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Friday, September 06, 2019 4:12:56 AM
ANU Mount Stromlo Observatory to get technology NASA will have to catch up with
"Testing ground set for plasma jar to the stars
[...]
Australian engineers have their eyes on inter-stellar skies,
and are about to test the jet engine that may take them there."
By Jordan Hayne and Narda Gilmore
Posted Thu [Aussi time] at 3:00pm
Photo: The station will be built at Mount Stromlo Observatory. (ABC News: Greg Nelson)
Related Story: The Dish would have you believe the first pictures from the Moon came from Parkes. They didn't
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-18/the-dish-is-a-great-comedy-but-certainly-not-a-documentary/11318862
Related Story: Australia's space agency wants to create 20,000 jobs — including lawyers and submarine builders
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-28/space-agency-jobs-target/11452422
Related Story: Scientists plan to shoot down space junk with a laser
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-21/scientists-plan-to-shoot-down-space-junk-with-a-laser/9573066
Related Story: The challenges of tracking space junk
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-22/the-challenges-of-tracking-space-junk/8972438
There are hopes new technology obtained by the Australian National University (ANU) will put
Australia ahead of the curve when it comes to space communications — even ahead of NASA.
Key points:
* A new station with capabilities to communicate with spacecraft via lasers is announced in Canberra
* NASA is yet to adopt the technology, but it is expected to be a major step for space communications
* Canberra is tipped to play a part in future Moon missions and Mars exploration
The university will soon be responsible for a quantum optical ground station — effectively a sophisticated transmitter that sends data to space with lasers, rather than the traditional radio waves.
The technology is still emerging, but the station would allow much more information to flow between spacecraft and Earth — potentially assisting missions to put humans on the Moon, and on Mars.
The station, which will be at Mount Stromlo in Canberra's west, is the latest in a string of the region's contributions to new frontiers in space.
Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station, a short drive from Canberra, was the first point of contact on the planet for vision of the moon landing ,, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-18/the-dish-is-a-great-comedy-but-certainly-not-a-documentary/11318862 .
Francis Bennet, who will lead the project for the ANU, said currently only a small amount of information could be sent between the Earth and spacecraft.
"At the moment a lot of instruments around Earth in orbit, they have to process everything they collect on board, and then transmit back a fraction of that data," Dr Bennet said.
"Who knows what happens with all that data that we have to delete just because we don't have the ability to transmit it.
"This will really put Australia at the forefront of what could be the next space race in terms of data communication."
Mick Gentleman with astrophysicists Ed Kruzins and Francis Bennet.
Photo: Dr Francis Bennet (right) said a lot of
data collected in space is deleted without analysis.
(ABC News: Greg Nelson)
Quantum optical communications technology is considered a major step forward in space communications, but is yet to be fully adopted by NASA.
Dr Bennet said a long-term goal was to create a network of similar stations across Australia and New Zealand, which could then assist missions launched from around the world.
Canberra expected to play a role in moon missions
The new station was funded jointly by the ANU, the CSIRO and the ACT Government, and while a final site at the Mount Stromlo Observatory is yet to be selected, the university plans to begin construction soon.
The CSIRO's Ed Kruzins, who works on the organisation's NASA operations, said the fact Australia was embracing the technology meant it was well placed to assist in future missions.
"The missions to the moon under the lunar gateway activities will come to the ACT anyway through Tidbinbilla and the Deep Space Network," he said.
Can you point out where the Moon landings happened?
Join astronomer Fred Watson on a guided tour of the Apollo sites,
stunning lava plains and craters that dot our celestial neighbour.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-16/pocket-guide-to-the-moon/11260558
"That will happen when men and women go back to the Moon.
"Whether it turns into being an optical communications connection is likely, and Australia will be very well placed, particularly the ACT will be well placed in supporting that optical communications backbone."
The ACT's Space Industries Minister Mick Gentleman said the investment could encourage NASA to adopt the technology.
"It's a great opportunity for the ACT to still be at the forefront of space communications, we have a long history of course in space communications in the ACT," he said.
"We're hoping that it'll nudge NASA a little bit to ensure
that they can move into this communication space as well."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-05/canberra-anu-csiro-space-capabilities-beat-nasa/11481786
"Testing ground set for plasma jar to the stars
[...]
Australian engineers have their eyes on inter-stellar skies,
and are about to test the jet engine that may take them there."
By Jordan Hayne and Narda Gilmore
Posted Thu [Aussi time] at 3:00pm
Photo: The station will be built at Mount Stromlo Observatory. (ABC News: Greg Nelson)
Related Story: The Dish would have you believe the first pictures from the Moon came from Parkes. They didn't
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-18/the-dish-is-a-great-comedy-but-certainly-not-a-documentary/11318862
Related Story: Australia's space agency wants to create 20,000 jobs — including lawyers and submarine builders
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-28/space-agency-jobs-target/11452422
Related Story: Scientists plan to shoot down space junk with a laser
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-21/scientists-plan-to-shoot-down-space-junk-with-a-laser/9573066
Related Story: The challenges of tracking space junk
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-22/the-challenges-of-tracking-space-junk/8972438
There are hopes new technology obtained by the Australian National University (ANU) will put
Australia ahead of the curve when it comes to space communications — even ahead of NASA.
Key points:
* A new station with capabilities to communicate with spacecraft via lasers is announced in Canberra
* NASA is yet to adopt the technology, but it is expected to be a major step for space communications
* Canberra is tipped to play a part in future Moon missions and Mars exploration
The university will soon be responsible for a quantum optical ground station — effectively a sophisticated transmitter that sends data to space with lasers, rather than the traditional radio waves.
The technology is still emerging, but the station would allow much more information to flow between spacecraft and Earth — potentially assisting missions to put humans on the Moon, and on Mars.
The station, which will be at Mount Stromlo in Canberra's west, is the latest in a string of the region's contributions to new frontiers in space.
Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station, a short drive from Canberra, was the first point of contact on the planet for vision of the moon landing ,, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-18/the-dish-is-a-great-comedy-but-certainly-not-a-documentary/11318862 .
Francis Bennet, who will lead the project for the ANU, said currently only a small amount of information could be sent between the Earth and spacecraft.
"At the moment a lot of instruments around Earth in orbit, they have to process everything they collect on board, and then transmit back a fraction of that data," Dr Bennet said.
"Who knows what happens with all that data that we have to delete just because we don't have the ability to transmit it.
"This will really put Australia at the forefront of what could be the next space race in terms of data communication."
Mick Gentleman with astrophysicists Ed Kruzins and Francis Bennet.
Photo: Dr Francis Bennet (right) said a lot of
data collected in space is deleted without analysis.
(ABC News: Greg Nelson)
Quantum optical communications technology is considered a major step forward in space communications, but is yet to be fully adopted by NASA.
Dr Bennet said a long-term goal was to create a network of similar stations across Australia and New Zealand, which could then assist missions launched from around the world.
Canberra expected to play a role in moon missions
The new station was funded jointly by the ANU, the CSIRO and the ACT Government, and while a final site at the Mount Stromlo Observatory is yet to be selected, the university plans to begin construction soon.
The CSIRO's Ed Kruzins, who works on the organisation's NASA operations, said the fact Australia was embracing the technology meant it was well placed to assist in future missions.
"The missions to the moon under the lunar gateway activities will come to the ACT anyway through Tidbinbilla and the Deep Space Network," he said.
Can you point out where the Moon landings happened?
Join astronomer Fred Watson on a guided tour of the Apollo sites,
stunning lava plains and craters that dot our celestial neighbour.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-16/pocket-guide-to-the-moon/11260558
"That will happen when men and women go back to the Moon.
"Whether it turns into being an optical communications connection is likely, and Australia will be very well placed, particularly the ACT will be well placed in supporting that optical communications backbone."
The ACT's Space Industries Minister Mick Gentleman said the investment could encourage NASA to adopt the technology.
"It's a great opportunity for the ACT to still be at the forefront of space communications, we have a long history of course in space communications in the ACT," he said.
"We're hoping that it'll nudge NASA a little bit to ensure
that they can move into this communication space as well."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-05/canberra-anu-csiro-space-capabilities-beat-nasa/11481786
It was Plato who said, “He, O men, is the wisest, who like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing”
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