TastroTalk: Astronaut Eric Philips

Burnie Space Communicator, Andrew Boyd invites you to attend this live and in-person TastroTalk in partnership with The Burnie City Council, Marist Regional College, UTas Cradle Coast Campus, BIG and TastroFest!

Eric Philips OAM is an Australian polar explorer, guide, and astronaut. During a four-decade adventuring career, he has pioneered four new ski routes to the South Pole, skied across the Arctic Ocean from Russia to the North Pole and North Pole to Canada, crossed Greenland twice, and completed expeditions in Svalbard, Iceland, northern Canada, and Patagonia. He has amassed over 10,000 kilometres of sled hauling in remote polar environments.

Eric is the owner of Icetrek Expeditions and Equipment and co-founded the International Polar Guides Association, serving as its president for 12 years. He is also the co-creator of the Polar Expeditions Classification Scheme, which is widely recognised for standardising polar expedition nomenclature and records.

In April 2023, Eric was selected to join the SpaceX-supported Fram2 mission, training as Mission Specialist and Medical Officer. In April 2025, the four-member crew completed the first human spaceflight over the North and South Poles, spending four days in space and flying over 2.2 million kilometres. Eric became the first Australian to fly into orbit under the Australian flag.