Australia on the Moon: Our Next Giant Leap

Lineup

• More details about Dr Shannon Walker

  Dr Shannon Walker

  Dr. Walker holds a bachelor’s degree in physics, as well as Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy in Space Physics, from Rice University in Houston, Texas. She worked in various capacities in the Mission Control Center at the NASA Johnson Space Center prior to being selected as a NASA astronaut in 2004. Her first space flight was in 2010, launching as the cosmonaut pilot of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft that took her to the International Space Station (ISS) where she served as Flight Engineer for Expeditions 24 and 25, in a mission lasting 163 days. In November 2020, she flew her second mission to the ISS launching with Crew-1 on the SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle. She served as Flight Engineer on the ISS during Expedition 64 and was the Space Station Commander for part of Expedition 65. This mission totalled 167 days. Most recently she served as Deputy Chief of the NASA Astronaut Office prior to her retirement from NASA in 2025. She is married to Adelaide-born astronaut, Andy Thomas and resides in Houston, Texas.

• More details about Enrico Palermo

  Enrico Palermo

  Enrico has led the Australian Space Agency since January 2021. Since his commencement, Enrico has proudly led a diverse team of space agents that have achieved a number of major milestones. Under his leadership the Agency has reached an agreement with NASA for an Australian designed, built and operated rover to be included in a future mission to the Moon, secured the first launch permits and launch facility licenses under the Australian Space (Launches and Returns) Act, and seen the first commercial spaceflights from Australia. Before joining the Agency, Enrico spent 14 years in various roles at Virgin Galactic, including establishing and leading a vertically integrated aerospace manufacturing and testing operation for Mach 3, crewed commercial spaceships. From there Enrico was part of the team that launched the New York Stock Exchange listed public company and was appointed Chief Operating Officer. A Perth native, Enrico graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Physics and Applied Mathematics. He also studied at the International Space University in Strasbourg.

• More details about Flavia Tata Nardini

  Flavia Tata Nardini

  Flavia Tata Nardini is Co-founder and CEO of Australia’s leading space exploration company, Fleet Space Technologies. A rocket scientist, former propulsion test engineer at the European Space Agency and holder of two patents, Flavia led the development of Fleet Space’s pioneering LEO satellite constellation - Australia’s first - to drive real-time satellite-enabled solutions for the global mining industry. She is Chair of the Australian Space Agency Space Industry Leaders Forum, Mission Chair of the 7 Sisters Moon Mission, and director on the board of Austmine - the leading industry association for Australia’s mining technology sector, representing over 700 companies around the world.

• More details about Ben Sorensen

  Ben Sorensen

  Ben Sorensen is the Roo-ver Mission and ELO2 Consortium Director, leading Australia’s collaboration between industry, research, and government to undertake Australia’s Mission to the Moon. The Roo-ver Mission is supported by the Australian Space Agency and will see an Australian-designed and built lunar rover operate on the Moon later this decade. Through this mission, the ELO2 Consortium is strengthening Australia’s space industry by developing and commercialising cutting-edge capabilities in cyber security, AI/ML, robotics, autonomous systems, and other critical national technologies. Ben has served on boards and committees across public and private sectors, including as a Board Member of the Cybersecurity CRC and Commercial Director at CSIRO’s Data61. At CSIRO, he led strategic collaborations in Enterprise, Defence, and National Security, including partnerships with Defence Primes, DSTG, and DARPA. In 2021, he and his team received the Eureka Prize for Safeguarding Australia.

• More details about William Foster-Hall

  William Foster-Hall

  William is a Research Associate at Adelaide University, leading the execution of the University’s research contributions to the Roo-ver mission. His research focuses on lunar and asteroid environments, robotic simulation, and hardware development. He graduated from the University of Adelaide in 2020 with a double degree in Mechatronic Engineering and Mathematical & Computer Sciences, commencing his PhD in soft robotics for space applications that same year. William is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, a graduate of the International Space University, and served as a visiting researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) during his doctoral studies.