Round 2 Australia's Economic Accelerator (AEA) Ignite outcomes were announced last week and ANU Institute for Space | InSpace's team supported applications securing funding across two projects.

The ANU projects that received the grants are:

• Portable Vacuum Ultraviolet Source to Support Human Exploration and Inhabitation of the Space Environment.

Josef Richmond ANU project lead shared the details:
"The Space Plasma, Power and Propulsion Laboratory (sp3), in partnership with SolidHydrogen, Boswell Technologies and the University of Sydney, is developing a portable, plasma based, vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation source. The system generates VUV light in the 100–200 nm range using a radio frequency hydrogen plasma and will be advanced from a laboratory prototype to a field-deployable system. The prototype will target applications including, electrostatic removal of lunar and Martian dust from spacesuits and equipment, surface sterilisation, and support for off-Earth agriculture. Terrestrial applications include PFAS water treatment, air and surface disinfection, and seed treatment. The project will deliver a portable prototype validated in simulated space and terrestrial environments over a 12-month period."

And...

• ChronoPhase: Picometer differential metrology at low power for space.

ANU project leads, Chathura B. and Mike Ireland share their project's details;

"The aim of this project is to build and test an engineering prototype of an inter-satellite ranging system so it can move from early research to a form that meets real space mission requirements, with the goal of being accepted for a future Japanese space telescope mission and eventually flown in space.

Many congratulations to all involved!