5 indigenous Australian students selected for NASA internship at Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Five Indigenous Australian Students Selected for NASA Internship at Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Five indigenous Australian university students have been shortlisted for a 10-week internship at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. The students, selected as part of Monash University’s National Indigenous Space Academy (NISA), will work on various space missions alongside top scientists and engineers. This program is supported by the Australian Space Agency and CSIRO.

The selected students include Carl Goodwin, a Gamilaroi man studying Artificial Intelligence at Monash University; David Corporal, an Eastern Arrernte man from Queensland University of Technology (QUT); Jordan McGrath, a Lunga Kija man from Griffith University; Renee Wootten, a Tharawal woman from the University of Sydney; and Lucy Barr, a Palawa woman from the University of Tasmania.

During the internship, each student will be paired with a mentor at JPL and will contribute to different projects. For example, Carl Goodwin will be analyzing spectral data from NASA’s Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission, which is currently aboard the International Space Station.

"I am really excited to apply my AI and machine learning knowledge for research in the space sector," Goodwin said.

"Apart from working with world-leading space scientists this is also a great opportunity for me to interact and work with other like-minded Indigenous people. Our People are underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, (STEM), and programs like NISA are providing valuable stepping stones for First Nations students in this sector," he added.

Before heading to the US, the students will participate in a ‘Space Boot Camp’ at Monash University. This intensive program will cover topics such as aerodynamics, robotics, astrophysics, and planetary science to prepare them for their roles at JPL.

NISA has also announced a new partnership with CSIRO, which includes the introduction of a scholarship program to support Indigenous STEM researchers. Taylor Bamin, CSIRO’s Indigenous Talent Manager, highlighted the importance of these scholarships in fostering a community of Indigenous STEM professionals in Australia.

The NISA program, in partnership with the Australian Space Agency and CSIRO, aims to increase Indigenous participation in the STEM fields and provide valuable opportunities for Indigenous students to engage in space science.