Brisbane-based rocket manufacturer Black Sky Aerospace has become the first Australian company to locally produce Ammonium Perchlorate, a chemical that makes up about 70 percent of most rocket fuel. Known as A.P., the chemical will help Australia become self-sufficient as it moves to produce sovereign rockets and missiles, according to a statement. Black Sky announced…
Rex Airlines has announced a 20 per cent stake in Dovetail Electric Aviation, and will take a seat on the startup’s board of directors. Dovetail is a Bankstown-based startup focussed on retrofitting electric propulsion systems to turboprop nine-19-seat commuter planes, which it sees as a $US 15 billion opportunity. In a short statement on Friday,…
By Joel Gilmore, Griffith University and Tim Nelson, Griffith University After more than five decades, the last operating units of the Liddell coal-fired power station will close this month. The station’s owner, AGL, is Australia’s largest carbon polluter. Liddell’s closure will reduce the company’s emissions by 17%. Liddell, in the New South Wales Hunter Valley,…
The federal government has released a discussion paper ahead of development of a National Robotics Strategy, seeking to identify the challenges and opportunities when it comes to robotics and automation adoption by industry. Industry minister Ed Husic said the paper would “guide a conversation on growing the production and responsible use of robotics” within Australia.…
CSIRO and corporate advisor RFC Ambrian have formed a company to commercialise technology for detecting and disposing of landmines, with their hand-held detectors potentially in use next year. MRead builds on decades of work by the national science agency on ore sorting over decades, Chief Executive Dr Larry Marshall said on Tuesday. Its product will…
By Jarryd Daymond, University of Sydney Australia’s federal parliament has approved a A$15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, intended to reverse the nation’s dwindling manufacturing sector. It is the “first step” in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s election promise “to revive our ability to make world-class products”. The fund will focus on investing in high-tech manufacturing. There…
Four UQ AIBN researchers earn Advance Queensland fellowships Researchers at the University of Queensland’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) have won funding totalling almost $1.2 million through Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships for research in precision healthcare, nanomaterials, and the bioeconomy, assisting projects with industry partners. Dr Ping Chen will work with Brisbane-based…
Pure Hydrogen reaps clean energy rewards Pure Hydrogen announced a rise in revenue during the first half from $206,000 to $6.13 million as it reaped rewards from its focus on developing end to end green hydrogen fuel ecosystems, The rise saw NPAT improve from a loss of $808,000 in the previous corresponding period to a…
A new Monash University-led paper in the journal of the US Army War College suggests that artificial intelligence-led soldiers might be more than a match for human-controlled robots. A statement from Monash on Tuesday explained that the research showed AIs were better at the required cognitive tasks relevant to the battlefield than robots were at…
A new unmanned aerial vehicle, designed to fly up to 800 kilometres and carry a payload of up to 160 kilograms, was the major bit of news on day one of the Avalon International Airshow. Brent Balinski spoke to Kisa Christensen, Director – Red Ochre Autonomy & Sensors at BAE Systems Australia, after the unveiling…
