SYDNEY, 08 December, 2022 – A team of Lockheed Martin space researchers, technicians and engineers from Australia and the US were on hand at the inaugural Young Space Explorers event to inspire the next generation of Australia’s skilled space workforce.

Delivered in collaboration between the STEM Industry School Partnerships (SISP) and Regional Industry Education Partnerships (RIEP) program within the NSW Department of Education, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra Space, the New South Wales Space Research Network (SRN) and the Australian Space Agency, Young Space Explorers was conceived to connect Australia’s vibrant space industry, government and the space research community with students and their teachers.

Over a full-day program, roughly 250 students – in Years 9 and 10 – from across New South Wales were given an immersive dive into the emerging Australian space industry, with displays and demonstrations from universities, industry, TAFE and the Australian Space Agency. The hands-on space-themed challenges and technologies included robotics, hypersonics, rocketry, material sciences, astrobiology, satellites, planetary science, artificial intelligence and even a lunar rover demonstration.

“Lockheed Martin Australia is proud to sponsor the inaugural Young Space Explorers event, a coordinated effort between government, industry and education institutions to inspire and ignite students’ aspirations for careers in space,” said David Ball, Lockheed Martin Australia’s Regional Director for Space. “We believe the industry has an important role to play by investing in initiatives that can support the Australian Space Agency to realise its goals to triple the size of Australia’s space industry to AU$12 billion and create up to 20,000 new Australian jobs by 2030.”

“Australia has one of the fastest growing space sectors in the world, making attracting more students to pursue study in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) critical to realising a sustainable, sovereign space industry,” Ball said.

“With an emphasis on immersive learning, Young Space Explorers has been designed to open students’ eyes to the breadth of space careers available and help equip teachers with the skills, insights and confidence to use space in their classrooms,” said Russell Boyce, director of UNSW Canberra Space. “We are very grateful to all of the speakers and exhibitors who took part in the Expo for bringing the huge variety of STEM degree programs and STEM careers to life.”

“While having Lockheed Martin Australia and the Australian Space Agency present added to the excitement for students, their support as sponsors of the event was invaluable. It enabled us to extend the reach of our program and provide students and their teachers from regional New South Wales the opportunity to attend the event,” Russell Boyce said.

During the event, members of the Lockheed Martin Space team joined the judging panel for the final round of The Great Space Pitch, where four school teams vied for the title of best space technology innovation with 5-minute presentations. The event closed with a space sector networking session for university students, industry, government, policymakers, Defence and other space agencies.

In addition to supporting the Young Space Explorers event, Lockheed Martin Australia has invested in STEM initiatives with STEM Punks, National Youth Science Forum, Questacon, University of Newcastle and the NSW Government’s STEMStart Program. Most recently, Lockheed Martin Australia announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with UNSW Canberra Space to contribute to a comprehensive space education program with research and development and industry engagement pathways.

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About Lockheed Martin Australia

Headquartered in Canberra, Lockheed Martin Australia is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation. The company employs more than 1,200 people in Australia working on a wide range of major programs spanning the aerospace, defence and civil sectors.

www.lockheedmartin.com/en-au

Media Contact:

Joanne Hon, joanne.hon@lmco.com, +61 458 175 404