AROSE warmly welcomes new consortium member the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), with its powerhouse of cutting-edge research, teaching and innovation focussed on the issues of today and areas critical to the future – including Australia’s role in Space. Like AROSE, UNSW Sydney recognises the opportunity Australia has to capitalise on its world-leading resource industry expertise for applications in Space.
For nearly a decade UNSW Sydney has been developing its capabilities in mission development and Space Resource Utilisation (SRU) research in conjunction with NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and other industrial partners through programs run across multiple schools and faculties, particularly the School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, and the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research (ACSER).
On joining AROSE, Professor Andrew Dempster, from the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, and Director of ACSER, said:
“UNSW Sydney brings ambition, a “big picture” outlook, and a mining engineering approach to space resources problems. We want Australia, with its immense experience in terrestrial resource infrastructure and extraction, to take a leading role in Space resource extraction and processing.”
Among the research projects being conducted by UNSW Sydney is Project Wilde, which is determining how to process water from the craters at the Moon’s poles.
With NASA planning a permanent base on the Moon in the near future, a viable means to process water from the Moon will be a significant factor in its success. Water can be used as a source for oxygen, which could extend the time humans can spend in Space. Hydrogen, combined with oxygen, could also be used for rocket fuel, which could expand our capacity for longer or deeper space expeditions and discovery missions from the Moon.
Project Wilde is led by Professor Serkan Saydam of the School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, and Deputy Director of ACSER, who says:
“With multiple national agencies and private firms planning missions to the Moon and beyond, Australia can have a niche role in Space, utilising our large mining companies, strong mining engineering research, and leading mine automation.”
AROSE CEO, Leanne Cunnold, welcomed the university to AROSE saying:
“As AROSE progresses our vision with a desire to see an Australian flag on the Moon, UNSW Sydney will be a valuable member given the well-established research and Space projects they have already accomplished.”
“Together, we can secure Australia’s position as the trusted leader in Remote Operations science, technology and services, both on Earth and in Space.”
