ANU poised to play a key role in a national space agency

The Australian National University (ANU) is poised to play a key role in a new Australian space agency, currently being considered by the federal government, and to help drive Australia's future space industries. As the International Astronautical Congress gets underway in Adelaide, ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt AC said the national university was central to Australia's space industries through its strengths in space engineering and technology, and through the University's national leadership in space research. ANU is home to the Mount Stromlo Observatory and the world-leading ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (RSAA), where Professor Schmidt conducted his Nobel-Prize winning research into the expanding Universe. "ANU is a national resource with leading facilities which drive Australia's research, as well as space industry and technology," Professor Schmidt said. "ANU global research and industry collaborations are helping to make space safer for space travel and satellites, and driving new technologies to develop the communications, instruments and space plasma thrusters for future space missions." ANU is also home to the  Advanced Instrumental Technology Centre (AITC)  at Mount Stromlo, which is a national centre which helps design, build and test satellites and space sensor systems. The AITC is led by Professor Anna Moore who brings a wealth of knowledge from her time at Caltech (California Institute of Technology). The AITC also builds world leading instruments for telescopes including the Skymapper Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory which is exploring and mapping the entire southern sky.