The Australian National University

AITC Quarterly News

Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics

 

Monthly newsletter | no 1 | 28 August–27 September 2020

 

Director's update

 

We acknowledge and celebrate the First Australians on whose traditional lands we meet, and pay our respect to the elders past and present.

Welcome to our first monthly AITC newsletter. I believe it is times such as these that we need to celebrate our great achievements even more than usual, and the wonderful staff who work so hard to make them happen.  

A few key highlights for this month:

  • We have several new ground and space projects commencing this month, including Veloce, Dirac, and the DMTC CHICO mission – well done to all those involved in making this happen;
  • The priority theme development is underway with the formation of diverse teams that collectively will work to make the AITC meet our bold 2025 targets;
  • The AITC continues to see great performance meeting the financial targets and I acknowledge every one of you for stepping up to make sure this happens

With regards to the ANU recovery plan, we have heard that budget control measures for 2021 will only apply to recurrent funding – a very good decision.

I want to wish everyone well and please ask that you all take care of yourselves. The AITC is doing well and is strong, but times like these are unprecedented.

Best, Anna

 

AITC Priority Themes

 

Each month our Priority Theme Leads will provide a brief update on what's happening with their programs.

 

DISCOVERY

The AITC Discovery Priority team includes Celine d’Orgeville (Lead), David Brodrick, and Joice Mathew.

The team has already met a few times and started to discuss relevant projects for the Discovery Priority. Initially the Discovery Team aims to paint a picture of the AITC outputs (e.g. publications, instruments) and impact (e.g. industry engagement) over the past ~5 years. This will provide the necessary benchmark to support the informed development of the AITC Discovery targets for 2025, for the AITC as well as its academic and professional staff.

 

EDUCATION

Renewing our summer program

Our Northrop funds are running out and securing future funding is dependent on our ability to give Northrup some good PR.  Please consider new project and update your old one. The deadline for student applications is today, 25 September.

 

Executive Course on Space

We are preparing the first edition of our Executive Education course on Space.  This new course will run over two days on 23 and 24 November. It is aimed at government employees who need to become more familiar with our new space agency and landscape.  AITC staff will take on about half of the teaching load. Depending on its success, the program may be run once or twice per year.  I am currently reaching out to staff to teach 1 hour modules. 

 

SERVICES

In the period NSTF successfully performed CUAVA-1 satellite vibration and thermal vacuum acceptance tests for CUAVA, and M2 spacecraft thermal and vibration tests for UNSW Canberra Space.

 

INSTRUMENTS 

Nothing to report.

 

TECHNOLOGY 

Nothing to report.

 

Media

 

Congratulations to Rob Sharp and his team for great press surrounding the CHICO mission starting with partners DMTC, CSIRO and SkyKraft.

DMTC partners with ANU for hyperspectral imaging R&D

 

Five minutes with...

So tell us, what do you do around here?


My name is Tiphaine, I am an interferometrist and I joined AITC as a postdoc in February to work on the Pyxis project. Pyxis is a small robotic telescope array that is currently being built. It will be operated at Mount Stromlo as a demonstrator for a space interferometer. My task is to build the metrology system that will very accurately measure the position of the different telescopes. 

 

 

What do you love about it?

 

I love that this project is rather audacious, tackling a difficult problem with cutting edge technology. I love that this is something that has never been done before and with big implications if it succeed. Finally, I also love that I get to work in a laboratory, building the system from scratch and see it grow.

 

You’re on a desert island – what three things would you bring?

 

I would bring my hammock with me, a journal to write and draw and hiking boots to explore all of the Island.

 

What book did you last read (for leisure, not work)

 

The last book I read was The good mage: consequences (#2), by Solee Stagbeetle which follows The Good Mage (#1), a self published independent fantastic and wacky book full of adventures and curious characters.  An easy read, extremely entertaining and exciting, especially the second book!

 

What one food do you wish had zero calories?

 

Calories are not exactly my ennemies but I love everything with dough, like croissants, waffles bread and pancakes. Unfortunately I can’t really tolerate gluten, so that is my main affliction.

 

You’ve just won the lottery – what’s the first thing you do?

 

First thing I would do would be to panic! 

 

Looking back, what advice would you give your 15 year old self?

 

I would tell my 15yo-self not to worry too much, continue on the same path one day at a time and most importantly to spend more time outdoor!

 

 

 

Visitors

 

Our colleagues from UNSW-Canberra Space are testing flight hardware for the M2 CubeSat mission for launch in early 2021.

The head of the Federal Government’s Critical Technology Policy Coordination Office visited the AITC this month with members of her team

 

 

Key Funding Deadlines

Keep up to date on ACT Government Grants, ARC Grants, Laureate Fellowships, Research Awards and Discovery Projects here 

» read more

 

Please tell us what you'd like to read about in this update and send any shout-outs, suggestions, compliments or complaints (hopefully not too many of those) to operations.aitc@anu.edu.au 

Thank you

 

COVID-19

 

Just a reminder we need to continue to sign in every day as part of our return to work protocols and to be mindful of social distancing.

 

» read more

 

AAO Consortium

A consensus has been reached by the AAO consortium members (ANU/Macquarie University/University of Sydney/AAL) to rename Australia's national ground-based instrumentation capability in the near future. The new name (which will not include “AAO”) has not been decided upon yet but will likely include the word “Australia” or “Australian”.

All ideas are welcome - please send to celine.dorgeville@anu.edu.au

 

 

 

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