ABSTRACT. Humanity faces two immense exploration challenges: finding the critical resources required to support the energy transition on Earth, and discovering the resources that will one day enable us to live and work on other worlds.

At Fleet Space Technologies, these challenges are deeply connected.

In this plenary, Fleet Space Technologies Co-Founder and CEO Flavia Tata Nardini will share Fleet's journey towards its mission to connect Earth, the Moon and Mars - beginning with the development of its satellite network and ExoSphere, a space-enabled exploration technology now being used to image the Earth's subsurface and accelerate critical mineral discovery around the world.

The same fundamental challenge exists beyond Earth: understanding what lies beneath the surface. From developing a lunar seismic payload to search for water ice, to testing seismic arrays across lava tubes, glaciers in Antarctica and other planetary analogues on Earth, Fleet is working towards a new generation of technologies for subsurface exploration across planetary bodies.

Flavia will explore how solving real-world challenges on Earth can accelerate our journey into space - and how the pursuit of exploration beyond Earth can drive new technologies and capabilities here at home.

From critical minerals beneath our feet to water ice beneath the lunar surface, the next frontier of exploration may be closer than we think.

ABSTRACT. Gilmour Space Technologies has spent more than a decade turning ambitious ideas into Australian-built space capability. Gilmour Space Head of Mission Management, Matthew Congedi, will share lessons from the company’s journey from early propulsion R&D to developing orbital launch vehicles, satellites and sovereign launch infrastructure; and explore the role of research, industry and government collaboration in turning Australian innovation into enduring capability.

ABSTRACT. Space missions are notoriously complex affairs, made all the more challenging by the need for all mission systems to operate for extended periods in harsh environments without hope of operator maintenance or repair. Some of these systems have the reputation of increasing mission complexity by adding to command lists, interacting with other subsystems, increasing integration burdens, or simply by adding additional spacecraft management considerations. Actively working to reduce the burden placed on spacecraft operators increases the odds of mission success, and Neumann Space applies this philosophy to all our work. In this presentation we shall describe our propulsion system, focussing on aspects that reduce mission complexity, before illustrating this with case studies of successful test and integration campaigns. By actively working to reduce operator burden, we drive mission and commercial success by ensuring that our systems not only solve operator problems, but do not impose additional constraints on the mission.

ABSTRACT. To characterize the transonic dynamic behaviour of a new, parachute-less aeroshell design proposed for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s next-generation Deep-Space Sample Return Capsule (DS-SRC), a free-flight ballistic-range investigation of two candidate DS-SRC geometries is conducted. This capsule concept must survive higher re-entry speeds (16 km/s) at lower mass (10 kg) than prior sample-return missions such as Hayabusa, which exhibited a dynamic pitching instability in the transonic regime that reduced landing-site prediction accuracy and introduced risk of parachute deployment failure. The two geometries were tested as 4.8 mm diameter free-flight models, a DS-SRC model incorporating the Hayabusa forebody geometry and a reference DS-SRC model. Both were captured using high-speed Schlieren imaging at 130,000 frames per second to resolve the wake flow field over a target Mach number range of 0.8 - 1.2. Usable dynamic data was obtained for the Hayabusa-like model and Schlieren imagery was processed through template matching, background subtraction, normalisation, and Spectral Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (SPOD). Dominant flow structures and their energy content as functions of both Mach number and Strouhal number were extracted. This analysis identified two distinct modes: a higher-frequency vortex-shedding mode (0.13 < St < 0.23) and a separate, lower-frequency dynamic-instability mode (St ≈ O(0.01)). Vortex shedding was not observed to interact directly with the capsule, whereas back-pressure accumulation in the near wake was linked to the capsule's pitching oscillation, suggesting base-pressure fluctuation, rather than vortex interactions, as the driver of the instability. Together, these results establish a proof-of-concept methodology for characterizing DS-SRC dynamic instability and provide a foundation for an extended free-flight investigation into JAXA's actual next-generation DS-SRC geometry.

ABSTRACT. As human presence extends beyond Earth, reliable agricultural systems in controlled extra-terrestrial environments become essential. Plants are expected to play a critical role in sustainable long-duration human habitation in off-Earth environments. Astronaut availability is limited and direct human interaction with plant matter introduces disease and contamination risks. Current rigid robotic approaches to plant tending highlight the need for higher dexterity, predictable deformation and gentle gripping forces when handling delicate plant life, such as strawberries. This project investigates a next-generation solution to these challenges in the form of a soft robotic platform capable of manipulating strawberries in a controlled vertical farm environment. The project’s focus is on the exploration of alternative arm designs using enhanced modelling and control mechanisms. Various geometries, materials and print parameters were identified in a literature survey and assessed for their mechanical behaviour and suitability for soft robotic actuation. Subsequently, a conically tapered gyroid lattice arm was developed, leveraging its near-isotropic mechanical properties and compliant deformation. This work is presented as a novel approach to soft robotic manipulation of delicate plant life. The development of internal state-estimation methods and position-control algorithms for this design was supported using preliminary arm prototypes, laying the groundwork for future autonomous control. Validation testing of the soft robotic platform was performed within analogous pilot-scale vertical farm testbeds at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space. The system demonstrated success in delicately grasping strawberry fruits, manoeuvring through dense foliage with minimal damage, and operating remotely using camera-based sensing and forward-kinematic control. These outcomes provide a foundation for sustainable, autonomous and space-capable agricultural systems, contributing to the sustainment of human life beyond Earth.

ABSTRACT. Mars once had a dense atmosphere enabling liquid water on its surface, much of which has since escaped to space. Using data from NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission spanning February 2016 to May 2024, we examine how solar and solar wind energy fluxes drive escape of atomic and molecular oxygen ions (O⁺ and O₂⁺) at Mars. Across the full mission dataset, O⁺ and O₂⁺ escape flux increases with solar wind kinetic energy flux in a generally logarithmic relationship. Solar wind electromagnetic energy flux nonlinearly drives escape: it first dampens ion loss before a threshold is reached, beyond which escape increases with electromagnetic energy flux. Solar irradiance (total and ionizing) show no clear relationship with escape. We then evaluate these relationships under the most extreme solar wind conditions recorded: disappearing solar wind events (DSWEs) when solar wind proton density drops below 1 cm⁻³. We identify 154 MAVEN orbits across 90 unique days meeting this criterion. During DSWEs, solar wind kinetic energy flux falls to roughly half of normal levels, while electromagnetic energy flux and solar irradiance remain near normal. Ion escape drops accordingly, with O⁺ falling to ~75% and O₂⁺ to ~88% of typical rates, even as ion density and ion flux distributions are significantly restructured by the expansion of Mars' ionosphere and induced magnetosphere. Critically, DSWE ion fluxes still follow the same empirical relations with kinetic energy and irradiance established under normal conditions, indicating that reduced ion escape during even the most extreme solar wind depletion events remains largely governed by the same drivers as typical Mars-solar wind interactions.

ABSTRACT. Over long periods of time, ancestral hominins domesticated themselves through cultural practices such as language, technology, extended child rearing and social cooperation, which not only enhanced their fitness but also led to changes in cognition and physical traits. In the latter, auto-domestication led to gracilisation of the human body and subsequent loss of brain volume by ̴10%. Increasing medical interventions, public sanitation, dietary changes and technologization from the mid 19th century led to further relaxation of natural selection in Homo. This altered the mutation-selection balance, increasing the prevalence of deleterious mutations associated with non-communicable diseases, mental disorders, and non-optimal fertility genes in the human gene pool. This does not endanger human lives because advanced health care is able to compensate with appropriate treatments. Non-human animal studies show similar irreversible changes due to the effects of human induced domestication during the Holocene period.

The future space colonists living on the moon, Mars and possibly on exoplanets may be susceptible to more genetic effects of auto-domestication due to living in artificial environments, altered gravity and body gracilisation as a consequence of relaxed natural selection. Thus, humans would need to modify their space environments to reduce the deleterious effects of auto-domestication. Since human bodies are complex living systems, it is difficult to predict specific effects of random mutations that will be allowed to spread by relaxed selection. A simple modelling indicates that during six generations of exposure to heightened in space mutation rates (10-4) body height may decrease by as much as 0.5 m while a gene occurring with a frequency of 1% may reach a 50% frequency. Substantial effects and the unpredictability of the altered mutation-selection balance in space pose a serious challenge to planning the technological and organisational aspects of future long-distance space ships and colonies.

ABSTRACT. Radiation on Mars is one of the principal environmental barriers to the prospect of human survival on the red planet. With minimal atmospheric shielding and no global magnetic field, Mars receives hundreds of times more radiation than the surface of Earth. It is a combination of ultraviolet light, solar energetic particles (SEP), and galactic cosmic radiation (GCR). Among these, GCR, comprising extremely high-energy protons and heavier atomic nuclei originating from deep space and travelling at relativistic speeds, is perhaps the most concerning and particularly difficult to mitigate. Contemporary human habitation models for Mars suggest living underground inside lava tubes, or surface dwelling under several meters of water or regolith shielding to block or reduce the impact of these energetic particles. Not only are these particles capable of cumulative damage to the DNA, they can also penetrate thick material and create secondary radiation. Living underground or under tons of regolith imposes major engineering, logistical, architectural, and safety challenges. Lava tube habitation may also restrict settlements to specific geological locations only, far from the regions of scientific or resource interest. Active Integrated Radiation Shield (AIRS) is a patented concept of creating a non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation shield from the flow of electric current through cryogenically cooled superconducting cables embedded in the body of the large inflated surface habitat systems. The generated magnetic field would deflect the charged particles from solar and galactic cosmic radiation away from the protected habitation volume. This approach could obviate the need for heavy passive shielding while maintaining the advantages of a surface habitat. The system could dynamically adjust field strength according to the background radiation levels and transient high-radiation events such as during Solar storms. Depending on the habitat scale, magnetic-field geometry, conductor configuration and shielding requirements, power demand may range from few kilowatts to hundreds of kilowatts for 50 to 500m diameter habitats

ABSTRACT. A human settlement on Mars will require reliable, high-density energy generation for its sustenance. Mars lacks most of the conventional sources of power generation. Solar and nuclear power are currently the principal practical options, but both face constraints. Solar flux on Mars is substantially lower than that on Earth which is further reduced by dust accumulation and outage during global dust storms. The nuclear option is limited by the need to haul fuel and heavy reactors from Earth. The Mareekh Process is a patented hybrid power-generation concept designed to utilize the combination of subsurface water ice, very low atmospheric pressure and low ambient temperature on Mars. The Martian surface sits at the interface of near-vacuum atmospheric conditions and subsurface water ice. Using an auxiliary power such as solar or limited nuclear, water can be brought to the surface in superheated and supercritical forms. Flash steam can be generated from the rapid decompression of superheated water at low atmospheric pressure. Combining it with the flashing supercritical water, a superheated steam mixture can be formed which is explosively expanded through a turbine exposed at the Martian surface conditions to produce mechanical or electrical work. A portion of the end-steam is then condensed to release a large amount of latent heat which can be used to heat up the habitat system, reducing the electricity demand of the settlement. The thermodynamic advantage arises from the greater exergy gradient between the heated working fluid and the cold, low-pressure Martian environment. Preliminary calculations indicate that steam at identical inlet conditions can possess several hundred kilojoules per kilogram more specific exergy relative to a Martian environmental reference state than to a terrestrial one. The Mareekh Process therefore proposes an integrated power-and-heat architecture that combines conventional primary energy with in-situ water resources and the Martian environment as a thermodynamic sink. Further modelling is required to quantify cycle efficiency, practical energy recovery, component performance and net system-level gains under realistic Martian operating conditions.

ABSTRACT. Based on results from onboard remote sensing equipment on satellites such as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (NASA), water ice is inferred to exist within Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs) at the South Pole of the Moon. Confirmation was obtained from analysis of the ejecta plume in the NASA LCROSS mission, suggesting that the regolith at the LCROSS impact site contains 5.6 ± 2.9 % H2O by mass [1]. The crater, imaged by the ShadowCam instrument on the Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, is reported to have a diameter of 22 m and an excavation depth of 2 m [2]. Further information on the nature of the impact site, including simple geotechnical properties of the icy-lunar regolith such as cohesive strength and friction coefficient, remains unclear. In this work, the shock physics code iSALE-2D is used to numerically simulate the LCROSS impact event. A sensitivity test is conducted to understand the effects of changing the values within the employed material models; each is appropriate for representing lunar regolith and is necessary for modelling the modification stage of simple craters. Applying this knowledge, the LCROSS event is recreated across five different porosity gradients, with geotechnical parameters adjusted to produce a crater with a diameter and excavation depth within 10% of the reported values. The result of this work is a validated iSALE-2D model of the icy-lunar regolith within the shadowed regions in the lunar South Pole. Insights from this work can aid in the creation of icy-lunar regolith simulants, a vital step toward testing equipment that will support human exploration of the lunar South Pole through the Artemis mission. References [1] A. Colaprete et al. Science 330,463-468(2010). DOI:10.1126/science.1186986. [2] C. I. Fassett et al. Geophysical Research Letters, 51, e2024GL110355. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL110355.

ABSTRACT. Seismic methods can be used to investigate below the ground surface. These non-destructive geophysical methods are widely used on Earth, and they have been used on the Moon (Apollo, Chandrayaan 3) and Mars (InSight). Later this year, Fleet’s SPIDER seismic instrument will be placed on the Moon. SPIDER was tested in the Adelaide University Exterres Lab regolith pit.

Previously, bespoke MASW (Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves) equipment was used in the regolith pit (Šļumba et al., 2025, IAC Sydney) to quantify seismic velocities of lunar highlands simulant LHS-1E at different densities. To calibrate the data from the regolith pit, shear wave velocities were measured in the laboratory using bender element testing. Bender element testing uses piezoelectric elements at both ends of a sample of precisely known size and density. One element sends the compression wave (P-wave) or shear wave (S-wave) seismic signal; the other element receives it. The seismic velocities are calculated from the signal travel time.

The seismic velocities were measured for three regolith simulants: Lunar Highlands Regolith simulants LHS-1 and LHS-1E made by Exolith (now Space Resources Technologies) (Long-Fox et al., 2023, Adv. Space Research); Lunar Low Density regolith simulant LLD-1 made by Adelaide University (Šļumba et al., 2026, LPSC).

LHS-1 and LHS-1E have typical shear wave velocities (Vs) ranging from 40 – 60 m/s near the surface, up to 70 - 90 m/s at vertical stresses that would correspond to 2.4 m depth on the Moon. LLD-1 has typical shear wave velocities ranging between 30 and 80 m/s at the same stress range. The similarity in velocity profiles between the conventional regolith simulants and LLD-1 (which has 6 times lower density) demonstrates that particle density has little impact on seismic velocity. Shear wave velocities for regolith are much lower than typical values for terrestrial soils due to a wide range of particle sizes and abundance of fine particles (Ogino et al., 2016, ASCE). Results show strong velocity dependence on bulk density and vertical stress; these trends are unsurprising and agree with trends for terrestrial soils. The results are in good agreement with previous seismic velocity estimates from MASW and other seismic velocity tests on regolith simulants (e.g. Ogino et al., 2016, ASCE).

ABSTRACT. Lunar dust mitigation represents a complex and emerging topic that has been extensively investigated by numerous institutions. With increasing interest in lunar surface missions, both active and passive mitigation strategies have been developed to extend the longevity of space equipment under the severe conditions of the lunar environment. The simulation of lunar dust adhesion is crucial for the assessment of these mitigation methods. This work presents a device based on centrifugal force designed to semi-quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of coatings intended to minimise lunar dust adhesion. Testing is conducted within the Dirty Thermal Vacuum Chamber (DTVAC) using lunar regolith simulants such as LMS-1 and LHS-1. These simulants are deposited onto the coatings within the chamber to mimic a dust plume event and are then rotated at a predetermined angular velocity to produce a consistent series of tests. Residual dust is collected using adhesive tape and analysed via image-processing algorithms to quantify the residual dust coverage on each sample. Preliminary testing in a low-fidelity laboratory environment demonstrated repeatable and reproducible measurements of residual dust coverage, highlighting the potential of the centrifugal method as a rapid and robust screening tool for passive lunar dust mitigation technologies.

ABSTRACT. Future lunar missions are expected to increasingly target permanently shadowed regions, where ice is believed to exist within the lunar regolith. However, the mechanical behaviour of both dry and ice-bearing lunar regolith under lunar environmental conditions remains poorly understood, limiting the reliability of designs for in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU), mobility systems, and surface infrastructure. Existing geotechnical studies primarily focus on dry regolith tested under terrestrial atmospheric conditions, with comparatively little research investigating the geomechanical properties in vacuum environments or the influence of ice morphology on regolith behaviour. This study investigates how environmental conditions, ice content, and ice morphology affect the geotechnical properties of lunar regolith simulants, with particular focus on shear strength and cohesion. A custom direct shear apparatus has been designed and developed to enable controlled testing of lunar highlands simulant 1 (LHS-1) under both terrestrial atmospheric laboratory and vacuum conditions. Samples for terrestrial testing are prepared using several representative ice-regolith configurations, including dry regolith, low-saturation ice-cemented samples characterised by pendular ice bonding between grains, and frozen slurry samples in which water is mixed with simulant prior to freezing. These preparation techniques produce distinct internal structures and bonding regimes that may approximate different modes of ice occurrence in the lunar regolith. Preliminary results are expected to demonstrate that vacuum conditions produce increased shear strength and altered deformation behaviour compared with ambient conditions. Furthermore, the presence and morphology of ice are anticipated to significantly influence friction angle and cohesion through changes in interparticle bonding mechanisms. The outcomes of this research aim to improve the geotechnical understanding of polar lunar soils and support the future design of ISRU technologies and lunar surface systems.

ABSTRACT. This paper discusses the testing procedures and results of dynamic flow testing with hoppers of two lunar regolith simulants, LHS-1E and LLD-1. The two simulants have different characteristics, with LHS-1E being compositionally similar to lunar regolith, and LLD-1 being designed as a low density simulant that emulates lunar gravity. Each simulant was filled with a set volume into a hopper, which was opened and the mass flow rate measured to determine various flow parameters. This testing will lead into calibration of dynamic simulations of each simulant. The testing highlighted distinct differences in the dynamic behaviour of each simulant, with LHS-1E demonstrating a greater steady-state mass flow rate than LLD-1. These results are key in ensuring that simulation models are tuned appropriately to each simulation, and also highlights the need for further study on how different gravitational accelerations affects the dynamic behaviour of different lunar simulants.

ABSTRACT. Future lunar landing pads, roads and foundation systems will require reliable methods for preparing and improving lunar regolith. Vibratory rolling offers a potentially lightweight and mechanised approach to lunar ground improvement; however, roller design must account not only for geotechnical performance but also for the mass, volume, power, mobility, environmental and control constraints associated with lunar operations. This study presents the development of a second-generation lunar vibrating drum roller, LVDR-2, informed by both earlier laboratory investigations and a conceptual full-scale lunar roller model.

A lunar flight concept was first developed to identify design requirements relevant to future surface operation. These included transport within a standardised cargo volume, compatibility with a rover-based towing system, minimisation of payload mass, electrically driven propulsion and vibration systems, dust protection, vibration isolation, wireless communication, intelligent compaction capability and eventual operation under vacuum and reduced-gravity test conditions.

LVDR-2 incorporates a 250 mm-wide, approximately 200 mm-diameter drum, interchangeable eccentric masses, an internally mounted eccentric-shaft vibration system, a compliant vibration-isolation mechanism, encoder-based motor control, onboard acceleration sensing and control and data acquisition. The model was designed for integration with an existing compaction test rig and future testing in vacuum and reduced-gravity experimental platforms. Compared with the first-generation LVDR-1, the second-generation model provides greater control over vibration generation, improved instrumentation and a more representative mechanical configuration.

Experimental testing using lunar highlands regolith simulant investigated translational speeds of 1, 4 and 7 km/h, vibration frequencies of 30, 35 and 40 Hz, and three eccentric masses. Within the investigated range, the combination of 4 km/h, 40 Hz and the heavier eccentric mass produced the strongest measured subsurface pressure response and was selected for repeated-pass compaction assessment. Subsequent testing demonstrated progressive densification, with the largest settlement occurring during the initial passes and measured density increasing with repeated compaction.

The results demonstrate that the development of lunar compaction equipment requires an integrated consideration of roller geometry, eccentric excitation, vibration isolation, instrumentation, control and mission-level constraints. LVDR-2 provides a flexible experimental platform for investigating these interactions and forms a basis for future testing under vacuum, reduced-effective-weight and intelligent-compaction conditions relevant to lunar surface construction.

ABSTRACT. Near Earth Asteroid close approaches can create unprecedented challenges for planetary defence. The 2024 YR4 episode—briefly ranked Torino Scale 3—demonstrated how a single NEO can trigger global hazard-response protocols. For 50–200 m impactors detected only days to weeks in advance, orbit accuracy determines the feasibility of meaningful regional warnings. Here, Australia’s unique longitude in the southern hemisphere offers enormous leverage for rapid trajectory refinements. We highlight how the Southern Hemisphere asteroid research campaign in 2024-26 has played a key role in the astrometry and photometry of asteroids 2024 YR4 and 2025 FA22 critical targets selected by the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) for further investigation. Now at Torino 0, 2024 YR4 galvanised initial thoughts on Planetary Defence strategies for 2032, however its growing impact probability with the Moon, now greater than 4%, is generating further research about potential lunar ejecta and the potential for debris effects upon Earth orbiting satellites and space critical infrastructure. The Southern Hemisphere Asteroid Research Consortium (SHARC) is a consortium of researchers from Australia and South Africa that collaborate on planetary defence research and actively contribute to the IAWN. The research program was initiated by researchers at the JPL-NASA Deep Space Network, the CSIRO Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and later expanded to include optical facilities from both Australia and South Africa. SHARC facilities are led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the University of Western Australia (UWA), the Desert Fireball Network of Curtin University, and radio receivers operated by University of Tasmania. The consortium exploits the diversity of research talent, access to radio and optical facilities, to monitor Apollo class asteroids that are critical for training in planetary defence campaigns. We outline the consortium plans for observing the close approach of 99942 Apophis in 2029 and 2024 YR4 in 2032 if a Lunar impact is confirmed. We discuss the consortiums complementary capability that includes modelling, polarization decomposition, light curve correlation and emerging doppler/delay capabilities to assess asteroid type, shape and spin.

ABSTRACT. Space situational awareness depends on maintaining custody of resident space objects (RSOs) as predicted states become increasingly uncertain between observations. Autonomous sensor tasking can reduce operator workload and telescope time, but previous demonstrations have largely used instruments with fields of view of several degrees. This study presents the simulation-based calibration of ARGUS (Autonomous RSO Guidance and Update System), a Bayesian tasking pipeline developed for RMIT University's 0.4 m Robotic Optical Observatory (ROO, FOV 0.324 deg x 0.259 deg), to evaluate dynamic tasking with narrow-field instruments. ARGUS combines constrained initial orbit determination, particle-filter catalogue maintenance, and feedback-driven scheduling. Three information-theoretic scheduling measures were compared in matched 14-day simulations of 413 Geostationary-belt objects. The Fisher information gain strategy retained 121.7 +/- 7.7 tracked objects with a catalogue-wide median position error of 0.12 +/- 0.01 km and fewer track drops than the Kullback-Leibler and one-sided Cauchy-Schwarz alternatives. A uniform step-scan reference repeatedly lost catalogue custody across daytime gaps, whereas feedback-driven tasking maintained a stable catalogue and preserved mature tracks through multi-day gaps. These results demonstrate simulation-level feasibility for autonomous narrow-field tasking and support subsequent on-sky validation with integrated tracklet association.

ABSTRACT. The Southern Hemisphere Asteroid Radar Program (SHARP) [1,2] has collected backscatter signatures of asteroids and space debris using a single frequency transmit signal that precisely measured Doppler spread associated with object rotation. Inferring other attributes from this data is important for object characterisation and analysis. In the case of small Near-Earth Asteroids (NEA) the rotation period and size provides important information about their internal composition where there is potential to distinguish between ‘rubble pile’ and monolithic rock where fast rotators require sufficient tensile strength to not break apart. Such information can contribute to improved characterisation of the NEA population in addition to potential Earth impact consequence assessment. In the case of space debris where the spin period can typically be accurately estimated from the structured Doppler signature, detailed analysis can determine object structural features for object identification. This work explores the use of tomographic reconstruction to form images and assess the ability to estimate asteroid rotation period and space debris identification features. The study reported here uses other information to verify the tomographic reconstruction including delay-Doppler images for asteroids and satellite information for space debris [3].

1. SHARP uses the facilities of the NASA Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC), the CSIRO Narrabri radio astronomy Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and the University of Tasmania VLBI antennas at Hobart, Katherine and Ceduna (UTAS) to form bistatic deep space radar systems.

2. C. Benson, J. Reynolds, N. J. Stacy, L. A. Benner, P. G. Edwards, G. Baines, R. Boyce, J. D. Giorgini, J. S. Jao, G. Martinez, M. A. Slade, L. P. Teitelbaum, A. Anabtawi, D. Kahan, K. Oudrhiri, C. J. Philips, J. B. Stevens, E. Kruzins and T. J. W. Lazio, "First Detection of Two Near-Earth Asteroids with a Southern Hemisphere Planetary Radar System," Radio Science, vol. 52, pp. 1344-1351, 2017. 3 Molera Calvés, G., Horiuchi, S., Peters, E., Kruzins, E., & Stacy, N. (2025). Micro-Doppler signatures and object characterisation of space debris with radio telescopes. arXiv:2510.25004. Presented at the 76th International Astronautical Congress, Sydney, Australia.

3. Molera Calvés, G., Horiuchi, S., Peters, E., Kruzins, E., & Stacy, N. (2025). Micro-Doppler signatures and object characterisation of space debris with radio telescopes. arXiv:2510.25004. Presented at the 76th International Astronautical Congress, Sydney, Australia.

ABSTRACT. The Zadko Observatory located approximately 70 kilometres north of Perth in the Yeal nature reserve within the Shire of Gingin, Western Australia, forms part of the University of Western Australia’s (UWA’s) Space Surveillance Hub, dedicated to tracking and characterising both natural and artificial space objects. The site is the base for the space domain awareness node of UWA’s International Space Centre.

With a view to supporting ongoing scientific instrument upgrades and observatory maintenance it has proven critical to attract additional funding and seek out collaboration with international partners.

In this presentation, I will focus on the administrative and technical details of the Observatory, focusing on the sustainability of the Observatory and its potential for future growth. I will review the evolution of the Observatory, from its early, single instrument, state to its current multi-instrument capabilities. I will finish by outlining the future growth of UWA’s space surveillance hub.

ABSTRACT. Ground-based photometric monitoring of geostationary satellites provides a practical means of extracting operationally relevant information about surface properties, solar panel orientation, and structural configuration from unresolved observations. We present a reflectance model based on the Phong model applied to high-cadence, unfiltered light curves of two co-located geostationary satellites – Sky Muster (NORAD 40940) and Himawari 9 (NORAD 41836) – observed simultaneously at the 140.5°E orbital slot using the POLON-Australia telescope. Unfiltered observations preserve the full temporal resolution, enabling specular glint features from solar panel reflections to be resolved in detail. Solar panel orientation offsets retrieved from glint peak positions agree with nominal values provided by the satellite operator to within measurement uncertainties across all five observed nights. Bayesian parameter estimation via Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling yields well-constrained bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) parameters for both satellites, revealing systematic and reproducible differences in the fitted specular sharpness parameter between the two platforms, the physical origin of which requires further investigation. The bus diffuse coefficient shows correlated night-to-night variation in both satellites, suggesting a common atmospheric or geometric external driver. These results demonstrate that stable, physically interpretable photometric „fingerprints” can be retrieved from non-resolved observations, with potential applications in satellite operational status monitoring and attitude anomaly detection.

ABSTRACT. Rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) have been a part of human space activities from almost the beginning of human spaceflight. The first RPOs were carried out by humans and included the US Gemini and Apollo missions. These were followed by transfer of astronauts and cosmonauts to and from Salyut, MIR and Skylab, and for the assembly of the International Space Station. To these manned activities have now been added unmanned RPOs such as on-orbit satellite servicing, satellite formation flying and active debris removal. Most of these RPOs have been benign and not potential threats. However, there are now an increasing number of RPOs which are not benign and which potentially threaten some space activities. It is now becoming common to designate RPOs as cooperative or non-cooperative, and the latter are becoming the subject of heightened security concerns. We present here imagery we captured showing the interaction of two Chinese satellites in geosynchronous orbit.

ABSTRACT. A high performance Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) blanket has been developed to enable small payloads to survive the extremely cold, two-week long lunar night. To survive the night periods, lunar surface equipment needs highly efficient insulation to retain as much as possible of its internally generated heat. The MLI blanket R&D presented here was part of an iLAuNCH Trailblazer project led by entX Limited to advance their Radioisotope Heater Unit (RHU) technology. As part of that project, EntX developed a technology demonstrator payload approximately 3U in size for which Moonlode Pty Ltd developed the MLI. To reduce heat leakage, the MLI blanket was designed as a pair of sub-blankets with non-matching edges. All edges of the sub-blankets were sewn and taped according to typical satelite MLI construction techniques. Hook and loop fasteners were used for all the blanket's mechanical interfaces. Space-grade materials and processes were used for all parts of the blanket assembly and it was instrumented with several temperature sensors to give accurate data about the temperature gradient through its layers. A thermal analysis model was created using the lumped parameter method to verify the blanket's performance and predict the thermal vacuum test results. The thermal analysis took into account the various unavoidable sources of heat leasks such as the strutural mounting and several small cut-outs in the blanket for cable feed throughs. Low temperature thermal vacuum testing was conducted with the MLI installed around the demonstrator payload, which was approximatly 3U in size. Pending completion of the thermal vacuum testing, those results will also be summarised.

ABSTRACT. The prolonged seismic coda recorded during the Apollo missions demonstrates that the lunar crust is an exceptionally heterogeneous scattering medium, with seismic energy persisting for more than one hour- far longer than is typically observed on Earth. Previous studies have used deterministic full-waveform modelling and Monte Carlo Radiative Transfer Theory (RTT) to investigate this phenomenon. Deterministic approaches have primarily focused on reproducing the early portion of the Apollo energy envelope, while previous RTT studies have successfully modelled the long-duration coda but have provided limited investigation of the combined effects of scattering-layer architecture, statistical heterogeneity, and regional crustal structure.

This study applies Monte Carlo RTT to investigate the complete one-hour Apollo artificial-impact records systematically. Building upon previous RTT implementations, the modelling framework incorporates frequency-dependent receiver gathers, intrinsic attenuation, and systematic exploration of von Kármán scattering parameters, including velocity perturbation, correlation length, roughness, density scaling, and scattering-layer thickness. Parameter sweeps were performed to evaluate their influence on the evolution, persistence, and characteristic fluctuations of the simulated seismic energy envelopes.

The results demonstrate that the previously proposed 10 km scattering layer successfully reproduces the early envelope but fails to sustain the observed long-duration lunar coda. Increasing the scattering layer to 50 km, consistent with recent deterministic studies, substantially improves agreement with the Apollo observations. Best-fitting velocity perturbations vary systematically between source–receiver paths, ranging from 15% to 30%, indicating significant regional variability in lunar crustal heterogeneity. Independent comparison with GRAIL-derived crustal thickness and the Unified Geologic Map of the Moon suggests that these variations are consistent with differences in crustal structure and geological terranes.

In addition, this study develops a modified multilayer RTT workflow that enables depth-dependent scattering properties and systematic investigation of alternative crustal architectures. Together with independent geological constraints, the workflow provides a reproducible framework for future investigations of regional lunar crustal heterogeneity and demonstrates that Monte Carlo RTT is a computationally efficient tool for modelling long-duration lunar seismic scattering.

ABSTRACT. Suspended gravity offload systems are widely used for mobility testing of planetary exploration vehicles. This work outlines the technical design and preliminary lessons learnt from a gravity offload system developed for rover mobility testing in Adelaide University’s CRATER facility located at the Roseworthy Campus. Development began with an initial passive system tested in December 2025. Lessons from this testing informed the development of a fully active system, which was deployed for the first time in August 2026. The system is based on a gantry crane design. A 5×5×5 m box truss structure supports rails along the X and Y axes, with a motorised bridge and trolley that follow the rover’s horizontal position. A linear actuator operates along the vertical Z axis and provides the required offload force. An optical motion tracking system determines the rover’s position in the horizontal plane, allowing the offload attachment point to follow the vehicle as it traverses the test area. This keeps the offload cable vertical, ensuring that the applied offload force acts directly against gravity while minimising unintended horizontal forces. A load cell measures cable tension, and a closed-loop controller commands the vertical actuator to maintain the prescribed offload force. A cable based gimbal ensures the offload force acts through the rovers centre of gravity and a regolith simulant recently developed at Adelaide University specifically for gravity offload testing was used to reproduce representative lunar terrain. Throughout the development, testing and operation of the gravity offload system, numerous technical and practical challenges were encountered. This work provides an overview of the system as developed and describes the lessons learnt through its application to lunar rover mobility testing. These experiences provide practical insights into the design, commissioning and operation of future reduced gravity test facilities.

ABSTRACT. Australia’s first Moon rover, Roo-ver, is scheduled to launch later this decade where it will be remotely operated to explore the surface of the lunar South Pole. Roo-ver is being designed, built and tested in Australia by the ELO2 Consortium as part of the Australian Space Agency’s Moon to Mars initiative. This project received grant funding from the Australian Government through the Australian Space Agency and EPE Oceania Pty Ltd. In preparation for its journey to the moon, one of the major challenges Roo-ver must overcome is surviving the harsh radiation environment of the lunar surface.

Swinburne University of Technology leads the radiation effects package for the ELO2 Consortium. This work outlines the development and assessment of the radiation exposure expected during Roo-ver’s lunar surface operations using a custom-built Geant4 application. The Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) component of the radiation environment was calculated using the ISO 15390 model, as recommended by the ECSS-E-ST-10-04C standard. Within Geant4, primary GCR particles were generated from a hemispherical surface and directed isotropically towards a flat volume representing the lunar surface. A high-fidelity Roo-ver CAD model was integrated within the Geant4 simulation using the publicly available CADMesh library. Additionally, the creation of secondary particles from the interaction of GCRs with the lunar surface, referred to as Backscattered Lunar Radiation (BLR), were simulated and tracked in Geant4. In this talk, we present the predicted radiation exposure to Roo-ver's most susceptible electronic components in terms of particle flux, total ionising dose, and linear energy transfer (LET).

ABSTRACT. Asteroids are of scientific interest as remnants from the formation of the solar system, of economic interest as extractable space resources, and of planetary defence interest posing potential collision hazards. NASA’s recent OSIRIS-REx sample return mission to rubble-pile asteroid Bennu observed unexpected cratering and ejecta formation as a result of the touch-and-go manoeuvre. The unexpected response revealed that asteroids can exhibit fluid-like behaviour, which needs to be accounted for when planning future missions. To enable future attempts at extractive and locomotive manoeuvres on fluid-like asteroids, it is important to predict the surface behaviour in advance. Given the practical limitation of physical testing, surface response to robotic interaction is best predicted through simulation. The Material Point Method is a continuum mechanics technique with demonstrated capability in handling large deformation, multi-phase and fluidic behaviour. A characterisation test has been conducted to validate the model against a physical experiment involving an analogue of Bennu’s surface made using cornstarch. If the validated model proves successful in reconstructing the OSIRIS-REx touchdown using real mission data, then the Material Point Method may present a new state-of-the-art approach in simulating robotic interaction with fluid-like asteroids.

ABSTRACT. Metal-rich asteroids are potential sources of platinum-group metals (PGMs), but their utilization requires both selective processing of platinum from the dominant Fe-Ni metal matrix and economically viable extraction architecture. This study combines laboratory-scale hydrometallurgical separation with techno-economic analysis (TEA) to assess a process pathway for platinum production from asteroid resources. This study aims to prepare a real asteroid mission, ‘Pt-TRAIL’, planned for 2028. A synthetic asteroid-like Fe-Ni-Co-Pt system was subjected to chloride leaching followed by liquid–liquid extraction using decanoic-acid-based deep eutectic solvents (DESs). Rather than extracting Pt directly, the separation strategy preferentially removes the major base metals while retaining Pt in the aqueous phase for subsequent recovery. A DES comprising decanoic acid, Mextral 63H and picolinic acid extracted approximately 80-100% Fe, 89-98% Ni and 88-96% Co across the investigated phase ratios. At an organic-to-aqueous ratio of 1:30, Pt extraction decreased to approximately 18%, demonstrating preferential Pt retention relative to the base-metal matrix. These experimental findings provide the separation and beneficiation basis for evaluating how the proposed extraction process could perform when integrated into a larger-scale asteroid resource utilization architecture. Furthermore, a TEA is applied to determine the effects of platinum price, and learning-curve effects on multi-mission profitability. TEA was conducted for the entire process flow from excavation, extraction and finally resource concentration using DES solvent. A small-scale process is unable to generate profits as annual revenue is lower than annual opex while large scale is able to break even in year 5 or 6, including or excluding energy costs, respectively. Spacecraft reuse, multiple smaller spacecraft, and manufacturing learning effects increase cumulative profit, while processing throughput is the most sensitive technical parameter. Two nuclear-powered processing architectures, based on fission and fusion heating, are assessed because solar energy is limited in the Main Belt for sustained high-temperature processing. Fusion reaches break-even earlier because of lower initial infrastructure costs, whereas fission produces higher long-term profit after lunar infrastructure is amortized. Together, the experimental and economic results indicate that selective early-stage beneficiation, high processing throughput, reusable spacecraft and infrastructure, and reliable high-energy processing are key requirements for economically viable deep-space PGM extraction.