From ASRI News, No. 1, pp. 1-2, Nov. 1993
The Australian Space Research Institute
A New Beginning
M. Blair
ASRI Chairman
On Monday 17th May 1993, the vote regarding the constitutional changes, as
were outlined in the April '93 newsletter, was carried unanimously.
This vote effectively approved the merger between ASERA and AUSROC
and created the new Australian Space Research Institute Ltd. (ASRI). Soon
after this vote of approval, the application for 'Approved Research Institute'
(ARI) status was lodged with the Australian Taxation Office. The application
was officially approved by the ATO and the CSIRO on the 27th of
September. The ARI status allows donations to ASRI to be tax deductible
and provides us with formal government recognition of our existence and
program activities.
Thanks must be given to Michael O'Donnell from Thomson Simmons &
Co. in SA for his legal assistance with the preparation of the ASRI
constitution document. Copies of the new constitution are available on
request from ASRI. The objectives with which ASRI has been founded are
as follows:
1. Develop and advance space science and technology.
2. Conduct, encourage and promote research in the field of space science
and technology.
3. Educate and extend knowledge in the field of space science and
technology and to make available education opportunities in the
field of space science and technology to supplement and further those
opportunities made available by established educational institutions.
4. Conduct, co-ordinate and support projects for the advancement of the
above objects.
It should be realised that the activities undertaken by ASRI are done in
pursuit of these objectives. The new ASRI organisational structure consists
of a board of 7 directors and a research committee of 5 members. These are:
Board of Directors.
Chairman Mark Blair (DSTO-Rocket Technology Gp.).
Vice Chairman Craig Lindley (CSIRO-Information Technology).
Secretary Gary Luckman (Research Chemist, Bush Pty. Ltd.)
Treasurer Tzu-Pei Chen (Director Ardebil Pty. Ltd.).
Research Dir. Ian Bryce (HDH-Space Projects Gp.).
John Coleman (Seimens, President S.A.A.)
Warren Williams (DSTO-Weapon Flight Dyn. Gp.).
Research Committee.
Ian Bryce (HDH Space Projects Gp.).
Dr Ian Tuohy (BAeA Space Technical Manager).
Phil Pearson (DSTO-ARL-GWD-Head, Guidance and Control).
Dr. Miles Moody (QUT-Head Electrical Engineering).
Dr. Brian Embleton (Director COSSA.)
Any funds which are donated to ASRI which take advantage of the tax
deductibility are kept in a separate Research Account. The Research
Committee is tasked with the role of approving the release of funds from
this account to projects for the purposes of 'Scientific Research' as
defined in section 73A of the income tax assessment act.
ASRI ACTIVITIES
As of this time, ASRI has formally adopted the main program areas from
both ASERA and AUSROC. The current programs are listed below along
with the program coordinators who can be reached directly through the
institute.
LAUNCH VEHICLES
1. CARATEL Experimental Liquid Fuelled Vehicle
Program Coordinator: Ian Bryce
2. AUSROC II Series. Liquid fuelled Demonstration Vehicles.
3. AUSROC III. Developmental Sounding Rocket.
4. AUSROC IV. Satellite Launch Vehicle.
Program Coordinator: Mark Blair
SATELLITES AND PAYLOADS
1. AUSTRALIS Micro-satellite.
Program Coordinator: Craig Lindley
2. Infrared Imaging System (IRIS).
3. Micro-gravity payload experiments.
Program Coordinator: Ian French
SCRAMJET PROPULSION
1. High temperature composite structures.
2. Hypersonic aero stability and combustion.
3. SCRAMJET/ Launcher performance analysis.
Program Coordinator: Warren Williams
A potential new program is currently being pursued which will involve the
use of surplus 3.5" solid fuelled Sighter rockets for a number of research,
evaluation and educational applications. Contacts for this potential program
are Richard Bromfield and Ian Bryce.
Updates for the majority of the above programs are included later in this
newsletter. In order to undertake the above projects a broad range of
scientific and engineering disciplines are being pursued by the Institute.
These include the following:
(a) Liquid, Solid and Hybrid rocket propulsion systems.
(b) Guidance and Control Systems.
(c) Composite and Lightweight Structures.
(d) Telemetry Systems.
(e) Launch site development and operations.
(f) Aerodynamic testing and analysis.
(g) Flight Safety Systems.
(h) Spacecraft Structures.
(i) Space qualified electronics.
(j) Supersonic airbreathing propulsion technology.
(k) Systems Engineering Methodologies.
The major program areas are determined by the directors acting on the
advice and suggestions from the ASRI members. The program coordinators
determine the subproject breakdown of their particular program and
forward the subprojects to the ASRI membership as well as to national
universities as student projects. University staff and industry personnel
assist in the supervision of the project work. To date, the following
Universities have been involved with the ASRI program activities:
1. Adelaide University.
2. University of South Australia.
3. Monash University.
4. RMIT.
5. University of NSW.
6. Sydney University.
7. University of Technology, Sydney
8. University of Queensland
9. Qld. University of Technology.
10. University of Southern Qld.
Technical reports which are produced during the course of the
project work are being kept within the ASRI library system. A list
of all holdings is currently being prepared and parts of this list will
be printed in future newsletters. Copies of ASRI technical reports
can be ordered through the Institute.
This is the first ASRI Newsletter and, at this stage, it is planned to
produce it every 2 months. If the amount of material submitted for
publication increases sufficiently then we may increase its'
publication rate to 1 per month
The First Annual ASRI Conference has been scheduled to be held at the
Signal Processing Research Institute building at the University of South
Australia from the 8-10th December 1993. We would like to extend an open
invitation to all interested persons to attend. There is no charge for
attendance. A post conference tour to Woomera will be arranged for those
interested and a conference program has been included in this newsletter.
Anyone wanting to attend the Woomera tour should notify me as soon as
possible.
Much effort has been expended over the last 8 months to create a
formal institution which can assist in the promotion and
development of space science and technology within Australia.
Links have also been established with a variety of international
organisations pursuing similar objectives to ourselves. Australia
currently has a deficiency in the R &D and educational aspects of
space science and technology. Because of this, I believe ASRI has a
distinct role to play in the Australian Space arena.
Finally, on behalf of the ASRI Directors, I would like to welcome
everyone to the new Australian Space Research Institute.
"Quam Difficilis Potest"