Space

The field I am studying in my MPhil is called algebraic topology. Topology, coming from Greek topos (meaning position) and logia (meaning study), is the  'study of positions'. It is the geometry we get when we forget about proportions and only consider relative positions. However, often geometric problems are difficult. Algebraic topology aims to convert these geometric problems to algebraic ones, as algebra is better understood and often easier.

An interesting class of topological spaces (points with relative positional information) are manifolds which are spaces that locally look like flat (Euclidean) space and hence allow us to use the wide array of Euclidean techniques developed over centuries. For example, standing on the Earth, the horizon seems quite flat. It is not until we go much higher that the horizon appears to curve. Indeed, a sphere is a 2-dimensional manifold (or simply 2-manifold).

I am particularly interested in 4-manifolds as they are less understood than manifolds of other dimensions and exhibit peculiar behaviour. Results often have implications in physics since general relativity models spacetime as a 4-manifold.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Paawan Jethva 

Massive objects under acceleration emit gravitational waves, distortions in the very fabric of reality. These distortions, typically emitted from astronomical objects such as black hole mergers, are detectable using current generation observatories on Earth. The instruments utilised within these observatories are so sensitive that a person walking next to them can be detected. To ensure that terrestrial movements do not interfere with gravitational wave observations, isolation systems are required to decouple the instruments from environmental vibrations. Such systems leverage innovations and bleeding edge research into sensors, actuators, and control systems, to support the observatory hardware. This project supports research into seismic isolation systems by replicating current generation suspension systems with the goal of testing and refinement.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Xuefang Liu
• Ailbhe Kwok 

To facilitate long-term space exploration into our solar system, NASA intends to establish off-earth habitation on the Moon. The lunar surface, covered in a layer of, unconsolidated debris known as  'regolith', presents unique challenges for construction. A key component of these challenges lies in compacting the regolith to a sufficient density to support these lunar structures. To meet NASA's density requirements for lunar regolith, our project focused on adapting the common Earth-based tool, the vibrating smooth drum roller. The project involved testing a 1:13 scale model, experimenting with various speed and frequency configurations to achieve an optimal combination that maximises the density of a lunar regolith simulant. In future, these findings can be upscaled to demonstrate the feasibility of establishing a base on the Moon by providing stable lunar foundations, paving the way for future human space exploration and habitation.  

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Daniela Jaud  
• Nicolette Miller 
• Tasha Spratling
• Lane Whittaker  

Humans living on the moon. It sounds like science fiction, but people worldwide are working to make this a reality. To live on the moon, we must learn how to utilise the moon's resources. This project aimed to design and build a prototype system for processing lunar regolith (the surface layer of fine dust particles) to extract useful materials. This includes minerals rich in metals, oxygen, and glass that can be used for creating fuel, water, or construction materials. A two-stage system has been constructed: size separation to extract larger glassy particles and magnetic separation to extract particles containing metals and metal oxides. The system was validated by inputting lunar simulants and then assessing the outputs. The final system allows for the separation of a range of materials from lunar regolith and has the potential to be further developed into a mission-ready system.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Emily Unewisse 
• Timothy Luke Sanders 
• Miles Reschke 
• Chrisie Lironis 
• Samuel Osborn 

Robots often struggle to move through sand, which can make tasks like search and rescue or exploring other planets very difficult. Our project aims to solve this problem by making sand easier for robots to move through, almost as if they were swimming instead of digging. We investigated this by using vibrating motors to "shake" the sand, causing it to behave more like a liquid — a process known as liquefaction. By testing different types of vibrations, we found the most effective way to help robots move quickly and smoothly through the sand. Our research could lead to new technologies that make it easier for robots to perform important tasks in sandy environments, whether they're on Earth or exploring distant planets.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Bailey Pedersen 
• Thaddeaus Wong 
• Zecheng Yu 

Space Domain Awareness (SDA) refers to the ability to detect, and monitor objects in space such as satellites, space debris and other such objects orbiting Earth. With the existence of thousands of satellites and objects in orbit, the primary goal of SDA satellites is to ensure the safety and coordination of space operations, to avoid collisions and to protect satellites that are essential to modern society. However, due to the rapid fluctuation in thermal environment, SDA satellites tend to experience extreme temperatures throughout their orbit. To maintain functionality of the satellite, this project collaborates with industry partner, Inovor Technologies, to design a thermal control system to maintain satellite temperature within operational ranges. To confirm viability, a satellite was designed, manufactured and underwent thermal simulations to verify the systems performance in various test conditions. The results were confirmed with real experiments in a thermal vacuum chamber.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Jayden D'Souza 
• Truong-An Pham 

Did you know that over 80% of of the moon is yet to be explored? This is because the surface of the moon is similar to a sandpit that is filled with really big rocks! The rovers that we have sent there have a hard time and get their wheels stuck in the sand and are unable to jump out. To address this future rovers need to be able to jump over obstacles, so that they can explore more areas that the wheeled robots do now. Our project is working on solving this by creating designs that hop like kangaroos! We have built these contraptions so that they can operate within the moon's environmental conditions. Building upon previous versions we have attempted to increase the mechanisms energy efficiency, whilst introducing forward manoeuvrability. We have built an early version version that shows potential for being able to manoeuvre the moon's surface.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Thomas Douglass 
• Cassidy Burns 
• Kai Peters 

NASA aims to send humans to inhabit the Moon as part of the Artemis Mission. The goal is to create a hub for future human exploration of Mars, and to learn how humans can live and work on other planets. To live on the Moon, humans will require housing, roads, landing pads and other key infrastructure to sustain themselves. It's no secret that the Moon is very different to Earth, there is no atmosphere, and the soil is dissimilar. Therefore, understanding the impact of the Moons lack of atmosphere on the characteristics of lunar soil is critical to understand how infrastructure can be constructed on the Moon's surface. We have discovered that the difference in the atmosphere on Earth and the Moon has significant impact on the geotechnical properties of lunar soil. We have also evaluated several key geotechnical properties of lunar soil in vacuum, replicating the lunar atmosphere, to benefit the construction of infrastructure on the Moon.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Alex Duffy 
• Dylan Croft 
• Harrison Reid 
• Ruben Carreno 

This project addresses the limitations of traditional rover systems in low-gravity environments by developing an innovative anchoring technology known as 'Microspines.' These omnidirectional anchoring mechanisms consist of arrays of steel hooks embedded in 3D-printed frames with a compliant suspension system, originally designed for climbing robots. This configuration enables temporary adhesion to various surfaces, significantly enhancing mobility and stability for space exploration. Key outcomes are replicating and fabricating a microspine, integrating them into a carriage system, and developing a robotic actuation system to achieve an optimised surface grip. The use of compliant mechanisms reduces the number of moving parts, thereby minimising potential points of failure in extreme space environments. Notably, this project is the first to conduct environmental testing of replicated microspines in simulated space conditions, providing valuable insights into their material, and mechanical properties and advancing their potential application in space exploration.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Amber Pegoli 
• Callie Hopwood 
• Fida Matin 
• Georgia Dallimore 
• Grace Gunner 

Astronauts endure unsatisfying meals on long-term missions due to the loss of aroma and flavour in space food. That puts morale down on these demanding voyages. We have decided to tackle this issue using cold plasma technology to enhance the natural aroma of cherry tomatoes. Through targeted treatment, we intensified key aroma compounds by enhancing their release or converting them into other preferred aroma compounds. This results in cherry tomatoes that retain their fresh, vibrant taste even after prolonged storage. Our findings offer a game-changing solution for keeping space cuisine delicious, making sure that astronauts can enjoy flavourful meals no matter how far from Earth they travel.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Nuha Rafeek 

The aim of the project is to design and develop a novel deployable extraterrestrial rover, which utilises bio-mimetic and morphing mechanisms to augment capabilities of preceding technologies. Historically, lunar rovers have almost universally employed wheels for movement, which inherently lack the capability to navigate extreme terrains or environments. Through autonomous exploration of the Moon's unfamiliar regions, we can obtain valuable information and resources that will be necessary for establishing a permanent Moon colony. Research, iterative prototyping and physics simulations have guided the design of a ant-like robot that is more versatile than traditional rovers. The robot's wheeled-leg design, morphing body, and unique locomotion encourage exploration of challenging terrains whilst also being able to morph into a smaller-size for deployment. These innovations between biology and robotics are pushing the boundaries of what is achievable for autonomous extra-terrestrial exploration.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Tyson Baker 
• Lachlan Gwynne 
• Ronan Murphy O'Neil 
• Natasha Polglase 
• Harrison Warrick 

NASA plans to build a permanent lunar base over the next several years to conduct further research and exploration of the Moon. However, traditional building materials, such as concrete, are too heavy and expensive to ship up. This project has investigated the viability of a new concrete-like material, called StarCrete, made using potato starch and lunar soil. Two different manufacturing processes and multiple mixes were tested by crushing StarCrete samples to determine how strong they were. Computer simulations have also been run to understand how strong a simple arched StarCrete structure would need to be to hold itself up in the Moon's gravity. Currently, it has been determined that StarCrete does possess some strength, however, may require further development of a simple manufacturing process in order to be realistically made and used on the Moon.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Elise Butson
• Cara Fry 
• Sanjyot Patil 
• Rebecca Shaw

Free space line-of-sight (LoS) optical communication systems promise enormous potential in the space and telecommunication industries due to their large data transmission capacities. The challenge for such systems is the requirement of fast, high-precision tracking to establish secure and consistent data communications. This project aims to improve a system that establishes and maintains a line-of-sight link by implementing a simulation for laser disturbance, and a means to maintain the link under these disturbances. This requires a more precise control system and data feedback beyond the scope of the receiver. After modifying the existing system and exploring different machine vision techniques, a robotic arm was programmed to simulate the disturbances, and in such conditions, the team managed to increase the control resolution by eight times from the previous project and integrate visual feedback into the system.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Murray Chahl 
• Jason Feng 
• Allen Liang 

Are the medicines we are giving our astronauts even working after being exposed to space radiation? Although there are aspirations for manned Mars missions in the near future, we are still very unaware of how stable pharmaceutical nanoemulsions are for long durations in a high radiation exposure environment. With the inability to regularly resupply necessary pharmaceutical products, as done so currently, this is an important challenge which must be solved before extended manned space exploration can take place.

This project aims to assess the effect of space radiation on both the stability and efficacy of a melatonin nanoemulsion. After formulation the samples were radiated using various radiation types and doses which mimic the space environment. The nanoemulsions were tested using a zeta sizer and ultraviolet spectrometry for droplet size determination and ultraperformance liquid chromatography for purity. The results will provide a basis for the possible solution development.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Imogen Marshall 
• Jessica Lai 

The ever-growing number of space objects (SOs), including satellites, in near earth orbit (NEO), has increased the risk of collisions. Debris from collisions may trigger a chain reaction, leading to the so-called Kessler Syndrome. Space situational awareness (SSA) is crucial in the mitigation of collisions, by tracking SO motion and state. This project aims to develop a machine learning (ML) model capable of classifying eight distinct satellite motion types using data from common civilian very high frequency (VHF) radars. The objective is to create a scalable tool that optimizes the workflow of SSA technicians and automates labour. Various convolutional neural network (CNN) models were explored for classification. In particular, we investigated several techniques to overcome the large class imbalances in our data. Data augmentation (DA) techniques such as random over sampling, geometric shifts, and introducing weighted loss functions can be utilised to improve accuracy.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Ayman Manhal Shaawi 
• Brian Wang 
• Tristan James Murphy 

As the Artemis III mission prepares for the landing of a crew of astronauts on the Moon by September 2026, it is imperative to train individuals for day-to-day activities on the Moon. One such activity is operating a lunar rover. To address this requirement, a motion simulator that can adequately mimic rover movement is required. Our project aims to improve and test a hexagonal motion platform also called the Hexapod, enhancing the user's movement experience within a lunar rover through ergonomics and Virtual Reality (VR). However, safety of the users and operators, and accuracy of the system is of utmost importance before the technology can be used. The project involves establishing additional safety features that adhere to Australian Standards, while improving and modularising the present current software. The intended outcome is a Lunar VR Hexapod with maximum safety, reliability, and functionality.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Elijah Franco Dy Tioco 
• Mark Madbak 
• Fernando Mujica 
• Trung Bui 
• Ananya Vohra 
• Revati Warrier 

NASA is planning to return humans to the Moon for the first time in over fifty years. Regolith, the abrasive material covering the lunar surface, presents significant challenges. However, NASA has demonstrated that it can also be advantageous, particularly for construction and mineral extraction, using remotely controlled robots. The Research and Education Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RE-RASSOR) project aims to contribute to NASA's research, using a smaller and simpler robotic platform that is more accessible to high school and university students. Established by Florida Space Institute (FSI), the University of Adelaide has been involved with Research aspect of the project since 2022. This year's project aims to enhance the design, functionality and performance of the RE-RASSOR. The improved robot features upgraded driving performance, efficient tool usage and interchange, a user interface with integrated camera and sensor data, simplified electronics, and ongoing accessibility for future teams.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Rami Andary 
• Christian Makram
• Teresa Kelly 
• Alexander Yantchev 

The development of lunar geopolymer concrete is crucial for constructing durable infrastructure on the Moon, where the harsh vacuum environment and lack of atmosphere challenge traditional construction materials. By leveraging lunar regolith, rich in silica and alumina, the project aims to design a geopolymer concrete mix using lunar regolith and alkaline solutions. The mix design is subjected to high curing temperatures and simulated vacuum conditions to determine its viability for lunar infrastructure. The results indicate that initial atmospheric pressure and elevated temperatures are required to activate the chemical reaction within the concrete, resulting in a final product that maintains durability and integrity. The unique properties of geopolymer concrete, combined with the abundant raw materials available on the Moon, make it a promising solution for sustainable lunar construction.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Rhiannon Hsieh 
• Michael Joseph 
• Naiqi Dong 

The conditions astronauts experience on the lunar surface are difficult to replicate through conventional training. Virtual Reality (VR) has been beneficial to preparing operators for the mission environment, in aviation and military fields and could be extended to space operations. Combining these VR environments with motion simulators enhances the realism of the training experience.

Improving the physical motion simulator requires a strictly controlled environment making it preferable to conduct initial testing in a digital environment. The goal of the project is to develop a digital twin of the motion simulator to reduce physical testing and streamline the simulations development. This includes the creation of a 3D model and accurate hydraulic circuit to mimic the response of the motion simulator. This project will produce a tool to streamline the testing of motion models to improve the realism of training simulators.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Thomas Booth 
• Joel Tripodi 
• Marisa Rowley 

What would it take to build a base on the moon? The answer is the same for both Moon and Earth — geotechnical investigation. Geotechnical investigation is the primary step for any construction, and is especially important if we aim to build a safe structure in an unexplored environment. The goal of our honours project is to investigate the properties of lunar soils, also known as regoliths, to help NASA construct a base on the south pole of the Moon. We are using tailor-made engineering tools to test different properties of a Lunar Soil Simulant in our university's EXTERRES Laboratory. These findings will provide us with a preliminary understanding of effective ways to use these tools to quantify different regolith properties, ensuring the construction of safe and efficient structures for astronauts in future missions, hopefully by the end of this decade.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Parth Deodhar 
• Owen Ong 

How do we get water to the moon?

A trick question, ideally we don't. In the future humanity will want to have long term manned missions on the moon, with astronauts living in some kind of moon base, they'll need water. That's where this project comes in, on the moon there are areas that get very little or even no exposure to sunlight that contain water locked away as ice within rock that makes up the lunar surface. Our project aims to help make use of that lunar ice by designing a drill bit (or drill bits) that can effectively and cleanly penetrate the frozen lunar surface. To do this, we'll use modelling and analysis software to design our drill(s), and then test them on imitations of frozen lunar rock and soil to evaluate their performance.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Matthew Nobile 

Satellites rely on external observations to estimate their position and orientation and not get lost. This information is critical for station-keeping, contacting ground stations, and other mission-critical tasks. Recently, event sensors 'low-power neuromorphic sensors' have been utilized for space-borne observations as they can provide higher temporal resolution while consuming less power.

Neuromorphic computing is a revolutionary approach to computer design, drawing inspiration from the brain's neural networks to transform architecture at the transistor level. Despite significant technological advances, biological neural circuits outperform their artificial counterparts in efficiently processing and responding to real-world data, with rapid response times and minimal power consumption.

This project will develop new algorithms that provide estimates of the relative motion of the observed stars, implementing an end-to-end neuromorphic system. By first building a working model to classify numbers and their movements on Earth, the project team will then modify and deploy the algorithm for startracking.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Ashwin Subramaniam 
• Linh Co Bui 

Astronauts routinely complain of headaches, and whilst this is a complex issue with several contributing factors, strong links have been found between elevated CO2 levels and headaches (as well poor cognitive performance). Indoor spaces on earth typically have CO2 concentrations of 400-1000ppm; the ISS maintains CO2 levels of approximately 2500ppm. Additionally. microgravity eliminates natural convection, causing pockets of CO2 to develop in Crew Quarters (CQ). This project considers the constraints of the CQ ventilation system and aims to contribute to an improved system.

Find out more - project video

Project by:

• Guillaume Stander