The project brings together Cambrian Defence & Space, Blue Dwarf Space and the Robinson Laboratory at the Centre for Cancer Biology, with funding support from the South Australian Space Collaboration and Innovation Fund, a joint initiative of the South Australian Space Industry Centre and the Defence Innovation Partnership.
The experiments will launch aboard a suborbital rocket, where researchers will study how cancer stem cells behave in microgravity. But the mission’s ambitions extend well beyond a single flight.
The broader aim is to remove the longstanding barriers that have prevented Australian medical and technology researchers from accessing space as a practical research environment.
Lead investigator Dr Nirmal Robinson said the team would focus on stem cells that sit “at the tipping point between normal function and potential malignancy”.
“Microgravity offers a unique window into the earliest stages of cancer risk,” Dr Robinson said. “The suborbital phase functions as a biological selection stage. Cells that respond to microgravity will progress to future orbital missions, ensuring long-duration flights are targeted and cost-effective.”
Historically, conducting experiments in space has involved complex international procurement processes, long wait times, specialist engineering teams and significant expense, often requiring years of coordination. The new partnership has consolidated those requirements into a single managed pipeline, allowing researchers to concentrate on their science rather than navigating technical, regulatory and space law complexities.
Blue Dwarf Space chief executive Kelly Yeo said the initiative was about more than sending a single payload skyward.
“This program is about building access, not just flying an experiment,” Yeo said. “We’re establishing a practical service where a research group can design a study and reliably operate it in space without needing to become space engineers or regulatory and space law experts.”
Cambrian Defence & Space chief executive Tiffany Sharp said the mission would help unlock new opportunities for Australian biomedical research.
“This project removes a major barrier for Australian biomedical research: practical access to microgravity,” Sharp said. “It allows scientists to study disease behaviour in conditions that are difficult to replicate on Earth and accelerates translation towards therapies and commercial applications.”
Together, the organisations are working to establish an enduring Australian capability that treats space not as a rare opportunity, but as a regular, more affordable and accessible research environment.
The platform is designed to support multiple sectors, including biotechnology, medicine, advanced materials, botany, health and human performance research.
Under the model, organisations will be able to design and operate experiments in microgravity through a structured and repeatable process.
Backed by state government support, the collaboration is intended to lay the groundwork for an ongoing microgravity research service, positioning South Australia as a leader in making space a practical laboratory for Australian industry and academia.