About the Project
The Southern Skies Project (SSP) is an education and outreach initiative sharing the wonder of space exploration and planetary science. Our purpose is to promote interest in space among the Australian public and inspire the next generation towards new worlds.
SSP’s approach to outreach
We take a straightforward approach to promoting space exploration. We focus on two simple questions: what makes space exploration so compelling, and why is it worth the effort? If you are keen to start your journey, we point you toward a clear, accessible, and exciting career pathway. From that point on, it’s your story.
While our approach is straightforward, our programme is unique and multi-faceted. It comprises adventures to far-off places, filming science videos on location, curating stories and advice from the Australian space community, hosting stargazing & knowledge-sharing, and more. Everyone benefits from space exploration and anyone can get involved.
The team
We are currently growing our network of experts & educators for our flagship programme, the Next Desert Mars expedition series, backed by Mars Society Australia. We are seeking research partners, sponsors, and field crew – if you’re interested, send us a message.
SSP is coordinated by planetary exploration enthusiast and field scientist Thomas Windsor. Our work is supported by individuals and organisations from the Australian space community.
A bit about the Project Coordinator
Thomas often wonders what originally got him interested in space. During his childhood he spent more time looking down than up, busily turning over stones to observe the curious things living beneath them. This behaviour persisted until he graduated from UWA with a BSc in Botany and Zoology. He then worked several jobs exploring unusual places, from coral-clad Christmas Island, to the red Simpson, to the steep jungles of Ecuador. It was during this time that he was seized by the space bug, which now refuses to let go.
Thomas’ special interests are cameleering, microbiology, and scientific fieldwork in remote and challenging locations. He was recently assigned to Casey Station for 12 months as part of the overwintering 77th Australian Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE), and is now based in Adelaide, working as a commercial diver and organising the next adventure.
Our next steps
From its inception, SSP was created to deliver an outreach programme quite unlike any other. We commence this programme with Next Desert Mars, a camel-supported expedition series across remote South Australia. This multi-leg expedition will take a team of experts and educators into the field to investigate geological features through the lens of planetary science, with particular focus on Martian analogue environments. We will share their knowledge and discoveries to educate and inspire a new generation of Aussie explorers.
Stay tuned.
Thomas Windsor, Project Coordinator
April 2025
“Provide ships or sails adapted to the heavenly breezes, and there will be some who will brave even that void.”
Johannes Kepler
Join the Project and help drive Australia’s space exploration future
We are looking for science & outreach partners, sponsors, and expedition crew