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National Indigenous Space Academy NASA placements
Overview
The 2026 National Indigenous Space Academy (NISA) has selected eight First Nations university students from across Australia for a 10-week placement at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the United States.
Participants engage in mentor-led projects involving active space missions, such as studying microorganisms aboard the International Space Station and developing ocean exploration vehicles. Before the placement, students undergo a Space Boot Camp at Monash University covering aerodynamics, robotics, and astrophysics.
One notable participant is Alaxandrea O’Brien, an environmental engineering student from the University of Western Australia, who is the first student from that state to join the academy. The initiative, established in 2019, seeks to increase Indigenous representation within the Australian space sector and has supported 29 participants to date.
Entities
NASA · Monash University · Jet Propulsion Laboratory · National Indigenous Space Academy · University of Western Australia
Timeline
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[TECHNOLOGY] 2 sourcesAlaxandrea O’Brien joins NASA via Monash University space academy
Alaxandrea O’Brien is the first Western Australian student selected for Monash University’s National Indigenous Space Academy, joining a 10-week placement at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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[TECHNOLOGY] 2 sourcesNational Indigenous Space Academy selects eight students for NASA placement
Eight First Nations university students will participate in the 2026 National Indigenous Space Academy, including a 10-week placement at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to boost Indigenous representation in AU
Sources
americanindependent.com · archynewsy.com · smh.com.au · thegcminute.com.au