The three male and two female students will travel to JPL’s California facility, where they will be mentored by scientists and engineers, completing projects assigned by their mentors while also contributing to JPL missions.
“Developing a diverse STEM workforce is a priority of the Australian government. The agency-supported NISA initiative is expected to create a pathway for the selected students in robotics, robot perception control, path planning and artificial intelligence,” the Australian Space Agency said in a press release.
“Before heading to the US, the students will gear up with Monash’s ‘Space Boot Camp’, an intensive program covering aerodynamics, robotics, rovers, rockets astrophysics, planetary science, engineering, computer and earth sciences, and a deep dive into NASA’s JPL past and current space exploration missions.”
==
==
The students are Carl Goodwin from Monash University; David Corporal from Queensland University of Technology; Jordan McGrath from Griffith University; Lucy Barr from University of Tasmania; and Renee Wootten from University of Sydney.
“I am really excited to apply my AI and machine learning knowledge for research in the space sector,” said Goodwin.
“Apart from working with world-leading space scientists, this is also a great opportunity for me to interact and work with other like-minded Indigenous people.
“Our People are underrepresented in STEM, and programs like NISA are providing valuable stepping stones for First Nations students in this sector.”
PROMOTED CONTENT
NISA was established in 2019 as a pilot program and has already supported Indigenous students to take up internships at NASA/JPL.
According to Joel Steele, who participated in the 2019 pilot and is now a research fellow at Monash University’s Biomedicine Discovery Institute, the program opened up numerous pathways for him.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I learned a lot of new skills that have assisted me in my career, in addition to meeting amazing scientists. I was also able to assist in projects outside my subject area of space biology. The highlight was getting to operate the flight simulator used to train astronauts and pilots,” he said.
“I never imagined it was ever possible for me to work or learn at NASA. This was something so far outside the scope of what I thought was possible.”
Receive the latest developments and updates on Australia’s space industry direct to your inbox. Subscribe today to Space Connect here.
