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WA student Alaxandrea O'Brien becomes first from state university selected for NASA Indigenous space program

Proud Dulgubarra-Mamu and Jirrbal woman heads to Jet Propulsion Laboratory for 10-week placement

By LineZotpaper
Published
Updated
Read Time2 min
Sources3 outlets
A University of Western Australia student from the remote Kimberley region has become the first person from a WA university selected for the National Indigenous Space Academy, a Monash University program that sends First Nations tertiary students to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California for a 10-week placement.

Alaxandrea O'Brien, a proud Dulgubarra-Mamu and Jirrbal woman, has moved from living on country in Western Australia's Kimberley region to Broome, Kalgoorlie and finally Perth to study environmental engineering at UWA. She is one of eight First Nations tertiary students taking part in the program this year, which involves working on real-life projects developed by NASA mentors.

O'Brien said her fascination with space began when she looked through a telescope in Broome as a young child and saw Saturn's rings. "It's this wonderful place that you can't easily get to, and it just bewilders and amazes any child growing up," she said. She had previously visited the Kennedy Space Center as a teenager and seen the Deep Space Network antenna in Canberra.

While at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the students will contribute to current space missions, including work involving ocean exploration vehicles and research into microorganisms aboard the International Space Station. O'Brien said she did not initially think her environmental engineering degree would be applicable to NASA. "From there, I've just gone into a world of STEM and space, and it's kind of followed me throughout my life," she said.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The program provides direct pathways for Indigenous Australians into space science and engineering, an area where they have been historically underrepresented.
  • O'Brien's selection highlights the growing reach of the National Indigenous Space Academy beyond its Victorian base, offering opportunities to students from regional and remote areas.
  • The hands-on work at NASA could lead to further collaborations between Australian Indigenous researchers and international space agencies.

Background

The National Indigenous Space Academy (NISA) is a Monash University initiative that selects First Nations tertiary students each year for a placement at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The program aims to increase Indigenous participation in STEM fields and space research. O'Brien is the first student from a Western Australian university to be accepted into the program. She grew up moving between the Kimberley, Broome and Kalgoorlie before studying environmental engineering at UWA.

Key Perspectives

Alaxandrea O'Brien: The student sees the placement as the realisation of a childhood dream sparked by stargazing in Broome, and as proof that her environmental engineering studies are relevant to space exploration. National Indigenous Space Academy: The program continues to expand access for First Nations students to leading space research facilities, building a pipeline of Indigenous talent in the space sector. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory: The lab benefits from diverse perspectives on real-world projects including ocean exploration vehicles and microgravity research.

What to Watch

  • Whether NISA expands to more universities and states in future years.
  • The outcomes of the student projects, particularly those involving the International Space Station.
  • Further career paths of program alumni and their impact on Australia's growing space industry.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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