of yet.

How private companies are launching a new space age

Private companies are increasingly challenging national space agencies in a new space race which comes with great opportunities but also carries significant risks.