The Australian Space Agency and the Department of Defence have identified space as a national priority. To address this priority, the The Australian National University Institute for Space (InSpace) is creating the Center for Space Situational Awareness Research (CeSSAR), a transdisciplinary organisation, in collaboration with the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at the University of Texas. Space-based technologies are critical to our lives and work, from communications to navigation, banking, health, climate, natural disasters, military operations, identifying sites of mass atrocity and refugee movement…the list goes on.

Our increase in space activities exacerbates the problem of space debris, creating complications and threats in this vulnerable, necessary environment. Our vision is to incentivise a culture of responsible behaviour in space. We aim to do this not only through technology and comprehensive, open source data on objects in orbit, but also through shaping norms, ethics and best practices. This includes monitoring compliance with space debris mitigation, freedom from interference, and sustainability of outer space activities.

Our key objective as we develop a transdisciplinary programme, is a safe, secure and sustainable space environment.

Please join us on Friday 24th July from 9:30am to 11:30am AEST for a virtual workshop to present our vision and seek new areas of collaboration at ANU. We will be workshopping ideas and identifying potential funding avenues where we can work together. Please sign up to the event if you want to hear more about how the space environment concerns you and how to collaborate with us.