The Andy Thomas Space Foundation

The Andy Thomas Space Foundation Advancing Space Education – Making STEM literacy an educational priority. Raising Space Awareness – Making connections between space science and technologies.

Contributing to the national space community – through events and education. The Foundation is committed to promoting and supporting the highest quality space activities in Australia to drive progress in education, research and innovation to ensure that the space sector is a key contributor to Australia’s economic transformation. Our vision is an ecosystem that promotes and supports the highest qu

ality space activities in Australia – to drive progress in education, research and innovation. Our mission is to promote social well-being and overcome disadvantage in Australia and to advocate in favour of space as a domain for international cooperation and peaceful co-existence. We will achieve our mission by supporting the outreach and education goals of the Australian Space Agency and by acting as an interface between the space community and the public. This will involve building a culture of entrepreneurship and igniting a curiosity for space and related scientific activities among young Australians. Our purpose is to achieve our mission through the following three interconnected goals:
Advancing Space Education – Making STEM literacy for all students an educational priority. Raising Space Awareness – Making connections between space science and technologies and our everyday lives. Contributing to the national space community – Through events and other education initiatives. Your support can take the form of:
Scholarships
Annual Sponsorships
Collaborative internship programs at secondary and tertiary level
Funding for in-school space education programs
In-kind and volunteer support

🚀🧑‍🚀Kids in Space lands in the ACT for the 2026 Showcase!The day after Victoria's showcase, we landed in Canberra with M...
04/09/2026

🚀🧑‍🚀Kids in Space lands in the ACT for the 2026 Showcase!

The day after Victoria's showcase, we landed in Canberra with Makers Empire and 26 teams ready to show us what young innovators in the nation's capital are dreaming up.

Sponsored by CEA Technologies, the ACT Kids in Space showcase was alive with excitement, creativity and innovation. Teams tackled problems head-on, including: life support systems, sustainable space habitats, solutions to deforestation, suction boots to walk on the Moon, utilising scent to improve mental health of astronauts, food security and sustenance in space. Showcasing some out-of-this-world ideas!

A heartfelt thanks to CEA Technologies for championing this event, and to our judging panel Chloe Hall, Lea Fallen, and Mitchell Grady from CEA, Luke Aitchinson from the Federal Education Department, Dan Heaps from the Academy of Future Skills, James Bennett from EOS, Group Captain Patrick Del Guidice and Dominic Shumilinn from the Australian Space Agency for bringing their expertise to the day.

We would also like to thank the team at the Academy of Future Skills for their generous hosting of the event!

Next stop…. National Finals!

We cannot wait for all our winning teams to showcase their amazing work in November at the Australian Space Discovery Centre in Adelaide!

🧑‍🚀🚀Kids in Space goes to Victoria!The Andy Thomas Space Foundation and our delivery partners, Makers Empire, were in Vi...
03/09/2026

🧑‍🚀🚀Kids in Space goes to Victoria!

The Andy Thomas Space Foundation and our delivery partners, Makers Empire, were in Victoria this week for the another amazing display of futuristic ideas, creativity and innovation.

With 38 teams competing for peer, community, and industry prizes, Victoria’s Kids in Space showcase showed us that future of the space sector is indeed bright.

Supported by our state program sponsors, Additive Manufacturing CRC, this event brought together some out of this world solutions. Teams presented 3D-printed prototypes and displays that tackled real problems using space technologies to make a tangible difference on Earth. From space travel, physical and mental well-being of astronauts, food sources for space exploration, moon rovers, and solutions to declining pollinators, each team had thought deeply about their challenge.

What stood out wasn't just the technical skill (though there was plenty of that). It was watching young innovators share their ideas with confidence, answer questions from our judging panel, and clearly articulate why their work makes a difference.

Our sincere thanks to Simon Marriott and the Additive Manufacturing MCRC team for their
support

A big thank you to our wonderful industry judges, Dr Kyle Franklin, from the Office of Naval Research Global, Ariana Kikert from Monash University, Frazer Thorpe from Plants4Space, Rosalie Buchan from ATSF, Zara Hamon from RMIT, Jana Kuthe from AMCRC, Denise Heckman from the Australian Space Agency, and Adriana from AMDA for bringing such enthusiasm and their expertise to the showcase and for inspiring and guiding the students on their continuing STEM journeys.

Another huge achievement for the Kids In Space National Program.

Today at the Women's Aviation and Aerospace in Australia Summit in Adelaide, we were reminded of the power of collaborat...
26/08/2026

Today at the Women's Aviation and Aerospace in Australia Summit in Adelaide, we were reminded of the power of collaboration and vision in shaping our nation's aerospace future.🚀✈️

Claire Clutterham MP Member for Sturt, Co-Chair Parliamentary Friends of Aviation, spoke passionately about the need for industry and academia to work together to push progress forward. Her words stayed with us: "Risk is not only about what could go wrong but more importantly, about what could go right." That's the mindset driving real change.

The Chief Executive Officer of Aurizn, Rebecca Humble's keynote was equally compelling: do your research, learn what you don't know, and be prepared to seize opportunities when they arrive.

The Andy Thomas Space Foundation's Chair, Peter Nikoloff, spoke on behalf of Nova Systems to highlight why aerospace matters for Australia's way of life and national security.

It was inspiring to hear from so many leaders across engineering, law, strategy, communications, finance, and outreach. That breadth of expertise and leadership is exactly what's going to take Australian aerospace and aviation forward into an exciting future.

To all the panelists and speakers: thank you for sharing your stories so openly.

And to Anntonette Dailey, Alana McKenna, Kristen Raby, and Aviation/Aerospace Australia: thank you for hosting us at an event that mattered and created space for real connection with the incredible women and leaders shaping the aviation and aerospace industry. 👏

The Andy Thomas Space Foundation's Kids in Space program goes to Cairns!Last week, we were thrilled to be in Far North Q...
25/08/2026

The Andy Thomas Space Foundation's Kids in Space program goes to Cairns!

Last week, we were thrilled to be in Far North Queensland with our program delivery partners, Makers Empire , for the Kids in Space QLD showcase thanks to our wonderful program sponsors, Ilaunch Trailblazer !

The projects were centered around advancing and using space technologies to improve life on Earth with kids making detailed 3-d printed prototypes, and informative displays. (may edit depending on what projects there are)

It is always a great day when young students with a passion for space present their ideas and imaginative innovations with such confidence.

A big thank you again to our sponsors, iLAuNCH Trailblazer, and our judges, Adam Hooper from Balaclava State School , Dr. Hillary Whitehouse from The Cairns Institute , Elodie Manouvrier from Nova Systems, and Peter Nikoloff from the Andy Thomas Space Foundation, for your time, expertise and for inspiring the kids to pursue their space dreams!

🧑‍🚀And they're off!The Andy Thomas Space Foundation's Mars Challenge, coordinated by the Hamilton Secondary College, is ...
24/08/2026

🧑‍🚀And they're off!

The Andy Thomas Space Foundation's Mars Challenge, coordinated by the Hamilton Secondary College, is now live!

Our teams of South Australian secondary-school explorers are studying the red planet, designing missions, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

Follow along as they make their mark on Mars and give us a peek into what the future of Mars exploration might look like. 🚀

The 2026 STEM Girls Creative Challenge, run by the Adelaide University was recently launched at the Australian Space Di...
19/08/2026

The 2026 STEM Girls Creative Challenge, run by the Adelaide University was recently launched at the Australian Space Discovery Centre (Australian Space Agency). As part of this event our CEO, Darcey Watson, participated in a panel session focused on leadership and careers in space.🚀

Darcey, along with other panelists, Alexandra Wickham from the Australian Space Agency and Isabella Evans from Australian Space Discovery Centre, provided insight into their own career journeys and what inspired them to join the space sector. A huge thank you to the wonderful event organisers, Mady Hall and Maria Vieira from Adelaide University who gave the Foundation the opportunity to speak to and inspire more than 70 girls from years 9 -12 to pursue STEM and Space education. 👩‍🔬👩‍💻👩‍🚀

We were also excited to see some familiar faces in the audience as earlier this year, the Foundation had the opportunity to collaborate on a one-day challenge with the STEM Girls participants as they focused on climate-change and the role of space technologies in supporting lives and livelihoods on earth.

It was a great prequel to the Creative Challenge giving teachers and students the opportunity to start thinking outside the box.

The Andy Thomas Space Foundation are very proud to be involved in Adelaide University's incredible STEM Girls initiative and look forward to seeing what the Girls work on over the coming months.

The Foundation is back at Science Alive today and tomorrow! It's fantastic to see the wonder in young people's eyes when...
08/08/2026

The Foundation is back at Science Alive today and tomorrow!

It's fantastic to see the wonder in young people's eyes when they look at the the Giant Mars map, and their excitement as they try to land Hamilton Secondary College 's balloon-powered Mars Landers!

Not to mention, the Mars Rover from The Mars Society is completing at-least its thousandth trip across the pit already!

The Andy Thomas Space Foundation is proud to inspire children of all ages to learn about space, and experience the wonder it holds. We are thrilled to be engaging with so many children over this weekend!

If you are stopping by Science Alive, make sure to come and say hi to our friendly team!

🧑‍🚀Visit us this weekend at the Adelaide Showgrounds for Alive ! Kids of all ages, including our big kids (adults), get...
06/08/2026

🧑‍🚀Visit us this weekend at the Adelaide Showgrounds for Alive ! Kids of all ages, including our big kids (adults), get ready to be inspired by the world beyond the Earth!

Let's land on Mars, give The Mars Society's mars-rovers a go, take a photo as an astro-kangaroo, and learn about exciting space advances and adventures.

➡️Keep an eye out for the Andy Thomas Space Foundation booth along with Hamilton Secondary College and The Mars Society

🏫Your Year 7–10s don't need to imagine Mars. They can map it, explore it, own it. The MARS Challenge turns the Giant Mar...
05/08/2026

🏫Your Year 7–10s don't need to imagine Mars. They can map it, explore it, own it.
The MARS Challenge turns the Giant Mars Map into their mission control and your classroom into the mission.

📢Applications close 10 August.

🚀Ready to launch?

Calling space and aviation graduate, undergraduate, and high school students (years 9-12) around the world!Submit your a...
05/08/2026

Calling space and aviation graduate, undergraduate, and high school students (years 9-12) around the world!

Submit your abstract for AIAA - The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 's 2026 Region VII Student Conference to: -
⭐compete for cash prizes
⭐connect with Aerospace industry professionals
⭐meet other like-minded students who share similar interests
⭐receive feedback on your work
ABSTRACTS DUE 7 AUGUST 2026

🗓 30 November – 1 December 2026
Hosted by the University of Adelaide Student Branch
📍Adelaide, South Australia
💻Virtual participation available
High school students can join AIAA for free | University student membership is just US$37 per year.

2026 Region VII Student Conference AIAA
*This conference is intended for AIAA Region VII Students from around the world, with the exceptions of Canada and Mexico, which have been incorporated into AIAA’s North America Regions.

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North Terrace
Adelaide, SA
5000

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