USYD Rocketry Team Director Alison Lockley was named one of 2022’s Young Australian Space Leaders by the Australian Youth Aerospace Association (AYAA). Selected winners receive a scholarship providing them with the opportunity to attend the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) and the Space Generation Congress (SGC).
Having recently led the Sydney team to win the annual Spaceport America Cup competition, the AYAA recognized Ms. Lockley’s demonstrated commitment to diversity and outreach, technical excellence, initiative, and resilience.
Ms. Lockley, who is in her final year studying a Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering and Bachelor of Science majoring in Space and Physics, has led by example in her role as rocketry president and throughout her degree, promoting diversity among her peers.
“I am honored to have been selected as one of AYAA’s Young Australian Space Leaders of 2022. Space is for everyone – I look forward to representing our growing sector by promoting diversity alongside technical excellence,” said Ms. Lockley, who is also interning at the Defense Science and Technology Group as a STEM Cadet.
As part of the scholarship, next month Ms. Lockley will travel to Paris to attend the IAC. The conference is the world’s largest coming together of global space actors from various fields. With over 6,000 participants each year, it showcases the latest space information and developments in academia and industry. The SGC brings together 150 delegates from the United Nations, NASA and other world-leading space organizations to share perspectives on global space issues.
AYAA 2022 President Bao-Thien Nguyen said: “We are proud to be able to provide young people in Australia with opportunities otherwise inaccessible to them. These individuals give so much to the industry that it is great to be able to give them access to this once in a lifetime experience.”
