The Australian Space Agency is giving Indigenous Australian university students the opportunity to reach for the stars with the launch of a first-of-its-kind internship program.
Launching the National Indigenous Space Academy, Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic said the Academy would see up to five students studying in STEM fields travel to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA JPL) in California for a 10-week full time summer internship program.
“The selected undergraduate or postgraduate students will attend a ‘Space Bootcamp’ prior to their departure focused on aerodynamics, robotics, astrophysics, planetary science, engineering, computer and earth sciences, as well as past and current space exploration missions they will be exposed to at NASA JPL,” Mr Husic said.
“As part of their internships, the students will be partnered with a NASA JPL scientist or engineer mentor and complete projects outlined by their mentors while also contributing to NASA JPL missions,” he said.
“The program will create a pathway for Indigenous students to participate in NASA JPL projects such as robotics, robot perception control, path planning and Artificial Intelligence.”
Head of the Australian Space Agency, Enrico Palermo said the Academy was being delivered by Monash University but was open to eligible Indigenous students from all Australian universities.
Mr Palermo said the Academy’s launch followed a successful pilot at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in 2019 led by Indigenous Professor Chris Lawrence, who is to oversee the Academy in his current role at Monash.
“The Australian Space Agency proudly celebrates Indigenous Australians as the world’s oldest astronomers but they are also critical to our present and future as we look to do space in a uniquely Australian way,” Mr Palermo said.
“We are committed to developing a diverse space workforce that can not only contribute to our sector but across the breadth of our science and tech fields,” he said.
“I look forward to these students bringing back what they learn to Australia, and to them becoming part of our dynamic space and tech community.”
Further information on the National Indigenous Space Academy can be accessed at this PS News link.
