November 7, 2024

Student Georgi Coddington named a Young Australian Space Leader

Award reflects Georgi's commitment to inspiring the next generation of aerospace professionals

Georgi Coddington, a University of Wollongong (UOW) student pursuing a Double Bachelor of Mechatronic Engineering and Mathematics, has been named as one of the six Young Australian Space Leaders for 2024 by the Australian Youth Aerospace Association.

The award recognises individuals who have had a significant contribution to the emerging space industry in Australia and provides an opportunity to travel to Milan to attend the week-long International Astronautical Congress (IAC), which is the largest gathering of space experts, including astronauts, from around the world.

Georgi was selected in recognition of her contributions to the Astra Program, a nationwide not-for-profit space education initiative by the Australian Youth Aerospace Association (AYAA). Since joining Astra in 2022, Georgi has been actively involved and has served as Program Director since March of this year.

The Program, developed in 2020, aims to provide tertiary students and young professionals with a platform to learn about and contribute to innovation in Australia’s space sector by submission of a reviewed white paper to government and industry, as well as the chance to meet industry experts and attend space events, such as the Australian Space Forum, through scholarships generously provided by program sponsors.

Some previous white paper topics include utilising Space for the benefit of Earth, and Resilient Critical Space Infrastructure – a topic in which Georgi co-led a team of 12 last year to submit their white paper whilst simultaneously being the Deputy Director of the program.

_{Georgi Coddington (centre) at the IAC event in Milan, Italy}

Georgi was delighted to receive recognition as a Young Australian Space Leader, especially as she was also selected to speak at the International Astronautical Congress and presented on the Astra Program and its ability to provide a unique template for peer-led education around the world.

Her passion about space goes many years back and it started with her obsession with finding constellations in the sky and that moved into a passion for Earth observation and looking through satellite imagery.

“I've learnt so much in the past three years like I never thought that working in the space industry was something that you could just go and do.

“To be able to speak at one of the most important, and largest, space events in the world such as the IAC is a huge honour, especially before I’ve even finished my undergraduate studies.”

Beyond her academic pursuits, Georgi is actively engaged in student representation, mentoring, and leadership at UOW. Since returning to study in 2022, she has served on the Student Advisory Council, worked as a Peer Mentor at UOW College, and taken on roles as a Peer Success and Peer Learning Coach. She is also a UOWx and Careers Ambassador and represents the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences in both the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives and the Safe & Respectful Communities program, where she serves as the Undergraduate Representative.

Georgi is also involved in the UOW Mechatronics Society’s Australian Rover Challenge Team which competed for the first time in Adelaide earlier this year.

She says anyone who wants to pursue a career in the space industry doesn’t have to be an engineer or an astronaut.

“There are a lot of opportunities in the space sector and ones that people don't often think about, like space law, policy making and space medicine or space architecture.”

Her team is working on increasing presence at the International Astronautical Congress which is being held in Sydney next year. She hopes the Congress being held in Australia will inspire more people to pursue careers in space and is excited to meet more students interested in the field.

“The biggest challenge in the Australian space industry right now is Australia being able to establish itself as a trusted partner internationally because we're quite an emerging nation, even though we've had presence in the space industry for a while.”

“Through the Astra Program we are dedicated to providing opportunities for young people to engage with the space sector, to hopefully foster growth, education, and development in the space industry.”

Georgi’s recognition as a Young Australian Space Leader by AYAA acknowledges her significant impact on the Australian space industry.