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The Milky Way above the Warkworth Observatory. Photo, Yusuf Qureshi (Instagram: wonder.graphy)
Warkworth Radio Astronomical Observatory will be home to the first practical course in space exploration in New Zealand, starting next month.
Students will have access to the country’s only radio telescope and will learn about the many projects it contributes to, including maintenance of GPS systems and mapping of the Milky Way galaxy.
They will gain practical knowledge about retrieving data from satellites or remote vehicles on other planets, as well as space flight, celestial mechanics and exploration of the solar system.
The course is part of a new major in Astronomy and Space Science that the Auckland University of Technology is offering for its Bachelor of Science degree.
Institute for Radio Astronomy and Space Research director, Professor Sergei Gulyaev, says New Zealand has entered the space race and Kiwis are ready for their careers to take flight.
“For 10 years we have taught students the mathematical side of astronomy. They’ve studied the cosmos, and they’ve asked what is the practical application,” he says.
“But now New Zealand goes to space through Rocket Lab and our observatory collaborates with NASA, the European Space Agency and SpaceX, so we have new opportunities.”
The Warkworth observatory recently assisted in NASA and SpaceX’s successful mission to launch astronauts to the international space station.
The radio telescope tracked their spacecraft, relaying telemetry data to Space X in Los Angeles, including rotation, pressure, astronaut vitals and a video feed.
Professor Gulyaev says it is possible that the Warkworth observatory will have a special role to play in getting the astronauts home safely. If the astronauts fly over New Zealand before landing in the Northern Hemisphere as planned, the Warkworth observatory will be the final station to observe it. The station will be responsible for tracking and relaying the astronauts’ landing location so that they can be safely retrieved by NASA.
“In the Northern Hemisphere they have plenty of land and satellite dishes, but in the Southern Hemisphere there is a lot of open ocean. We are in a special position in New Zealand to be of assistance,” Professor Gulyaev says.
More on the Warkworth Observatory.
