Australia is set to make space science history this October, with its first zero-gravity scientific research team preparing to fly aboard a large crewed parabolic flight. The milestone mission follows a landmark agreement between the French Space Agency (CNES) and The University of Western Australia (UWA).
The partnership will see Australian-led experiments conducted aboard Novespace’s Airbus A310 Zero-G — the world’s largest civilian microgravity research platform. The UWA International Space Centre team will test an experiment aimed at advancing the extraction of fuel and fertiliser from off-Earth resources, a crucial step toward sustainable human space exploration.
The campaign will include three zero-gravity flights, featuring 93 parabolic manoeuvres that each provide up to 30 seconds of weightlessness. This will allow researchers to observe and refine their experiment in a near zero-gravity environment.
The Airbus A310 Zero-G also holds special significance for Australian spaceflight, as it is the same aircraft used by Australian astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg during her European Space Agency (ESA) training.
International Space Centre Director Professor Danail Obreschkow described the mission as a defining moment for Australian space science.
“Our zero-gravity experiments will enhance Australia’s research standing in chemical catalysis,” Professor Obreschkow said. “Strategically, this mission will pave the way for sustained access to large, crewed microgravity flights for Australian researchers, with enormous benefits to research, industry and STEM inspiration.”
Professor Obreschkow brings extensive experience to the project, having served as a mission specialist on 354 parabolic flight manoeuvres with ESA.
Scientific lead Professor Hongqi Sun said the experiment could help unlock new methods of fuel generation for future space missions.
“We are using sunlight to turn two simple gases – methane and carbon dioxide – into syngas, a versatile mixture that can be used to make fuels and essential chemicals,” Professor Sun said. “By flying our experiment in weightlessness, we aim to understand how gravity affects this process. This could enable future astronauts to produce fuel and materials from local resources on missions to places like Mars, and help optimise chemical manufacturing on Earth.”
The early-stage experiment will test how key processes respond to varying gravity levels, generating data to guide the development of systems capable of producing propellant and agricultural inputs from space-based materials.
In line with UWA’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of researchers, the International Space Centre is offering two places on the campaign to Australian undergraduate students. One of these positions will be awarded through a national competition open to undergraduates from any Australian university, providing a rare opportunity to gain hands-on experience in zero-gravity research.
Details on how to apply are available at https://unihub.uwa.edu.au/students/jobs/1029278.
