Connecting the Dots: Lauren Springer on Research, Design, and Global Alliances
Lauren Springer from the Australian Space Agency explains her role in fostering international partnerships, her fascinating research on planetary rings, and how space innovations solve Earth-bound challenges.
[00:00:08] Lauren Springer has served as a Space Science and Technology Officer at the Australian Space Agency for roughly three years. Established in 2018, the agency is relatively young but actively works to uplift the local space sector through technical expertise, policy advice, and international collaboration. Lauren notes that space is inherently interdisciplinary, meaning that no matter what your background is, your skill sets can be applied to solve complex orbital challenges.
Building International Bridges: The JAXA MMX Mission
[00:01:26] Lauren’s day-to-day work focuses on developing collaborative pathways between the Australian space research ecosystem and international space agencies like NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the German Space Agency (DLR).
[00:01:56] Most recently, the agency has partnered with JAXA (the Japanese Space Agency) to identify how Australian capabilities can support the Martian Moon Explorer (MMX) mission. This historic project aims to collect and return the first-ever sample from the Martian environment—specifically from the moon Phobos—to help scientists uncover how the Mars system originally formed.
An Astrophysics Journey: Faint Signals and Planetary Rings
[00:02:42] Lauren’s foundational background is in astrophysics. During her undergraduate degree, she worked in radio astronomy using the Murchison Widefield Array in the Western Australian outback. Her research focused on calibrating instruments to detect incredibly faint radio signals from the early universe, which help scientists map out how the cosmos evolved.
[00:03:27] Currently, Lauren is pursuing her master’s degree, exploring how rings form around exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) and how they impact planet habitability. While Saturn is famous for its rings, Lauren points out that all four giant planets in our solar system—Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune—possess ring systems made of varied materials ranging from ice and rock to micro-meteorites and dust particles.
There is even historical evidence suggesting that Earth and Mars once had rings, and scientists theorise that ancient terrestrial rings may have contributed to Earth’s historical “snowball” Ice Age periods. Additionally, the MMX target moon, Phobos, is expected to eventually break apart millions of years from now, forming a temporary ring around Mars before coalescing back into a smaller moon.
Space Innovation Serving Earth
[00:08:06] The Australian Space Agency actively utilises grant projects to showcase local ingenuity on the world stage, frequently aligning with global efforts like NASA’s Artemis campaigns. Lauren highlights that space exploration constantly spins off critical innovations that improve life on Earth:
- AI Crater Counting
Researchers at Curtin University developed an automated AI algorithm that identified 94 million planetary craters in just 24 hours—a task that previously took scientists six years to do by hand for a fraction of that amount. This exact tracking algorithm is now being cross-applied to recognise gas pipeline damage and identify cancerous skin spots on humans. - Microgravity Compression Suits
Australian startup Human Aerospace engineered specialised compression suits to counteract bone density loss and fluid shifts experienced by astronauts on the ISS. These suits are now being modified using 3D body scanning to assist medical patients recovering from severe burns or living with cerebral palsy. - Remote Space Medicine
Partnering with the Australian Antarctic Division, the agency leverages 80 years of harsh-environment experience to refine remote medical practices. This collaboration recently supported flying portable ultrasound instrumentation on a SpaceX mission and uses Antarctica as an analog site to study the psychological impacts of deep-space isolation.
Advice for iSTEM Teams: Map Your Timelines
[00:07:22] When approaching design challenges, Lauren emphasises that research and design go hand-in-hand. The key to any engineering sprint is identifying the gap between what is known and unknown, and adjusting your layout through continuous iterative feedback loops.
[00:13:11] Pointing to the University of Tasmania’s 10-year tracking preparations for NASA’s JUICE mission, Lauren advises students to carefully plan their timeframes. “Thinking about how long that timeframe is going to be and really planning out what each of your stages are is crucial to making sure that you stay focused and on track,” she concludes, reminding students that space exploration is always ultimately designed for the benefit of all.
[00:00:08] Lauren Springer has served as a Space Science and Technology Officer at the Australian Space Agency for roughly three years. Established in 2018, the agency is relatively young but actively works to uplift the local space sector through technical expertise, policy advice, and international collaboration. Lauren notes that space is inherently interdisciplinary, meaning that no matter what your background is, your skill sets can be applied to solve complex orbital challenges.
Building International Bridges: The JAXA MMX Mission
[00:01:26] Lauren’s day-to-day work focuses on developing collaborative pathways between the Australian space research ecosystem and international space agencies like NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the German Space Agency (DLR).
[00:01:56] Most recently, the agency has partnered with JAXA (the Japanese Space Agency) to identify how Australian capabilities can support the Martian Moon Explorer (MMX) mission. This historic project aims to collect and return the first-ever sample from the Martian environment—specifically from the moon Phobos—to help scientists uncover how the Mars system originally formed.
An Astrophysics Journey: Faint Signals and Planetary Rings
[00:02:42] Lauren’s foundational background is in astrophysics. During her undergraduate degree, she worked in radio astronomy using the Murchison Widefield Array in the Western Australian outback. Her research focused on calibrating instruments to detect incredibly faint radio signals from the early universe, which help scientists map out how the cosmos evolved.
[00:03:27] Currently, Lauren is pursuing her master’s degree, exploring how rings form around exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) and how they impact planet habitability. While Saturn is famous for its rings, Lauren points out that all four giant planets in our solar system—Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune—possess ring systems made of varied materials ranging from ice and rock to micro-meteorites and dust particles.
There is even historical evidence suggesting that Earth and Mars once had rings, and scientists theorise that ancient terrestrial rings may have contributed to Earth’s historical “snowball” Ice Age periods. Additionally, the MMX target moon, Phobos, is expected to eventually break apart millions of years from now, forming a temporary ring around Mars before coalescing back into a smaller moon.
Space Innovation Serving Earth
[00:08:06] The Australian Space Agency actively utilises grant projects to showcase local ingenuity on the world stage, frequently aligning with global efforts like NASA’s Artemis campaigns. Lauren highlights that space exploration constantly spins off critical innovations that improve life on Earth:
- AI Crater Counting
Researchers at Curtin University developed an automated AI algorithm that identified 94 million planetary craters in just 24 hours—a task that previously took scientists six years to do by hand for a fraction of that amount. This exact tracking algorithm is now being cross-applied to recognise gas pipeline damage and identify cancerous skin spots on humans. - Microgravity Compression Suits
Australian startup Human Aerospace engineered specialised compression suits to counteract bone density loss and fluid shifts experienced by astronauts on the ISS. These suits are now being modified using 3D body scanning to assist medical patients recovering from severe burns or living with cerebral palsy. - Remote Space Medicine
Partnering with the Australian Antarctic Division, the agency leverages 80 years of harsh-environment experience to refine remote medical practices. This collaboration recently supported flying portable ultrasound instrumentation on a SpaceX mission and uses Antarctica as an analog site to study the psychological impacts of deep-space isolation.
Advice for iSTEM Teams: Map Your Timelines
[00:07:22] When approaching design challenges, Lauren emphasises that research and design go hand-in-hand. The key to any engineering sprint is identifying the gap between what is known and unknown, and adjusting your layout through continuous iterative feedback loops.
[00:13:11] Pointing to the University of Tasmania’s 10-year tracking preparations for NASA’s JUICE mission, Lauren advises students to carefully plan their timeframes. “Thinking about how long that timeframe is going to be and really planning out what each of your stages are is crucial to making sure that you stay focused and on track,” she concludes, reminding students that space exploration is always ultimately designed for the benefit of all.
