An Indigenous university student will reach for the stars as he heads to the United States for a NASA internship.
Carl Goodwin is studying artificial intelligence (AI) engineering at Monash University and was handpicked as one of five First Nations’ students to participate in this year’s 10-week NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) program.
The new cohort forms part of Monash University’s National Indigenous Space Academy (NISA), which is backed by the Australian Space Agency and aims to provide Indigenous students with better STEM career opportunities.
Goodwin, a Gamilaroi man, will head to the Ames research centre in the heart of Silicon Valley, the world’s tech capital. Once there, he’ll launch into some of NASA’s most exciting space missions with the mentoring support of the world’s top science and engineering stars.
“I am really excited to apply my AI and machine learning knowledge for research in the space sector,” says Goodwin.
“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 under-represented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), and programs like NISA are providing valuable stepping stones for First Nations’ students in this sector.”
“‘I watch heaps of space documentaries and read a lot of articles about it, so I’m really excited to intern at JPL and work in an area I have a genuine passion for.”
Rocketing research for mineral and fossil fuels
Goodwin will use his AI background to help NASA teams analyse data captured by NASA’s new Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission aboard the International Space Station.
The EMIT tool uses infrared technology to build first-of-a-kind maps showing the mineral makeup of Earth’s dust-source areas by studying how they reflect and absorb light.
This data has enabled scientists to model how individual mineral particles could impact the climate as the wind transports them worldwide.
It can also be used to identify fossil fuels as they are being released into the atmosphere.
The mission fills a crucial need among climate scientists for more detailed information on surface mineral composition and the ability to forecast future climate events.
Surveying Earth’s surface from 410 kilometres above, EMIT scans vast arid areas that would be impossible for a geologist on the ground or instruments carried by aircraft to survey, yet it does this while effectively achieving the same level of detail.
While it was designed to research the impacts of ten key minerals on the surface of the world’s dryest regions, the tech has also demonstrated its ability to recognise point source emissions of greenhouse gases, identifying more than 750 methane emissions sources around the globe since its inception.
Space boot camp awaits before mission launch
The students have already begun preparing for lift-off ahead of their trip to the US thanks to Monash University’s ‘Space Boot Camp’ – an intensive program covering aerodynamics, robotics, rovers, rockets, astrophysics, planetary science, engineering, computer, and earth sciences. They will also learn about NASA’s JPL past and current space exploration missions.
NISA is also proud to welcome the CSIRO as a new partner, supporting the advancement and empowerment of Indigenous STEM researchers through a newly established scholarship program.
Gamilaraay woman and CSIRO’s Indigenous Talent Manager Taylor Bamin says she is excited by the new partnership.
“These scholarships are an important step in supporting the work of the National Indigenous Space Academy and building a community of Indigenous STEM professionals who are global leaders in their fields. Supporting Indigenous Australian university students to participate in this extraordinary program is one way we can champion STEM careers and drive innovation for the benefit of Australia,” Bamin says.
Professor Chris Lawrence, Associate Dean at Monash University’s Faculties of Engineering and IT, is thrilled for the students and urges them to aim high in their career ambitions.
“These outstanding Indigenous STEM students will be involved in cutting-edge NASA/JPL projects, from ocean exploration vehicles to studying micro-organisms on the International Space Station,” says Lawrence.
“Empowering our Indigenous youth to learn from the best in the world is phenomenal. We dream of NISA one day producing the world’s first Aboriginal astronaut.”
