Southern Highlands Branch Meeting: 2025-4

“Space Race 2.0”

Dr Brad Tucker
Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics
Australian National University

Date: Thursday, 15 May, 6.30 pm AEST
Venue: RSL Mittagong, Carrington Room
All are welcome

Summary: Space exploration is happening at a rapid pace. Missions, projects, and events that are now happening were not even on the radar a few years ago. From private space travel and Hollywood movies, to building satellites to detect fires and searching for life in the Solar System, we’ll see what is happening in space. There are huge changes occurring with wide-ranging implications in law, policy, international relations, economics, and even the way we live. We’ll see what role Australia is playing and what it means for us over the next decade.

Brad Tucker is an Astrophysicist/Cosmologist at the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Mt. Stromlo Observatory and the National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, at the Australian National University.

Brad received Bachelor’s degrees in Physics, Philosophy, and Theology from the University of Notre Dame and a PhD in Astrophysics and Cosmology from Mt. Stromlo Observatory at the ANU. He’s leading programs using NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope and TESS to understand why and how stars blow up. He’s also building a network of ultraviolet telescopes in the upper atmosphere, and a search to find Planet 9.

Brad frequently gives talks to school groups and the public about Astronomy and has regular segments on various radio and TV stations. He has also developed a series of Astronomy coins with the Royal Australian Mint, consulted on science fiction movies, and has been featured in TV specials. He is currently in the process of writing his first popular book and has developed an online Astronomy course.

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