Australian Space Research Conference

Broaden Our Horizons: Adelaide, September 29-October 1, 2026

About the Conference

ASRC2024

The 25th Australian Space Research Conference (ASRC) will be held in South Australia at Adelaide University during the week of September 28 to October 2, 2026. It is planned as a three day conference.

This conference is organised by the National Space Society of Australia, Mars Society Australia, and members of the Australian space research community with a heritage of organising 18 successful ASRC meetings to date.

The ASRC is the primary annual meeting for Australian space research. It welcomes researchers, engineers, educators, industry professionals, policymakers, and other workers from across the academic, industry and government parts of the space sector, and is not limited to Australian-based research. International participants are most welcome.

With a commitment to equality and diversity, and to encourage the next generation, we especially welcome abstracts from women, minority groups, and students.

Abstracts Opening: 18 May 2026

Registrations Open: 10 August 2026

Abstracts Close: 17 August, 2026

Draft Program Release: 24 August 2026

Early-bird Registrations close: 30 August 2026

Conference Start: 29 September 2026

Conference End: 1 October 2026

Conference written papers due: 19 October 2026

Explore the diverse range of topics our conference covers

  • Delve into the universe's mysteries through topics like space and atmospheric physics, Earth observation and remote sensing, planetary sciences, and space-based astronomy and astrophysics.

  • Explore how space affects living organisms, from understanding the complexities of human habitability in space to the study of life sciences in extraterrestrial environments.

  • Astrobiology is the scientific study of life in the universe. It explores the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life on Earth and the potential for life elsewhere in the cosmos. This interdisciplinary field combines aspects of biology, chemistry, geology, astronomy, and planetary science to understand the conditions that support life and to search for signs of life beyond Earth.

  • Discover the technological backbone of space exploration, encompassing communications, navigation, space operations, propulsion, robotics and ai, and spacecraft design, testing, and operation.

  • Discover how we can extract and utilise resources on the Moon and other planets; including the mining of asteroids

  • Learn about the commercial and economic aspects of space exploration, from space-based industries to the business strategies propelling space ventures.

  • Unearth the past and indigenous perspectives on space with a focus on space archaeology and archaeoastronomy, the study of ancient, indigenous astronomical knowledge.

  • Stay informed about the ever-evolving space environment, including space weather, planetary defence and the tracking and prediction of natural and artificial objects in space.

  • Get to know both current and future Australian space initiatives that aim to push the boundaries of our understanding and capabilities in space.

  • Delve into the legal and international aspects of space exploration, including international relations, space policy, ethics and law.

  • Understand the educational efforts and workforce development initiatives essential for growing and maintaining a thriving space sector.

Abstract Submission

We are now accepting abstracts for the 2026 conference. We use the EasyChair Conference system. Instructions on how to create a new account and the current submission form layout can found here . If you submitted an abstract for the 2025 conference your old login profile should still work for our new abstracts section..

The University Campus East is located in the North Eastern corner of the Adelaide CBD. A map of the campus can be downloaded here.

The Adelaide Metro website can be used for planning a journey, finding timetables, fare information, accessibility information, or recharging your metroCARD.

Train: The Adelaide Railway Station serves the North Terrace campus with routes like the Belair, Gawler, Grange, Outer Harbor, Seaford, and Flinders lines, facilitating easy access from various parts of the city and suburbs.

Tram: The University tram stop is served by multiple tram routes, including Routes 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, and 72, connecting the campus to various destinations across the city and suburbs, from East Coburg to Carnegie and Glen Iris to East Brighton.

Bus: Stop G1 North Terrace caters to the campus with bus routes 170, 173, 174, 176, 178, 281, 286, 287, 288, 98C, and 99C, offering extensive city and suburban connections. The N178 route provides after-midnight service on weekends from Newton to the city.

 

Location & Transport

City Campus East

Organising Committee

Cheryl Brown, Secretariat

Iver Cairns, Conference Co-Chair, University of Sydney

Rowena Christiansen, Mars Society Australia

Guifre’ Molera Calves, University of Tasmania

Jack Dwyer, National Space Society of Australia

Bryan Foley, Adelaide University

Matthew Gilliham, Adelaide University

Richard Harvey, Adelaide University

Volker Hessel, Adelaide University

Patrick Humbert, La Trobe University

Jonti Horner, University of Southern Queensland

Li Qiao, Chair - Program Committee, UNSW Canberra

Wayne Short, Conference Co-Chair, President, NSSA

Melissa de Zwart, Adelaide University

Inquiries

General Inquiries:
asrcconference@nssa.com.au
phone: +61 411 296 541

Abstracts:
asrc-abstracts@nssa.com.au

Registrations:
asrcsecretariat@nssa.com.au