The Australian Space Discovery Centre was officially unveiled on 31 March 2021, and features exhibitions about space based on The Australian National University (ANU) research. The new interactive facility in Adelaide has been developed in partnership between the Australian Space Agency and Questacon, the National Science and Technology Centre. The Discovery Centre is a national facility where people of all ages can learn about space and Australia’s role. It hosts:
- a Careers Hub showcasing job opportunities in the local space industry
- an operational Mission Control Centre, viewable through a theatrette for live space events, guest speakers and opportunities to engage with space experts
- a space gallery featuring hands-on experiences and information on Australia’s growing space sector
- information on STEM education options for young people to explore pathways for a future in space.
The career path and work of Associate Professor Marta Yebra - from the ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science and ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society - is on show among the new exhibitions about space. Visitors can learn about the Australian Flammability Monitoring System (AFMS), developed through the Bushfire and Natural Hazard Reduction Cooperative Research Centre and led by Associate Professor Yebra. It is the world’s first near-real-time digital application for assessing how dry and flammable soil and vegetation is. The monitoring system uses satellite data to help us better understand the risk that bushfires pose to communities, landscapes, and infrastructure. Associate Professor Yebra’s work on smart satellite sensors is also featured in another Discovery Centre exhibition on the ANU Institute for Space’s Ozfuel mission.
More information
- The Australian Space Discovery Centre will open to the general public in May. You can pre-book your experience now.
- Find out more about the AFMS on the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC website and access the tool online.
- WATCH: Fighting future fires. Associate Professor Marta Yebra on lessons learnt from last summer and how data will help manage bushfires better