Space Connect Podcast

Australia is playing a growing role in space domain awareness as the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) progresses at Exmouth in Western Australia. Speaking with Space Connect news editor Robert Dougherty, Northrop Grumman Australia director of programs Derek Reinhardt and Northrop Grumman's director of next-generation space systems, Kevin Giammo, discuss DARC, Australia's role in the pro...

Phil Tarrant is joined by Space Industry Association of Australia CEO Dan Lloyd and chairman Darin Lovett to examine Australia's growing dependence on space and the strategic implications of an increasingly contested space domain. They unpack the critical role space plays across Australia's economy and national security, from positioning, navigation and timing, and communications to defence, trans...

How should Australian aerospace and defence companies use patents and intellectual property to protect innovation and gain a competitive advantage? In this episode of the Space Connect Podcast, news editor Robert Dougherty is joined by Edward Genocchio, shareholder at GLMR and an experienced patent attorney and engineer with more than 30 years' experience across patents and the defence industry. T...

How can quantum technology and secure communications protect Australia's space and defence capabilities against emerging cyber threats? In this episode of the Space Connect Podcast, news editor Robert Dougherty is joined by Carley Scott, CEO of Space CoLAB and former CEO of Equatorial Launch Australia, which established Australia's first spaceport. The pair, attending Cicada X Tech23 in Sydney, di...

What does the Australian government's new Statement on Space mean for the future of Australia's space industry In this today's episode of the Space Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Dan Lloyd, CEO of the Space Industry Association of Australia. The pair discuss the government's new Statement on Space and Statement of Expectations for the Australian Space Agency, incl...

Australia's space sector remains nascent compared to the United States, Europe, China and Japan. Yet Anupam Kumar Pilli, manager of strategic projects at ANU, frames this as an opportunity rather than a handicap. The critical task is identifying where Australia can differentiate – where capability gaps exist even in mature space economies. That differentiation rests on three pillars. First, microg...

How can Australia strengthen its space capabilities through AI, international partnerships and closer integration between commercial and defence systems? In this special Australian Space Summit & Exhibition 2026 edition of the Space Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Mel French, director of operations, and David Blair, director of space missile defence and advanced co...

How can Australian space companies build commercial sustainability while retaining global competitiveness and supporting research? In this special Australian Space Summit & Exhibition 2026 edition of the Space Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Kelvin Ho, product manager for space, surface science and materials at Scitek Australia. The pair discuss the evolution of Au...

How can the space industry interpret the Australian government's Statement on Space and Statement of Expectations for the Australian Space Agency? In this episode of the Space Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Dr Jason Held, chief executive officer of Saber Astronautics and a former US Army Major with experience across the US Space Command and the Space and Missile D...

How can modern manufacturing processes, industry collaboration and workforce development help strengthen Australia's growing space sector? In this special Australian Space Summit & Exhibition 2026 edition of the Space Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Mitchell Galloway and Peter Gibson from FUCHS Lubricants Australia. The trio discuss the growing role of sovereign ma...

How can Australia leverage next-generation solar technology and sovereign manufacturing capability to strengthen its position in the global space economy? In today's Australian Space Summit & Exhibition 2026 episode of the Space Connect podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Paul Mooney, founder and CEO of Australian solar technology company Halocell Energy. The pair discuss deve...

How is hypersonic technology reshaping access to space, defence capability and the future of sovereign aerospace innovation? In this episode of the Space Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Matt Hill, chief executive officer of Hypersonix Launch Systems, during the Australian Space Summit & Exhibition 2026 in Sydney. Hill discusses the company's landmark DART AE launch...

How can Australia inspire more young people to pursue careers in space, STEM and national capability from an early age? In this episode of the Space Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Jen Malone, founder of the Young Astronauts Club Australia, during the Australian Space Summit & Exhibition 2026 in Sydney. Malone discusses the origins of the Young Astronauts Club, how...

What does it take to build and launch a student-led satellite project while preparing for a career in Australia's rapidly evolving space sector? In this episode of the Space Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Luc Fichera during the Australian Space Summit & Exhibition 2026 in Sydney. Fichera explains his role in Queensland University of Technology Aerospace Society's...

How can Australia turn its geographic advantages into sovereign space capability while accelerating commercial science, launch infrastructure and AI-enabled aerospace operations? In this episode of the Space Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by James Palmer, founder and chief executive officer of Space Centre Australia, during the Australian Space Summit & Exhibition 20...

How should Australia position itself in the global space competition as new technologies challenge existing rules and governance frameworks? In this episode of the Space Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Professor Steven Freeland, emeritus professor at Western Sydney University, professorial fellow at Bond University and former member of the Australian Space Agency A...

How can Australia build a stronger role in the global space economy and position itself for the next phase of commercial space activity? In this episode of the Space Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Bradley Hatton-Jones, founder and chief executive of Gold Coast-based space logistics company Orbit2Orbit. Hatton-Jones is a South African-born aerospace entrepreneur le...

How is Australia building a specialised space workforce while balancing sovereign capability, allied integration and the operational demands of a contested domain? In this episode of the Space Connect Podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Commander of Australian Space Command, Major General Gregory Novak AM, to discuss the rapid evolution of the space domain and its growing importance to national...

Franco-American space transportation company Hstar Space is building a heavy-class rocket to blast off global infrastructure into orbit. Its upcoming launch vehicle is designed to carry up to 60 tonnes of payload.  Once complete, they hope to blast it off from spaceports around the world, including locally at the upcoming Space Centre Australia in far north Queensland.  In this special episode, th...

This week, the Space Connect Podcast features a returning guest: Paul Hawkins, the founder of Crazy Might Work. His company is a leadership and innovation academy that brings lessons from frontiers like space to the workplace. More simply put, Hawkins and his team work with leaders and their teams to create and mobilise high-performing teams. Their re-imagination of NASA's successful 4-D program w...

Last month, Space Connect held its Australian Space Summit and Exhibition, or AusSpace, in Sydney.  The highlight of the event though was a panel where schoolchildren were given the chance to interview three astronauts. We've got the audio so you can listen in. The panel included Paul Scully-Power, Australia's first-ever astronaut, who went to space in 1984; Eric Philips, who only blasted off to s...

The Australian Space Summit & Exhibition was the biggest event of the year for our local industry. In this special episode recorded at the event, Space Connect editor Adam Thorn and Defence Connect analyst Steve Kuper discuss the main takeaways. The pair discuss the importance of AUKUS to space, the impact of government cuts to the industry and why the sector is so integral to our national defence...

Last week, Space Centre Australia revealed it was set to work with NASA on an audacious proposal to launch satellites via military aircraft. The plan – similar to that pioneered by Virgin Orbit – has already begun testing at the US space agency's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia using a modified C-130J Super Hercules. In this episode of the Space Connect podcast, SCA's chief executive, James Pa...

If you have been paying attention to the news for the past few weeks, you might have heard about a "city-destroying" asteroid – 2024 YR4 – spotted late last year that had the potential to impact Earth in 2032. While the chances of 2024 YR4 hitting us were once thought to be as high as 3 per cent, they have, fortunately, since been revised down to near zero – but with new asteroids and other object...

This week, ELO2 Consortium beat out rival AROSE to win the right to create Australia's upcoming lunar rover. The rover is designed to collect regolith, or moon soil, that will eventually be turned into oxygen to support a permanent NASA base. It's arguably the biggest and most exciting project Australia's space sector has ever been involved with, and will work in tandem with NASA's Artemis mission...