Join us for the November 2021 meeting of the Space Association of Australia – all welcome!  Date: Monday, 22 November 2021 Time: 7:00 - 9:30 pm AEDT Venue: Golden Gate Hotel, 238 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne Don't forget you will need to be double-vaccinated to be allowed entry into the venue! How to find us:  The Golden Gate Hotel is on the north-western corner of the intersection of Clarendon and Coventry Streets in South Melbourne. Take the stairs up to level 1 - we'll be in the Coventry Room. Getting there: By car: Car parking is best in Coventry Street west of Clarendon Street. By tram: Route 12 (via Collins Street), Stop 127 (York Street, then walk south) or Stop 128 (Dorcas Street, then walk north). Meals available: Place your meal order in the Coventry Room and have it delivered to your table - the menu can be found here. We look forward to seeing you there! If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, please register below to join us remotely via Zoom or watch the live stream on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/FIHEz6wQqLo. This month we feature Kerrie Dougherty: Celebrating Women in Space Women in Space Anything men can do in space, women can do as well – although it did take many decades for that to be acknowledged! Join space historian Kerrie Dougherty to explore the role that women have played in space activities in fact and fiction over the past hundred years. From some unexpected heroines in early science fiction films to the first woman on the Moon, discover stories of how women have contributed to space exploration not only as astronauts but also in many vital roles ‘behind the scenes'. About our speaker Kerrie Dougherty OAM is a Senior Program and Operations Officer at the Australian Space Agency’s Space Discovery Centre in Adelaide. Formerly Curator of Space Technology at the Powerhouse Museum, she is a space historian, curator, educator and author, with specialist interests in the history of Australian space activities and the relationship between space and popular culture. Her most recent book is “Australia in Space” (ATF Press, 2017), a comprehensive history of Australia’s space activities. Kerrie lectures in the Department of Space Humanities at the International Space University and is an elected Member of the International Academy of Astronautics.

Join us for the October 2021 meeting of the Space Association of Australia – all welcome!  Date: Monday, 25 October 2021 Time: 7:30 - 9:30 pm AEDT Owing to current COVID-19 restrictions operating in Victoria, this month's meeting will be held wholly online starting at 7:30 pm AEDT. Please register below to join us remotely via Zoom or watch the live stream on our YouTube channel, SAA.TV. This month we feature Dawn Aerospace: Creating sustainable space transportation for the future Based in New Zealand and the Netherlands, Dawn Aerospace is building same-day reusable launch vehicles and in-orbit satellite propulsion systems. The launch vehicle is a reusable spaceplane that does not require specialised space-launch infrastructure and launches as often and routinely as commercial aircraft. The propulsion systems are non-toxic and high-performance for satellites of all sizes. Together, this end-to-end architecture will deliver, position and return spacecraft in a highly scalable and environmentally conscious way.

Join us for a social hangout hosted by the Space Association of Australia – all members and their guests welcome!  #SAA-Social Date: Saturday, 2 October 2021 Time: 8:00 pm AEST (UTC+10) You will need to register here in advance for this meetup:   After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join the meetup.

Join us for the September 2021 meeting of the Space Association of Australia – all welcome!  Date: Monday, 27 September 2021 Time: 7:30 - 9:30 pm AEST Owing to the current COVID-19 restrictions operating in Victoria, this month's meeting will be held completely online and starting at the later time of 7:30 pm AEST. Please register below to join us remotely via Zoom or watch the live stream on our YouTube channel, SAA.TV. This month we feature: A report on the 12th Australian Space Forum with Matt Ryall, host of Aussie Space Cast SpIRIT Nanosatellite with Simon Barraclough, Technical Director, Melbourne University A review of the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission to orbit An update of other Australian and international space news The 12th Australian Space Forum was presented by The Andy Thomas Space Foundation in Adelaide on Wednesday, 15 September 2021. Aussie Space Cast is an exciting new podcast featuring news, interviews and analysis of the Australian space industry, hosted by Matt Ryall. The SpIRIT (Space Industry – Responsive – Intelligent – Thermal) Nanosatellite mission aims to grow Australian space industry capabilities through the development of an innovative nano-satellite. SpIRIT will break new ground in high-performance autonomous operations, communications, propulsion and thermal management, and be the first Australian-made spacecraft to host a foreign space agency payload, showcasing both the competitiveness of Australia’s space industry and the synergies evident between different sectors of the industry. Inspiration4 was billed as the world’s first all-civilian mission to orbit. The mission was commanded by Jared Isaacman, the 38-year-old founder and Chief Executive Officer of Shift4 Payments and an accomplished pilot and adventurer. Named in recognition of the four-person crew raising awareness and funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, this milestone mission represents a new era for human spaceflight and exploration.

Join us for the launch of the world's first all-civilian commercial spaceflight to orbit: the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission – all welcome!  Photo credit: Inspiration4 / John Kraus Date: Thursday, 16 September 2021 Launch window: 10:02 am to 3:02 pm AEST (UTC +10) The Flight Readiness Review teams are proceeding toward a targeted launch on Wednesday, September 15 UTC from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A backup launch opportunity is available on Thursday, September 16 UTC. Both 24-hour launch windows start at 12:00 a.m. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Approximately three days before liftoff, SpaceX will narrow down the launch window to five hours based upon weather conditions at the launch site, along the ascent corridor, and at landing locations off the coasts of Florida for a safe return of the crew and splashdown a few days later.

Join us for a social hangout hosted by the Space Association of Australia - all members and friends welcome!  #SAA-Social Date: Saturday, 28 August 2021 Time: 8:30 pm AEST (UTC+10) You will need to register here in advance for this meetup:   After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join the meetup. We hope to cross live via Zoom during this virtual hangout to Space Association member Julian Timmers who is in Carnarvon, Western Australia tonight for the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum's Lunar Module Exhibit Launch Party - fingers crossed the technology holds up!

Join us for the August 2021 meeting of the Space Association of Australia – all welcome!  Date: Monday, 23 August 2021 Time: 7:30 - 9:30 pm AEST Owing to the current COVID-19 restrictions operating in Victoria, this month's meeting will be held completely online and starting at the slightly later time of 7:30 pm AEST. Please register below to join us remotely via Zoom or watch the live stream on our YouTube channel, SAA.TV. This month we present a Western Australia Space Capability Showcase  The showcase will feature: The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Western Australia Optical Ground Station Binar Space Program The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project is an international effort to build the world’s largest radio telescope, with eventually over a square kilometre (one million square metres) of collecting area. Its unique configuration will give the SKA unrivalled scope in observations, largely exceeding the image resolution quality of the Hubble Space Telescope. It will also have the ability to image huge areas of sky in parallel a feat which no survey telescope has ever achieved on this scale with this level of sensitivity. The Western Australia Optical Ground Station facility is an optical communications station capable of receiving high-speed data transmissions from space. The advanced communications ground station will be able to receive data from spacecraft anywhere between low-Earth orbit and the surface of the Moon. It has the potential to support ground-breaking space projects, including NASA’s Artemis mission to land the first woman and next man on the Moon. The Binar (BIN-ah) Space Program (named for the Noongar word for fireball) is building the next generation of Australian small spacecraft in order to advance solar system understanding and to lower the barriers to space operations for other groups and institutions. Five Binar CubeSats are scheduled to be launched to Space in 2021-2022, including Australia’s first homegrown satellite constellation, with ongoing experiments and testing of their remote capabilities to be conducted once they are in orbit.

Join us online for the July 2021 virtual meeting of the Space Association of Australia – all welcome!  Date: Monday, 26 July 2021 Time: 7:30 - 9:30 pm AEST Owing to the current Coronavirus restrictions operating in Victoria, this month's meeting will be completely virtual and starting at the slightly later time of 7:30 pm AEST. Please register below to join us remotely via Zoom or watch the live stream on our YouTube channel, SAA.TV. This month we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 15 and catch up on all the latest Australian, international, planetary and space science news.

Join us for the first crewed flight of Blue Origin's New Shepard, the NS-16 mission – all welcome!  Date: Tuesday, 20 July 2021 Time: 21:30 AEST (UTC +10) Note: The Watch Party will commence 15 minutes before the Blue Origin stream goes live on the Space Association's Discord server. To connect, accept the invitation to join Discord here and use your web browser or download the Discord application for maximum participation.

Join us for the next rocket-powered test flight of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, the Unity 22 mission – all welcome!  This will be the first global livestream of a Virgin Galactic spaceflight. Date: Monday, 12 July 2021 Time: 00:30 AEST (UTC +10) Note: The livestream has been pushed back an hour and a half to 00:30 AEST on Monday, 12 July - the Watch Party will commence 15 minutes before this on the Space Association's Discord server. Accept the invitation to join Discord here: https://discord.gg/jy6s9ku and use your web browser or download the application for maximum participation.

Join us for a social hangout hosted by the Space Association of Australia – all welcome!  #SAA-Social Date: Saturday, 3 July 2021 Time: 8:00 pm AEST (UTC+10) You will need to register here in advance for this meetup:   After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join the meetup.

Join us for the June 2021 meeting of the Space Association of Australia – all welcome!  Date: Monday, 28 June 2021 Time: 7:00 - 9:30 pm AEST Venue: Golden Gate Hotel, 238 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne How to find us:  The Golden Gate Hotel is on the north-western corner of the intersection of Clarendon and Coventry Streets in South Melbourne. Take the stairs up to level 1 - we'll be in the Coventry Room. Getting there: By car: Car parking is best in Coventry Street west of Clarendon Street. By tram: Route 12 (via Collins Street), Stop 127 (York Street, then walk south) or Stop 128 (Dorcas Street, then walk north). Meals available: Place your meal order in the Coventry Room and have it delivered to your table - the menu can be found here. We look forward to seeing you there! If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, please register below to join us remotely via Zoom or watch the live stream on our YouTube channel, SAA.TV. This Month... The Andy Thomas Space Foundation: Inspiring the next generation of space leaders The Foundation is positioning itself to play a crucial and exciting role in the Australian space ecosystem 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.    The University operates a continent-wide collection of radio telescopes: the AuScope VLBI Array The University of Tasmania is playing a leading role in the global space industry by providing high-precision positioning data, tracking and downlink services and telemetry support for a range of space missions, including for ESA, CNSA, Roscosmos, NASA and the SpaceX CRS missions to resupply the International Space Station.

Join us for the May 2021 meeting of the Space Association of Australia – all welcome!  Date: Monday, 24 May 2021 Time: 7:00 - 9:30 pm AEST Venue: Golden Gate Hotel, 238 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne How to find us:  The Golden Gate Hotel is on the north-western corner of the intersection of Clarendon and Coventry Streets in South Melbourne. Take the stairs up to level 1 - we'll be in the Coventry Room. Getting there: By car: Car parking is best in Coventry Street west of Clarendon Street. By tram: Route 12 (via Collins Street), Stop 127 (York Street, then walk south) or Stop 128 (Dorcas Street, then walk north). Meals available: Place your meal order in the Coventry Room and have it delivered to your table - the menu can be found here. We look forward to seeing you there! If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, please register here to join us remotely via Zoom or watch the live stream on our YouTube channel. This month we remember Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins who passed away recently while Dr Malcolm Davis from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute joins us live from Canberra to discuss the Australian Defence Force's new Space Division and Chinese ambitions in space. Plus, we have a very limited number of Searching for Skylab Blu-ray Discs available for purchase at $35.00 each.

Join us for the April 2021 meeting of the Space Association of Australia – all welcome!  Date: Monday, 26 April 2021 Time: 7:00 - 9:30 pm AEST Venue: Golden Gate Hotel, 238 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne How to find us:  The Golden Gate Hotel is on the north-western corner of the intersection of Clarendon and Coventry Streets in South Melbourne. Take the stairs up to level 1 - we'll be in the Coventry Room. Getting there: By car: Car parking is best in Coventry Street west of Clarendon Street. By tram: Route 12 (via Collins Street), Stop 127 (York Street, then walk south) or Stop 128 (Dorcas Street, then walk north). Meals available: Place your meal order in the Coventry Room and have it delivered to your table - the menu can be found here. We look forward to seeing you there! If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, please register here to join us remotely via Zoom or watch the live stream on our YouTube channel. This month we celebrate a bumper crop of space-related anniversaries with the 60th anniversary of human spaceflight, the 40th anniversary of STS-1 the first space shuttle mission and the 20th anniversary of Yuri's Night - The World Space Party. This year also marks 40 years since the founding of 'The Space Association' as a public spin-off group from the Monash Astronautical Society at Monash University (prior to its incorporation as the Space Association of Australia Inc. in 1983) and the 30th anniversary of the first broadcast of The Space Show - our now weekly radio program broadcast on 88.3 Southern FM and streamed online. Plus, we have a very limited number of Searching for Skylab Blu-ray Discs available for purchase at $35.00.

 A Yuri's Night Event The World Space Party: A Celebration of Human Spaceflight April 2021 marks 60 years since Yuri Gagarin made the first flight of a human into space. To celebrate this amazing achievement, and those of the hundreds of men and women who have followed, the Sun Theatre and the Space Association of Australia, present a unique afternoon and evening of space films and presentations. First, we look at that first spaceflight by Yuri Gagarin and reveal some fascinating facts about his flight that were kept secret for 30 years. "APOLLO 11" is an amazing film, which consists solely of archival footage, including 70 mm film previously unreleased to the public, and does not feature narration, interviews or modern recreations. A must-see on the big screen. This is followed by a short presentation, "Australia – Apollo & Skylab", on the significant and critical role Australia has played in these American space programs. "Searching for Skylab: America's Forgotten Triumph" is a 2019 documentary film about the 1970s NASA space station, Skylab. The film uses hundreds of hours of video and audio recording, yet it is unlikely that you’ve seen or heard much of it. This will be the Melbourne premiere of an important film that no space enthusiast should miss and will be followed by an exclusive interview with Skylab 2 astronaut Joe Kerwin and "Searching for Skylab" director Dwight Steven-Boniecki. The entire presentation will be Melbourne’s own “Yuri’s Night” event, a global celebration on the dual anniversary of the first human spaceflight by Yuri Gagarin in 1961 and the first launch of a reusable spacecraft, the space shuttle Columbia, in 1981. 12 April 2021 is the 60th anniversary of Gagarin’s flight. Ticket bookings are available directly through the Sun Theatre Apollo 11 | Directed by Todd Douglas Miller Crafted from a newly discovered trove of 65mm footage, and more than 11,000 hours of uncatalogued audio recordings, Apollo 11 takes us straight to the heart of NASA’s most celebrated mission—the one that first put men on the moon, and forever made Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin into household names. Immersed in the perspectives of the astronauts, the team in Mission Control, and the millions of spectators on the ground, we vividly experience those momentous days and hours in 1969 when humankind took a giant leap into the future.   Searching for Skylab | Directed by Dwight Steven-Boniecki As a crucial element in human space exploration, Skylab remains largely forgotten, falling as it does in the immediate shadow of the seemingly more spectacular Apollo lunar missions. Searching for Skylab: America's Forgotten Triumph pays tribute to this amazing NASA program by sharing the best of NASA archive material while holding the stories remembered by astronauts, engineers and their families for all posterity in the form of an entertaining, yet historically accurate documentary.   Ticket bookings are available directly through the Sun Theatre