Future Learning Magazine - January 2022

FUTURE LEARNING MAGAZINE

JANUARY 2022

HI-SEAS AXIOM Space Cubesat Project Space Radish Seeds Black Sky Aerospace Innovation Sports

Space

For Future Thinking Teachers - Brought to you by STEM Punks®

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Editor’s Note

I’m not old enough to recall the first moon landing, but something that has always struck me is that in only 65 years, humankind went from the Wright Brothers’ first flight in 1903, to man landing on the moon in 1969. As humans we are innovators and can achieve great worldchanging things. In this issue we’ve gone all over the world to uncover some more of the world’s most inspiring and incredible people in the space industry. Our very own Marsonaut and Astrobiologist Dr Michaela Musilova tells us about her missions at the Moon Base in Hawaii, and why crew diversity is important in her missions. Australia’s Women in STEM Ambassador, Professor Lisa HarveySmith makes astrophysics relatable in every day life, and Black Sky Aerospace tell us about their remarkable journey through hard work and persistence to be able to launch rockets every day. We delve into the Dark Skies with Marnie Ogg who educates us on space tourism and why we all need to know about protecting what’s out there in our Dark Skies. Sarah from Rocket Lab in New Zealand explains her career change from chemical engineering to space science and the interesting jobs and opportunities at Rocket Lab. Simon from Axiom Space gives advice on the potential for future careers in space, while Steven Hobbs discusses his space research using a format called cubesats. The Australian Space Agency (ASA) has a goal to create 20 000 new jobs by 2030, which is great news for students both in Australia and around the world.

With future career pathways growing and commercial space travel becoming a commodity and a near-future possibility, then is space still the final frontier? We hope you’ll ponder this and much more in this Space issue. As always, reach out to us at STEM Punks if there’s anything else you’d like to see in our magazine. Stay safe and healthy.

Ad Astra!

Fiona Holmstrom Editor & Publisher BFA (CW) MWEP fiona@stempunks.com.au

In this issue

03 Thought Leadership 04 HI-SEAS 07 AXIOM Space 08 Dark Skies 11 Lockheed Martin 12 Prof. Lisa Harvey-Smith 15 Cubesat Project 16 Rocket Lab 17 Space Habitat Design 18 Space Radish Seeds 19 Black Sky Aerospace 20 Innovation Sports 22 Space 2101 Contributors Writing

by Julie Scott at Julie Scott Writing Services Graphic designer Leticia Packer at Arara digital creative For advertising enquiries, contact: hello@stempunks.com.au Have a STEM related story for Future Learning magazine? fiona@stempunks.com.au

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Is access to space really opening up, and what does that mean for students?

by Jonathan Nalder STEM Punks

600. That’s the approximate number of humans who have orbited around the Earth so far. This may seem a small number compared to the total population of humans, but it’s remarkable to think that we live in the one period of history where it’s now true that not all humans live on Earth. Right now as you read this there are somewhere between 5 to 12 people inhabiting two space stations, sometimes for more than a year at a time.

Being one of those 600 so far however has generally meant years of training with a nationstate space agency like NASA or Roscosmos - until now when the amount of activity in private space-based companies has exploded. One reason for this is the development by SpaceX of rockets that are reusable and thus able to dramatically lower the costs of getting to orbit so that private companies can now get involved. 2021 has seen the Inspiration4 mission where 4 non-Astronauts spent 3 days in orbit, and 2022 will see Axiom space send 4 non-Astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) ahead of launching private modules to attach to the ISS. As a next step, Axiom, along with four other companies, have announced they will have private space stations in orbit by 2028.

That 600 then is set to grow exponentially - as are all the associated industries and jobs needed to support them. Australia for example now has over 50 space-focused companies, most of which were founded only in the last five years. So here’s to opening up access to the space industry as the theme for this Aerospace edition. Read on for all the ways that our featured experts are helping make this happen.

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HI-SEAS Dr Michaela Musilova is an astrobiologist and Director of the space research station/habitat known as the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation, or HI-SEAS as it’s commonly referred. Michaela reflected on her career, “I’ve had a dream since I was about eight years old to become an astronaut. My nationality unfortunately makes that very difficult. I’m from Slovakia originally but currently no one from my country applied for any existing astronaut program because Slovakia is not a part of the European Space Agency, and I would have to be an American citizen to apply to be a NASA astronaut. So, I’ve always had to pave my own way towards what I wanted to become one day.”

When Michaela was about fifteen, she realised that he had a passion for astrobiology, searching for life in space, but there was no clear path to study that.

She was accepted into University College in London to study planetary science and later was accepted into Caltech in the United States where she was able to study biology and was subsequently awarded a research grant to work for the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Michaela then studied for her PhD which focused on life in extreme environments. She explained, “what is the limit of life on Earth so we can see whether similar life forms could exist somewhere else. For instance, I focused on life in extremely cold environments.” Michaela undertook research in the Arctic and found that life really could survive in the most extreme conditions.

“We then use that knowledge to see if the conditions on Mars are similar to what we found.”

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Around this time, Michaela heard about Analog missions and was accepted to be part of the first British crew, as she was studying in the United States at the time, at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah. Michaela said, “that’s when I really saw the potential of these analog missions, how we can test so many things on Earth before we even hope to go and do those things on the Moon and Mars. Also, the human factor is so important because even if we have the best technologies and really cool research projects, if we can’t get along as a crew during a long duration space mission, then it can just all fail and be wasted.”

Michaela returned to Slovakia to help develop the space program there and then became the Chair of the Slovak Organisation for Space Activities. The launch of the Lubbock Satellite and the development of a space engineering program were two of many projects that Michaela was involved in. At around this time, she was selected for an eight-month NASA sponsored mission at HI SEAS. Michaela said, “even though the mission didn’t go quite according to plan, it opened up the possibility of staying in Hawaii, doing research. It was around that time that I was asked if I wanted to become Director and run the facility myself because of all the different research ideas and proposals I had for how to run these missions for long periods of time. It was one of those amazing offers that I decided well, why don’t I give that a try? I still continue to help with activities in Slovakia from here.”

As director of HI-SEAS, Michaela’s goal has been, “to increase the diversity of people in terms of cultures and nationalities but also in terms of backgrounds.

Before, a lot of missions would focus on having only

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engineers and scientists as crew members, but I found that bringing someone different like artists, educators, journalists, each with a very different perspective, can help. The whole crew can become more creative and find better ways to problem solve situations.” Michaela continued, “imagine if you have a crew of people who are good at fixing some technical things or working on scientific projects, but they can’t get along. They can’t create a nice environment to live in, then the mission’s not going to go well. They’re not going to do anything fun to socialise. They’re going to increase stress levels. So, it’s very important to have people who are very good at communicating together and be very patient.

I’m trying to show people, you don’t just have to be a scientist and engineer to contribute to the space sector.”

Since Michaela has led HI SEAS, she has seen a significant increase in the number of women applying for missions. She reflected, “there were not that many women applying for missions before because they thought it was a male thing to do or they thought it was more of an exclusive environment, the same with people of colour or people from the LGBTQ+ community. The more they can recognise themselves within other crew members, the more it motivates them to apply.”

If you’re interested in applying for an analog mission, Michaela recommended, “have an interesting project to contribute. The project we’re looking for are the ones that are really going to benefit humanity in terms of helping prepare for the first missions to the Moon and Mars, or longer duration missions. Michaela continued, “get experience working with other people from as many communities as possible because we are looking for that diversity and work in teams, under stressful conditions. Not everyone is a leader, so it’s not just about trying to get a leadership position but about having that teamwork experience because that will help you become a better communicator with people and increase your empathy.”

If you’re interested in HI-SEAS, further information can be found at https://www.hi-seas.org

I’ve always had to pave my own way towards what I wanted to become one day

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AXIOM Space Simon Jenner is the manager of Human Spaceflight Business Development for Axiom Space and is responsible for the recruitment of private astronauts. Simon spoke with STEM Punks about his career in STEM, how he transitioned into the space sector and his views around future careers in space.

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Simon grew up in regional South Australia and after studying civil engineering, he initially worked for the South Australian Department of Transport as a project manager, responsible for building roads and bridges. After a few years, Simon commenced working with a private waste management company and managed landfill and recycling centres across South Australia before moving into a corporate, leadership role within the company. After ten years, Simon decided that he needed a change of direction and so he took time off to explore the world and reflect upon his future. Simon recalled, “I started looking at what was the stuff that really interested me. If ever I was having a moment off work, where I needed a distraction, what was I doing? It always tended to be looking at future tech industries, advanced human longevity, artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous vehicles and of course, space.”

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Simon enrolled in a five-week course run through the International Space University. He recounts, “it was brilliant.” Simon then travelled to France and undertook a Masters in Space Studies. He recalls, “towards the end of that I realised that I wanted to be focused on human space life and in particular, private astronauts.” This led Simon to employment with private space company Axiom. “It’s wonderful, amazing. Now that is actually possible, for yourself and possibly for other students here in Australia and other countries as well, to have that journey to supporting human space flight and private humans in space, is pretty cutting edge.”

What does Simon see as the future potential for careers in space? “No one knows what space jobs are going to be created. What I can tell you right now is that the astronauts who were sent up there to live and work in space, they need to be a jack of all trades. They need to be able to do all the science, the maintenance on the space station, they need to know how to fix toilets. As we significantly increase the number of people in space, we’re not going to need generalists. We’re going to need space specialists and that could be specialist engineers, specialist receptionists for space hotels, specialist scientists. The advice I would give to anyone that’s interested in working in the space industry is to follow your interests and follow your passions. Even if that’s not living and working in space, there’s so many more opportunities to be involved in space flight from the ground.” https://www.axiomspace.com/

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Marnie Ogg

When Marnie Ogg was growing up, her scientist parents would take her on holidays to explore the natural world, like going to hunt for fossils or stargaze. Marnie recounts that she wanted a ‘normal childhood’ like going to play at Disneyland. Marnie pursued a career in tourism but as she got older, she recognised, “there’s so much joy in science, there is so much curiosity, there are so many questions and so many ways to answer things.’ She recognised that everything she did, ended up coming back to STEM. “Don’t write it off because it’s got a title. Science sometimes can sound daunting, just like Maths can sound daunting, but really it’s just about having a curious and open mind, asking the questions, and seeing different ways of answering.”

Marnie is the founder of an astro-tourism business, Dark Sky Traveller. She recounts, “we would go into these extraordinary telescopes in Europe, we’d be in Scandinavia and in the Arctic looking at the night sky. What I always came back to is that Australia has such a rich asset in the dark sky here. Unlike the northern hemisphere, which is incredibly light polluted, we’re still relatively dark. Until COVID, people were paying a lot of money to come into Australia, to look at our night sky. In Australia, you can get out into the desert and see the night sky, whereas you might have to drive six hours in the United States to find something as dark as this.”

According to Marnie, there is a growing body of research from the northern hemisphere about the detrimental impacts of light pollution upon ecosystems. Marnie reflected that artificial light has only existed for 160 years and some artificial lights are 150 times brighter than the light from the moon. “We’re actually changing patterns of ecology that have been going on for 3.6 billion years.” Marnie explained how research identified that artificial light could confuse turtle hatchlings from heading out to sea, as they would mistake the artificial light for moonlight.

So determined was Marnie to preserve Australia’s dark skies, she established the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance (ADSA), a not-for profit organisation to raise awareness and educate policy makers, educators, and all levels of government about the importance of implementing environmentally responsible strategies to preserve Australia’s dark skies. The ADSA was instrumental in the establishment of Australia’s first Dark Sky Park at the Warrumbungle National Park, near Coonabarabran in Central New South Wales. According to Marnie, this was the 76th Dark Sky Park in the world and there are now 200 Dark Sky Parks located across the USA, New Zealand, Europe and Australia.

Marnie’s passion for protecting dark skies has been recognised by the International Dark Sky Association as she is only one of five people, and the first Australian, to be awarded the International Dark Sky Defender Award.

If you would like to learn more about Marnie Ogg and Dark Skies, information can be found at: https://www.australasiandarkskyalliance.org/dark-sky-places and for tour info: https://www.darkskytraveller.com.au/

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Lockheed Martin JP9102 STEM Punks programs have a core aim to attract a diverse studentbase and inspire future career pathways in STEM related fields through immersive, industry-linked, and hands-on engagements. I am very proud to announce a ground-breaking partnership with Lockheed Martin, an American aerospace, and technology corporation. personal archive

The new partnership represents a flagship STEM initiative under Lockheed Martin Australia’s proposed JP9102 solution to deliver a next-generation, sovereign military satellite communication (MILSATCOM) capability to the Australian Defence Force.

Under the JP9102 program, STEM Punks will develop and implement a 10year space-focused curriculum that encompasses high-school, university and early-career level activities. This will educate, up-skill and inspire Australia’s next generation technical workforce to support the nation’s growing suite of space programs and capabilities.

The program will employ a hybrid delivery model with both immersive online modules and face-to-face workshops, classes and activities. Over its life, the program will be rolled out to 80 schools across Australia with at least a quarter representing regional and Indigenous communities.

STEM Punks CEO Michael Holmstrom

Lockheed Martin Australia regional director for Space, David Ball, welcomed STEM Punks to the JP9102 team as a reinforcement of the company’s commitment to partnerships and sovereign space industry capability.

“Lockheed Martin Australia is very proud to be partnering with STEM Punks, an innovative Australian organisation operating at that critical interface between the education sector and Australian industry,” Ball said.

STEM Punks CEO Michael Holmstrom welcomes the partnership, saying, “The program will inspire school students to pursue STEM-focused studies at university, and better align graduates with dynamic career opportunities in Australia’s space and defence industries.” For full press release: https://bit.ly/3Asb9QU and for press enquiries contact Chris Newman: chris.newman@civicreputation.com.au, +61 (0) 421 477 297

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Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith

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Astrophysicist Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith is not only passionate about stars and galaxies, she is also a strong advocate for women in STEM, through her role as Australia’s Women in STEM Ambassador. Lisa has also been awarded both the CSIRO Chairman’s medal and the Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Australian Science Research. Lisa explained to STEM Punks, “STEM is so important to not only our economy, the things that we build and make, but the things that we invent and create as we’ve seen during this recent time. It’s so important to be able to see a problem, let’s say COVID and create solutions like a vaccine.

That’s what we do in STEM. We create scientific ideas and technologies to help us solve problems that we have in the world, and we have many problems like climate change and clean energy that we need to solve now for the future. It’s important that all of our best minds of any gender are working on these problems and solutions.”

Lisa is a member of the Advisory Group to the Australian Space Agency, and she was formerly the project scientist for the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder telescope at CSIRO and led a group of 30 scientists at Australia’s radio telescope national facility. She discussed her role as an Astrophysicist. “I study the stars, basically anything beyond space. It’s made of two parts of the word ‘astro’ meaning the stars and physics which is of course the science of forces and nature and particles. Physics helps us measure the universe and it helps us to build technologies to see space in different ways and understand where we come from, where we are going and understand the processes of creating life.” Lisa explained that many technologies such as special computers, cameras

and magnifying devices that had been created by astrophysicists had also been used in other fields such as medicine. “For example, there is a checker for melanoma which was created by an astronomer who was looking for stars and galaxies.”

Lisa acknowledged some of the stereotypes around STEM, “maybe on TV, shows like The Big Bang Theory, people have this idea that science is nerdy.

You work on your own, you’re socially awkward.

It’s not like that at all. We’ve got to get the story of science out there. When you create science and technology, you’re being collaborative, you’re working with others and you’re being creative. You travel, you explore, you imagine, and you create. It’s for all types of people. People who love math and people who hate math can do STEM.” In addition to her many roles, Lisa is also an awardwinning author and has written several fiction and non-fiction books for children and adults that seek to answer some of the big questions about space. “My latest book explores the process by which life has evolved and has been created on our planet. What other planets are out there that could possibly host life? Would we be able to talk to aliens with Skype or video conferencing? Is it possible to travel to other places and search for life? Would aliens have googly eyes? All these important questions are answered.

It’s all about thinking, learning, and challenging our ideas and exploring what’s out there. I love engaging with people around these ideas because they’re the most fundamental and the most exciting that I can think of.”

If you would like to learn more about Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith or are interested in her books, her website can be located at https://lisaharveysmith.com

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Cubesat Project Steven Hobbs has always been fascinated by space. Speaking with STEM Punks, Steven said, “I remember watching Star Wars, seeing the Viking Mars landing that actually returned scientific data. The Apollo moon landing, the first time that humanity ever left earth was not that long ago.” Steven reflected, “I always had the interest in space, but never dreamed of being able to have any direct involvement. That was probably typical of most Australian kids growing up in the seventies, eighties, and nineties.”

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During the-mid 2000s, Steven discovered the Mars Australia Society, and this enabled his passion for space to develop beyond a personal interest and into doing real space science. Steven explained, “Mars Society of Australia have a very strong STEM outreach and their mission is to do the science and engineering to put people on Mars. What that also meant was a creative outlet to actually do real science and real engineering. Since then, I’ve done PhD in Mars research and have published a variety of papers on remote sensing. My big push is to try and determine the utility of low-cost sensors and robotics to really open the avenue up for universities and students.”

Steven spoke extensively about his space research using a format called cubesats. “They’re intended to have low-cost standardised materials and technology to make space more affordable to smaller institutions, universities and even high schools.” Steven said, “building them is fine, but getting them to work in space still takes a lot of effort and takes a lot of money.” Steven explained that the cubes are flown via a balloon from a launch provider in New South Wales. The balloons reach near space, which is thirty kilometres straight up and three times higher than an average airliner can fly and higher than almost every military aircraft. Steven said, “This helps STEM students learn about engineering and science. What sort of things will affect the cubesat? How will your batteries perform in extreme cold? What sort of radiation will have effects on your communication system or your colour and light sensing systems? One of the questions we need to answer was not only what sort of data can you get from the near-space environment, but whether your sensor actually survived to return anything?”

Steven observed, “the space industry is maturing, particularly the Australian Space Industry. I’m finding that the industry takes you a lot more seriously if you’ve tested your thing in some sort of equivalent environment. We’re seeing part of that maturity, but many missions are also failing. Part of the idea is to make basic streams so that you need to do rocket science and make that available to students. We’re using low cost, open-source programming and materials that are readily available off the shelf.”

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“Teamwork is absolutely critical,” emphasised Steven. He explained, “the Sojourner Mars Rover is about the size of a microwave oven. They had people who were dedicated to build wheels, other people were dedicated to make the suspension systems; that was their whole job. You had all these people with their specialist skills, working together.”

More information about the Mars Society Australia can be found at http://marssociety.org.au/marscube JANUARY 2022

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Like many students, Sarah Blyde wasn’t sure about her career path when she graduated from high school.

Sarah said, “I grew up in New Zealand and to be honest, I was very much into other things. When I was young, I was right into sports, I was alright at science at school, but I was never really drawn too much to space in the beginning, it was something that came later.” Speaking to STEM Punks, Sarah reflected on her decision to choose engineering, “I ended up with good grades. I figured I’d go into the thing that was the hardest to get into and that was engineering.”

On completion of her degree in chemical engineering, Sarah worked as a chemical engineer in Perth, Western Australia, for four years but then felt like she needed a change, “I’d been looking in and observing all the stuff that was happening in the space sector and just being absolutely amazed by what was going on. The likes of SpaceX and Blue Origin and all the awesome things that they were doing.

Back home in New Zealand, there was this company called Rocket Lab that I was suddenly hearing a lot of things about.

So that gave me the confidence to explore this as a career opportunity.” Sarah subsequently completed her master’s degree in Space Science in France. “It was awesome to be surrounded by people that all love space as much as I did. We got to work on all sorts of amazing projects and learn from some of the best people in the industry.” Due to COVID19, Sarah returned to New Zealand and to her delight, discovered that Rocket Lab was located fifteen minutes from where she grew up.

Sarah now works at Rocket Lab with the Configuration Management Team. “It’s a really fun place to work and we’re doing amazing things. What my team does is we’re responsible for managing the configuration of rockets.

We decide which parts go on which particular vehicle.

We work with all sorts of different engineers, between designers and manufacturing engineers, as well as other people that provide functions like supply chain and logistics to make sure that all of our rockets come together and arrive at the launch pad, ready to send some satellites into space,” Sarah continued, “there’s so many people that also work behind the scenes doing really exciting stuff to support, not only human missions but also satellite missions. There’s a lot of work and a lot of interesting kinds of jobs and opportunities.”

Sarah discussed the apprenticeships and internships that are offered by Rocket Lab and provided the following advice. “I encourage people to follow their curiosity and learn as much as you can, whether that’s through school or university. Find stuff online, read about it and find good books and magazines. Follow your nose and see what you find the most interesting in learning about. Explore what options are out there.”

Information about Rocket Lab can be located at: https://www.rocketlabusa.com/

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Growing Space Radish

Seeds back on Earth

Recently, the STEM Punks team have been growing some very special seeds in an experiment that takes advantage of the Vege Pod growing system we shared about in our July 2021 Food Edition. The experiment sees us comparing the growth of regular Radish plants with some that have been grown from space seeds. But what are space seeds? Basically they are seeds that have spent time in space where they are exposed to microgravity as well as cosmic radiation that seeds on Earth are shielded from by our atmosphere.

Our seeds are of the Cherry Belle Radish variety, and their journey to space was organised by Space Nation who have generously made them available for STEM Punks in Australia. They were flown to space inside a NanoRacks Black Box experiment module, which launched aboard a ULA (Lockheed Martin and Boeing) Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station. They subsequently orbited the Earth at an altitude of approximately 380 kilometers for six months, before returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.

Why Cherry Belle Radish seeds you may ask? They were in fact chosen with help from science teachers who had previously developed and flown other biology experiments to space. They recommended Cherry Belle radish seeds because they are: 1) small enough that many can fit into in a small space; 2) large enough for younger students to handle; 3) have a high germination rate (80+% of seeds germinate); and 4) they have a quick germination time (within 24-48 hours of being planted/germinated).

With Ella on planting duties, we divided our Vege Pod into four quadrants - one for regular Earth-bound Radish seeds, one for space seeds, and two for Marigold flowers to add some colour to our little garden. The space seeds also had two very special extra additions first, we added some orange soil (as you can see in the accompanying video) which was actually created by ExoLabs at the University of Florida. This soil (or ‘regolith’) was made to simulate as closely as possible the actual soil on Mars where the Curiosity Rover has been exploring. Secondly, we added a Lego Spaceman to watch over the plants as they grow!

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Look out for an update in upcoming Future Learning Magazines or on STEM Punks social media about how well the seeds grow, and maybe even the answer to ‘what do space radishes taste like?’ https://www.facebook.com/stempunksau/

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Black Sky Aerospace Blake Nikolic is the Chief Executive Officer of Black Sky Aerospace (BSA) which is headquartered in Jimboomba, Queensland. BSA specialises in payload delivery systems through proprietary propulsion systems, componentry, and vehicles and provides access to calibration and simulation systems. STEM Punks spoke with Blake and trainee Harry about BSA and their respective journeys to roles within the space sector.

Blake reflected, “I was actually involved in information technology. I did a lot of fireworks growing up and some high explosives as well. We did a lot of simulation to design firework shows. Then, I decided I needed to create a change and so I joined the army and became a pilot, so I was out flying helicopters.” After leaving the army, Blake started his own business, he recalled, “I started a business to do rockets. It was working with STEM and other areas around supplying educational and consumer products. That business grew and ultimately, we went into a commercial side, which is now what you see today of BSA. I’ve now been doing the rocket side for many years. It has taken a lot to get there but through hard work and persistence, now I’ve probably got the coolest job in the world, where we actually fly rockets all day.”

The Australian Space Agency (ASA) was established in 2018 and according to Blake, the ASA has a goal to create 20 000 new jobs by 2030. Blake said, “that’s awesome for all you students that are coming up through school. BSA is playing its part to deliver almost 20 000 jobs by building out career opportunities for people to get involved in rocket science. We have people that work in all different areas in administration and legal. We also have security, catering, and a whole range of areas. It’s not just about science, technology, engineering, and math. We can cover all subjects.”

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Harry is in year ten and recently joined BSA as a trainee. “I’ve always been interested in STEM, and I fly drones myself. This is the most awesome thing that I could be doing, designing rockets, and then actually having systems that are implemented onto these rockets. My biggest tip for anyone wanting to get into the aerospace industry is just put yourself out there. Any opportunity you can find, take it and try to learn as much as you can.” For more information: https://bsaero.space/

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When students get involved with launch base design

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Students in regional Australia often miss out on chances to imagine themselves having a career in the space industry, but a recent ‘Innovation Sports’ workshop in Roma brought together 7 schools and included a challenge designed to change this equation.

October 2021 saw schools from the Western Downs meet at Roma State College to compete in a unique ‘sport’ - one that combined the fast growing field of esports with the technique known as Design Thinking. Pioneered by Australian STEM provider STEMPunks.com.au, this Innovation Sports event and others like it give students 55 mins to plan, build, evaluate and showcase a solution that is then judged against criteria such as innovation, team resilience and viability.

Given the fact that both Gilmour Space and Black Sky Aerospace have conducted rocket launch activities in western Queensland, this event was the perfect opportunity to firstly, bring students up to speed with what is happening in their backyard, and secondly, to challenge them to imagine themselves being involved.

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Across the 55 minutes of the round, students feverishly worked together across five stages that mirror the Design Thinking process.

Initially they discussed research around regional launch facilities and planned out their solution to the ‘Design a facility to safely launch small rockets in Western Queensland while also protecting the environment’ challenge. They then spent 30 minutes co-building this solution using Minecraft as the build tool, followed by a three minute team meeting to evaluate progress. Finally they had seven minutes to finish the design then two minutes to present to the judges and other schools on how their solution matched the challenge.

The two most unique designs whose schools went through to the next round took different approaches to the ‘protecting the local environment’ aspect. One team, who built an Aussie-themed green and gold rocket, built their facility near a large dam to ensure water was available to quell any potential bushfires a launch might spark - and built a high wall enclosing the facility as well. The second team chose to create a large below-ground launch pad to contain launch gases and flames, as well as a reinforced launch tower that could host tourists so the facility doubled as a way to support the local economy as well.

All in all it was a very successful event that showed there is great potential for regional students to contribute their innovative thinking to space industry projects. Schools around Australia can also participate in future challenges in 2022 by visiting isports.stempunks.com to learn more.

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“This article is reprinted with kind permission from SpaceAustralia.com”

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Space 2101

by Jonathan Nalder STEM Punks The year is 2101. Fusion drive tech now means humans can explore and settle the solar system.

Does your school have what it takes to use STEM + Design skills to help students succeed and become a ‘Space Punk’?

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The aim of these new Space 2101 workshops is to help prepare students for a career path in the space industry using the scenario of what working in space will be like by giving students direct access to the Space Industry partners that STEM Punks has been linking with.

The program has four modules, each with a different location that ties into students’ learning skills with STEM tools, teamwork, and project planning.

Module 1 is based on Earth and challenges students to think ahead to a time when working in space is normal, and to test themselves to learn electronics and 3D design STEM tools to Module 2 transports students to Earth orbit to design a space habitat as well as strengthen teamwork skills. Module 3 takes them even further to the Moon to put into practice what they have learnt about electronics and 3D design. Module 4 sees students now working on Mars to help establish long-range communications that will be vital for work and life.

The project is to design a ‘cubesat’ - a small cube-shaped satellite based on one that will be flown to a height on Earth where the thin atmosphere matches conditions on Mars.

STEM Punks is working with industry partners such as Lockheed Martin Australia, Black Sky Aerospace, CoSpaces Edu, and HI-SEAS to add industry input to the program, and will also leverage support we have received from International companies such as Axiom and Rocketlab.

Space 2101 launches in 2022! Email hello@stempunks.com.au to reserve your school a place in the program via either in-person or online classes.

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STEM Punks Productions Pty Ltd ABN: 89 651 348 775 Phone: +61 7 3289 5092 Email: hello@stempunks.com Web: www.stempunks.com STEM Punks wish to respectfully acknowledge the First Nations people as the first scientists, first engineers, and first innovators, and we pay respects to their elders past, present and emerging.

For Future Thinking Teachers - Brought to you by STEM Punks®