Media Release

Friday, 27 August 2004

More than 160 space experts and 115 graduate students will farewell South Australia today when the International Space University summer program comes to a close.

The International Space University (ISU) summer session program is the world's most prestigious education event dealing with all aspects of space.

Run by the French-based ISU, the nine-week program in Adelaide marks the first time it has been held in Australia. The program has been hosted by South Australia's three universities - Adelaide, UniSA and Flinders.

It has been an action-packed few months, with students from 27 countries learning not only about space science and the whole gamut of issues relating to the space industry, but also about South Australia from the city to the outback.

The ISU students yesterday made their final group presentations on the scientific, cultural, historical and industry research issues they have explored as part of the program.

The team presentations were:

• LunAres: Lunar missions in the framework of current space exploration initiatives for Mars
• STREAM: Space technologies for the research of effective water management
• CONNECTS: The Role of Satellite Communications in the Development of Rural and Remote Regions

Assistant Director for the summer session Morla Milne says the innovation and imagination shown in the work done by the student teams is always inspiring.

"This part of the summer program is really dynamic because it challenges a group of diverse, highly intelligent young people to apply their learning in a real world context," Ms Milne says.

"And they come up with real solutions and workable ideas - ideas that could be applied to industry and within government."

The official closing ceremony for the summer session program will be held in the Brookman Building at the University of South Australia's City East Campus - Friday, August 27 from 4pm.