Space innovation

Space sector research, developments and technologies that are transforming the New Zealand and international space sector.

The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the New Zealand Space Agency.

In this section

Air NZ on board with new climate change research

Imagine if scientists could accurately predict the severity of storms and other climate phenomena, giving those in their path potentially life-saving information.

Aotearoa New Zealand embarks on ambitious new space research

Aotearoa New Zealand is joining forces with US space company Axiom to collaborate on ambitious new space research that could have far reaching benefits for humankind.

Space Institute Director concerned over space debris

Ask Professor Guglielmo Aglietti, Director Te Pūnaha Ātea Space Institute what sparked his interest in space and he’ll tell you that like many of his generation he was inspired by the Apollo Moon landings.

University partners with industry to grow space workforce

The New Zealand space industry is taking off in a massive way, but to be the brightest star in the NZ$647 billion global space economy we need skilled workers.

New Zealand company designs world-leading space radar structure

When US company LeoLabs was looking for an engineering firm to help design a structure to house its Kiwi Space Radar (KSR) it chose Ruamoko Solutions, an innovative New Zealand company recognised for pioneering seismic design for the Christchurch rebuild.

New social enterprise helping to democratise space

Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom and Eric Dahlstrom have been working in the space industry for over three decades. As part of a team of passionate space technologists and educators, they have helped create a social enterprise called SpaceBase, focused on space education, entrepreneurship and collaboration.

Awarua’s “Dishmaster” explains the importance of satellite ground stations

Robin McNeill, Space Operations Manager at Southland’s Awarua Satellite Ground Station (SGS) heads Great South’s space programme.

University club helps launch students into aerospace careers

UC Aerospace, one of the largest academic clubs at the University of Canterbury is aiming to make Canterbury a hub for aerospace talent by building career pathways for students. The club runs multiple outreach programmes at both primary and high-school levels to grow student interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and rocketry.

Christchurch meet-ups foster growth in aerospace industry

Christchurch aspires to be New Zealand’s aerospace hub by 2025 and one man in particular is determined to play a leading role in the growth of this important national and global sector.

Tracking seals from outer space

Shanelle Dyer is an MSc Geography student at the University of Canterbury, using remote sensing and GIS for conservation. Her thesis focuses on counting Weddell seals in the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Antarctica, in an effort to see how well MPAs protect our vulnerable marine life.

Callaghan Innovation – breakthrough research in the manufacture of tiny sensors

Andrea Bubendorfer is a Principal Research Scientist and Microfabrication Team Leader at Callaghan Innovation. Her team’s MicroMaker project: scalable, rapid-printing technology that creates tiny devices, opens the way for New Zealand companies to take the lead in a multi-billion dollar global industry.

Dawn Aerospace - increasing NZ space flight

Dawn Aerospace is a NZ registered company pushing the boundaries of space technology and engineering in green satellite propulsion, suborbital launch vehicles and novel orbital launch systems. Read more about their innovation successes in our guest article written by Kiwi Co-founder, James Powell.

News from a NASA intern

Steven McCabe, one of the four NASA interns on the inaugural New Zealand Space Scholarship talks about his 10-week project designing small sensors to explore hard-to-reach areas on Mars and the Moon. He also shows us some of the other amazing research happening at the NASA Ames Research Centre in California.

Last updated: 29 July 2020