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In this special episode, what's happening in Australia's space industry? Between Australia's first lunar rover, and putting plants on the moon (this year!), we'll take a peek behind the curtain.
Space technology is having a moment right now. NASA’s Artemis mission is the first time humans have launched themselves into space since 1972. The 2026 Australian of the Year, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, is an astronaut. So, what does our local space industry look like right now? And where is it headed?
GUESTS:
Professor Andy Koronios -- Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Australasian Space Innovation Institute.
Dr Lauren Fell -- outreach and marketing specialist at Lunar Outpost Oceania, co-lead of the ELO2 industry consortium building Roo-ver. She's also a director at Lunaria One, who is putting plants on the moon.
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This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people.
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Get in touch:
We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]
Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

The world's biggest tech companies are scoping Australia out as a data centre hub. As they see it, we have an abundance of space, electricity and water. But do we actually have enough?
About 270 data centres have already been built in Australia, and there are a whole lot more on the way.
The amount of electricity and water these massive buildings are projected to consume is staggering. We'll walk through the numbers this episode, and who is likely to end up footing the bill.
The MIT Technology Review article Bronwyn referenced during the episode is here.
GUESTS:
Petra Stock, climate and environment reporter for The Guardian Australia.
Bronwyn Cumbo, lecturer at University of Technology Sydney and transdisiciplinary social researcher. Her Conversation article is here.
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This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people.
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Get in touch:
We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]
Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

John Livingstone is the Head of Digital Policy at UNICEF Australia. He's been talking directly to students about how the Australian social media ban is affecting young people, and whether it's making their lives better.
This is Rae's full conversation with John. You can hear a broader analysis of the social media ban in our recent episode.
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This is the first edition of our 'on the down-low' series -- longer standalone interviews with interesting people in the tech world.
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Australia banned under-16s from social media at the start of summer, and the world has been watching.
Today, we're doing a full audit. What the ban is doing, what it isn't, and whether we even built it on the right foundations.
GUESTS:
Josh Taylor -- technology reporter for The Guardian.
Jocelyn Brewer -- psychologist and founder of Digital Nutrition.
With a special appearance from John Livingstone, Head of Digital Policy at UNICEF Australia. You can hear Rae's full interview with him when it's released next Wednesday (25/03/2026).
Rae also mentioned If Books Could Kill's analysis of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt.
This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people.

There's a fresh wave of headlines claiming that AI is eating the workforce whole, and that the only way to have a job is to become the person who builds the robots. Is this a reasonable assumption? Or has "AI-washing" just become the most convenient way to excuse a restructure?
Plus, a genuine artistic community has grown around taking photos in video games. Who owns those creations?
And, wired headphones are back? Wired headphone revenue jumped 20 percent in the first six weeks of 2026. Why?
GUESTS:
Kath Albury -- Professor of Technology at Swinburne University, and Associate Investigator at the ARC Centre for Excellence In Automated Decision Making and Society. 
Mark Serrels -- Editorial Director at Choice and co-founder of Continue Magazine.
This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people.