PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide's Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources and the School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Monika Stankiewicz has been awarded the South Australian Fulbright scholarship to take her lunar architecture research to the University of Texas San Antonio.
PhD Candidate at the University of Adelaide's Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources and the School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Monika Stankiewicz. Credit: University of Adelaide.
Stankiewicz's research focuses on the design of easily repairable architecture for the Moon using local resources, to keep astronauts safe from repeated micro-meteorite strikes amidst the extreme dangers of the lunar environment.
She will spend 10 months at the University of Texas San Antonio, where the institution's simulation tools will allow her to gain a deeper understanding of what successfully repairable, impact-resilient architecture for the Moon looks like.
"I am deeply thrilled to have been awarded this Fulbright scholarship and can't wait to start working with my colleagues in the United States from August," Stankiewicz says.
"With countries such as the USA, Japan, China and Russia committing to building lunar bases, we are in a world-wide lunar 'build-a-base space race'. To make these bases safer for long-duration lunar missions, we need to protect inhabitants from micro-meteorites, which can impact at between 8-72km per second - about 9 to 86 times faster than the typical velocity of a bullet.
"As part of the NASA-funded Resilient Extraterrestrial Habitat Institute (RETHi), the University of Texas San Antonio is a leader in resilient lunar architecture research. The resources available there will allow me to simulate the damage caused by micro-meteorite impacts against proposed lunar base designs, and develop easily repairable architectural solutions to mitigate the damage.
"I will then bring the knowledge gained back to the University of Adelaide to further develop our space architecture capabilities."
Facilitated by the United States government's Fulbright Scholar program, the scholarships foster closer bonds between United States researchers and those from universities in other countries around the world.
"I congratulate Monika on being awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship," says University of Adelaide Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Peter Høj AC.
"Fulbright scholarships foster leadership, learning, and empathy between cultures, and are an opportunity to bring back knowledge, networks and experience to Australia.
"I wish Monika the greatest success as she pursues further research and studies, which will further her contributions to making space exploration and habitation safer."
In addition to Stankiewicz, two University of Adelaide alums have been accepted into the program: Dr Joshua Kovoor, an Adelaide Medical School graduate, and Natasha Moy, a Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Science graduate.
The University of Adelaide will also host three US-based researchers, who will start their scholarships in January.
Professor Chris Bronk, from the University of Houston, was announced as the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Cyber Information Influence, a position funded by the University of Adelaide. While here, he will continue his project on information power in the international system.
Dr Jason Pittman, from the University of Maryland, will explore the use of open-source large language models like ChatGPT in the unwitting generation of disinformation, to develop a set of detection schemes and guardrails at the model level, thus keeping disinformation from reaching the information-sphere and protecting the body of human knowledge.
Dr Diane Kelly, visiting from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, will perform the first study of genital anatomy and function in egg-laying mammals.
To explore the history of the University of Adelaide's participation in the Fulbright Scholarship Program, visit the website.
