One Giant Leap Australia Foundation, the Australian Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency (JAXA) are excited to announce the selection of an Australian student experiment
to be conducted on the International Space Station (ISS).
Shingo Nishimoto, a student studying Aerospace Engineering at The Australian National University,
will have his experiment conducted on the ISS after entering the Asian Try Zero-G competition.
Asian Try Zero-G is an ‘out of this world’ competition where students propose an experiment or
exercise that could be selected to be conducted by JAXA astronauts in the Kibo module of the ISS.
Asian Try Zero-G has been created by JAXA to promote crewed space experiment activities aboard
Kibo. The competition is delivered in Australia by One Giant Leap Australian Foundation with
sponsorship from the Australian Space Agency. It is free and open to youth and young scientists and
engineers.
Students are asked to design and submit proposals for simple microgravity experiments or exercises
that can be easily performed onboard the ISS. Submitted proposals are reviewed by a distinguished
panel of space professionals. Once chosen, the students will be guided in preparing their activity for
launch.
“Words can’t describe how excited I am! I am looking forward to observing the rotating motion of
chopsticks for a long duration under the zero gravity environment.” Shingo exclaims. “That
experiment will help us to understand whether the theoretical expectation is correct, and I believe
that the theory can apply to the space robots that manage the angular momentum vector to the
robots’ body frame using shape deformation. Thank you so much for selecting this experiment!”
“What an incredible honour for Shingo and another example of the exceptional space talent we are
cultivating right here in Australia,” Deputy Head of the Australian Space Agency Dara Williams said.
“Developing the next generation space workforce is a key part of the Australian Space Agency’s
mission, and opportunities like this help to keep young Australians here at home where they can
have a fulfilling space career.“
“Keeping our talent in Australia is not just important for the space sector, but in growing a range of
important industries, from advanced manufacturing to critical technologies like AI and robotics.”
One Giant Leap Australia Foundation was created to provide life changing programs in space STEM
education. “This is an incredible opportunity for a student to have their own experiment carried out
in space.” Jenna McCarthy, Education Outreach Manager explained. “Imagine the impact this will
have on Shingo’s future career and how it will inspire others to reach for the stars.”
The experiments and exercises selected by the panel will be performed by JAXA astronauts in the
Kibo module on the ISS. The demonstration of the space activities will be broadcast live and
transmitted to JAXA’s ground station at Tsukuba Space Center, Japan. Further information and
updates can be found at:
