2025 Winners and Finalists

Academic of the Year

Arnick Abdollahi, University of Technology Sydney
Rebecca Allen, Swinburne University of Technology
Nick Bennett, University of Technology Sydney
Rowena Christiansen, The University of Melbourne/the ad astra vita project

Anita Ho-Baillie, The University of Sydney

Gail Iles, RMIT University
David William Kim, Australian National University
Fabian Zander, University of Southern Queensland - iLAuNCH Trailblazer

Engineer of the Year - Space Industry

Zaid Ahmed, Akula Tech
Amjed Ahmed Arifeen, Nominal Systems
Braeden Borg, Fleet Space Technologies
Katie Doyle, Lunar Outpost Oceania
Daniel Esparon, Inovor Technologies
Julia Mitchell, Space Machines Company
Ranjith Obeyesekera, K-HART International
Francisco Romano, Nominal Systems

Harrison Verrios, Nominal Systems

Engineer of the Year - Academic/Research

Xueliang Bai, The University of Sydney
Lauren Hanson, CSIRO
Christopher Kourloufas, ANU Institute for Space

Nick Manser, SmartSat CRC

Patrick Oppel, The University of Sydney
Anupam Kumar Pilli, ANU Institute for Space

Executive of the Year

Preetham Akula, Akula Tech
Christopher Capon, Nominal Systems
Gabrielle Caswell, SpacePort Australia
Joseph Kenrick, Lunar Outpost Oceania
Rajat Kulshrestha, Space Machines Company

Darin Lovett, University of Southern Queensland - iLAuNCH Trailblazer

Joni Sytsma, University of Southern Queensland - iLAuNCH Trailblazer

Female Space Leader of the Year - Enterprise

Rebecca Allen, Swinburne University of Technology
Veronica Bainton, Optus
Rowena Christiansen, The University of Melbourne/the ad astra vita project

Kimberley Clayfield, CSIRO

Zandria Farrell, CSIRO
Katie Mouser, Australian Space Agency
Joni Sytsma, University of Southern Queensland - iLAuNCH Trailblazer

Female Space Leader of the Year - SME

Kelly Barlow, EMA Advisory
Gabrielle Caswell, SpacePort Australia
Zahra Esmati, Zenith Comms
Lauren Fell, Lunaria One; Lunar Outpost Oceania
Sheila Gough Kenyon, Starbound Space Solutions

Julia Mitchell, Space Machines Company

Milica Symul, University of Southern Queensland - iLAuNCH Trailblazer
Helen Tung, NewSpace2060
Kathie van Vugt, Lunar Outpost Oceania
Kelly Yeoh, Blue Dwarf Space

Graduate of the Year

Jonathan Adams, Inovor Technologies
Grant Bradbeer, Lunar Outpost Oceania
Jory Braun, Lunar Outpost Oceania
Lachlan Carboon, Lunar Outpost Oceania
Chloe Chang, Lunar Outpost Oceania
William De La Rue, Lunar Outpost Oceania
Christos Lillis, Lunar Outpost Oceania
Maxwell Morris, Curtin University
Rohan Patel, Crest Robotics

Liam Whittle, Lunar Outpost Oceania

Olivia Widjaja, Electro Optic Systems
Siena Zubcic, Lunar Outpost Oceania

Innovator of the Year

Gabrielle Caswell, SpacePort Australia
Greg Clothier, IQMS Australasia

Dr Muhammad Akbar Hussain, Mareekh Dynamics

Joseph Kenrick, Lunar Outpost Oceania
Ranjith Obeyesekera, K-HART International
Nishq Ravindranath, Akula Tech
Eldar Rubinov, FrontierSI
Joni Sytsma, University of Southern Queensland - iLAuNCH Trailblazer
Nan Zhang, NGB Innovation

Mentor of the Year

Mina Arsanious, Royal Flying Doctors Service
Gabrielle Caswell, SpacePort Australia
Rowena Christiansen, The University of Melbourne/the ad astra vita project
Kavindi De Silva, Inovor Technologies
Julia Gibney, Nova Systems
Joseph Kenrick, Lunar Outpost Oceania
Shaun Kenyon, Starbound Space Solutions
Virginia Kilborn, Swinburne University of Technology

Tim Parsons, National Space Industry Hub, Cicada Innovations

Rising Star of the Year - Enterprise

Arnick Abdollahi, University of Technology Sydney

Courtney Bright, CSIRO
Thomas Graham, Swinburne University of Technology
Bryan Greenham, Gilmour Space Technologies
Julia Low, RMIT University
Katie Mouser, Australian Space Agency
Patrick Oppel, The University of Sydney
Kavanna Trewavas,University of Southern Queensland - iLAuNCH Trailblazer

Rising Star of the Year - SME

Kelly Barlow, EMA Advisory

Anne Bettens, Deneb Space

Dane Brumm, HEO
Gabrielle Caswell, SpacePort Australia
Kavindi De Silva, Inovor Technologies
Tom Dixon, Space Machines Company
Nhat Nguyen, Space Machines Company
Jacqui Tyack, The Write Space and The Australian Space Diversity Alliance
Harrison Verrios, Nominal Systems

Scientist of the Year

Arnick Abdollahi, University of Technology Sydney
Dr Muhammad Akbar Hussain, Mareekh Dynamics
Ranjith Obeyesekera, K-HART International

Lee Spitler, Australian Astronomical Optics at Macquarie University