Microgravity offers a unique environment for research and development, but also poses distinct challenges when it comes to experimental design.

Led by Dr Rebecca Allen, the Microgravity Experimentation Program leverages over five years of space heritage gained through designing bespoke experiments for the International Space Station.

Microgravity Experimentation spans a diverse range of fields, to gain a deeper understanding of everything from the human body to next-generation materials and manufacture.

Our research areas

This field offers end-to-end expertise for the design, development and data transport of a range of biological and material science missions in microgravity. Our three key areas include: 

  • Space Medicine and Health – investigating how the extreme environment of space including radiation and microgravity affects biological systems.  
  • Biotech Applications – simulating microgravity to perform biological experiments will inform experiment module design for biotech applications. 
  • Smart Experiment Platforms – this stream is a collaboration across Space Institute programs. Projects focus on challenges faced by industry partners such as developing modern experiment platforms made from novel materials to address issues such as thermal control.

  • Youth Space Innovation Challenge

    Secondary students can design and lead an experiment that blasts off to the International Space Station each year through the Swinburne Youth Space Innovation Challenge.

    Find out more (Youth Space Innovation Challenge)

Explore our other research programs

Contact the Space Technology and Industry Institute

If your organisation would like to collaborate with us to solve a complex problem, or you simply want to contact our team, get in touch by calling +61 3 9214 5177 or emailing spaceinstitute@swinburne.edu.au.

Contact us