ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE ACADEMY

"Exploring the Overview to Expand the Inner View"

The Space Shuttle 'ascends' over the Academy skies

MISSION

1. A not-for-profit enterprise to provide space education to a diverse population:
   1. Globally through the ASA web site,
   2. To the general public through open days and nights,
   3. To selected groups through tours and space camps,
   4. Scientific research opportunities.
2. To provide facilities to:
   1. Inspire an expanded view of our space/time environment and develop a deeper awareness of space,
   2. Simulate other environments,
   3. Allow space-related activities and learning,
   4. Monitor the space environment.
3. To host space related experiments/sensors from other national and international organisations.

Stars circle the south celestial pole over the ASA entrance

PROPOSED FACILITIES

1. SPACELINK
   Spacelink will provide communication between the Academy and the outside world, via:
   
   1. Terrestrial and space radio communication
   2. Network access
   3. Satellite data downlink
   4. Local information broadcast and distribution
2. SPACE WATCH
   Comprising an optical and radio observatory to permit and demonstrate astronomical observations.
3. SPACE DOME
   A small planetarium to provide a controlled environment in which features of the sky can be explained at any time of day or night.
4. SPACE ENVIRONMENTAL CENTRE
   To provide monitoring of the Earth's near space environment through continuous observation of the Sun, the geomagnetic field, the ionosphere, the magnetosphere and various terrestrial parameters. To provide space environmental data to external customers. To facilitate and coordinate external research projects in this area.
5. SIMULATION CENTRE
   To provide experience of environments other than those commonly experienced on Earth:
   
   1. High-g simulator (centrifuge)
   2. Low-g simulators (pool and drop tower)
   3. Low pressure simulator (hypobaric chamber)
   4. Disorientation trainers (Barany chair, gyro)
6. FLIGHT CENTRE
   Including an 800m (2600ft) long landing strip (runway)
   To provide:
   
   1. Planetary flight simulation
   2. Atmospheric flight to demonstrate 3D and zero-g
   3. Space and planetary flight training
   4. Flight activity coordination (aircraft, balloons, rockets)
   5. Tracking and Navigation (optical and radar)
7. SPACE MUSEUM
   History of space activities and applications.
8. SPACE GALLERY
   Space art display.
9. CLASSROOM & LABORATORY
   Teaching facility.
10. SPACE CLINIC
    Safety, first aid, space medicine and exobiology.
11. REMOTE SENSING
    Using space based imagery to demonstrate the applied nature of space in weather monitoring and forecasting, geographical land use, and intelligence gathering.

IMPLEMENTATION

Entrance to the Australian Space Academy

The Space Academy was registered in 2000, and 40 hectares of land at Meckering, Western Australia was purchased for the physical campus of the Academy.

Development of the facilities will be accomplished as time and funding permit.

We welcome enquiries from organisations and individuals with space related interests who may wish to assist in ASA development or who might be interested in siting space-related experiments or monitors on the ASA campus.

The deep purple S represents interplanetary space - a very good vacuum by Earthly standards, but certainly not completely black or empty. The blue of the letters representing Australia and Academy are the blue of the terrestrial sky. The banner on which the letters stand represents the vegetation on the regolith of the Earth.

Director
John A Kennewell (PhD)
spacelink@spaceacademy.net.au

Construction
Ross Somers
rsomers@iinet.net.au

Skynet Manager
Arie Verveer
greensky@westnet.com.au

Space Science Research
Malcolm H Wilkinson (Dr)
mal.wilkinson@optusnet.com.au
Owen D Giersch (Dr)
odg@spaceacademy.net.au

Legal Research
Lois M Kennewell
lmk@spaceacademy.net.au

CONTACT DETAILS

Email
spacelink@spaceacademy.net.au

Postal Address
Australian Space Academy
PO Box 3
Meckering
Western Australia 6405
AUSTRALIA

Physical Location
Latitude 31.5^o S
Longitude 117^o E