Associate Professor Francis Bennet is just one of our ANU Institute for Space | InSpace Mission Specialists heading to IAC 2025 Sydney this September to take part in talks and discussions and meet with stakeholders and partners for the many projects he and his team are working on. Here at InSpace we think you will be keen to hear more about the latest on advanced communications and what The Australian National University researchers are involved with so, here is a roundup of Francis’ projects. 

The ANU research team led by A/Prof. Francis Bennet has been busy developing advanced optical instrumentation for optical ground stations including adaptive optics, site testing through atmospheric turbulence profiling, quantum, and deep-space optical communications. Two of these are iLAuNCH Trailblazer projects focusing on advancing optical ground station technology readiness levels, with Optus and Leonardo UK as industry partners. 

A/Prof. Bennet is also leading a project aimed at enabling lunar and deep-space optical communication in the Southern Hemisphere by establishing capabilities to support a demonstration with the NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Artemis II Mission with high-speed optical communication in 2026. This project recently used Australia’s largest telescope, the 4 m AAT, in a demonstration with a deep-space science mission using laser communications. 

And if that wasn’t enough A/Prof. Bennet is also the lead innovator on an Australian Economic Accelerator grant to develop a free-space quantum communication testbed over a 10 km range of turbulent atmosphere corrected by adaptive optics, combining cutting edge optical instrumentation with commercially available quantum encryption hardware from QuintessenceLabs . 

Phew, what an exhaustive list of groundbreaking projects to talk about! We know you will want to hear more, so please come see us at the ACT GovernmenttTeam Canberra Stand 315.