2026.05.20 | Monash High Powered Rocketry: Pushing the boundaries of space technologies

On The Space Show for Wednesday, 20 May 2026: Space Show News: Australian Space Industry 2026 — Part 1 * Spiral Blue's first international LiDAR sale to Lodestar in the United Kingdom * QuantX Labs on TEMPO * Neuman Space's ND-25 propulsion system on CarbSAR. Also, a giant sunspot on the far side of the Sun was observed by the Solar Orbiter and the Perseverance Rover on Mars.

SMILE and Psyche: The China-ESA satellite SMILE (Solar-wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) has been launched, and the asteroid mission Psyche has had its trajectory changed by passing close to Mars. (Inserts courtesy ESA, JPL)

Monash HPR: Pushing the boundaries of space technologies The Space Show in conversation with Johson Zheng, Project Lead and Bavreet Ubhi, Propulsion Vice Lead, of Monash High Powered Rocketry, Monash University. Monash High Powered Rocketry (or MHPR) is a student team at Monash University revolutionising student rocketry in Australia by developing innovative space technologies, fostering collaboration, and igniting passion in future generations through outreach. With a team of over 100 members, MHPR actively competes in both the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) and Australian Universities Rocketry Competition (AURC). The design and manufacturing of almost all components of these rockets is done in-house by students, including all airframe components and many flight computers. Monash HPR is developing, manufacturing and testing a hybrid rocket engine using paraffin and liquid oxygen.

Turn Back Time: The 60th anniversary of the launch of Europa 1 F-4 from Woomera. Listen or download the full recording of the launch made in Auckland off Radio Australia and 2NR Grafton (40 min 17 s - 38.7 MB)