Best and brightest of Australia’s space industry recognised

Held at the Hyatt Regency in Sydney on Wednesday night, the prestigious awards brought together leaders from across Australia’s space ecosystem, recognising the individuals and organisations driving the country’s ambitions in space technology, advanced manufacturing, research, launch capability and commercial space services.

A total of 28 winners were crowned from a highly competitive field of more than 160 finalists, reflecting the depth of talent emerging across Australia’s space industry.

The awards recognised achievements across a broad range of disciplines, including engineering, scientific research, executive leadership, entrepreneurship, emerging talent and diversity, highlighting the people and organisations shaping the future of Australia’s sovereign space capability.

The evening’s highest accolade, the Excellence Award, was awarded to Roxane Bandini-Maeder from Geoneon.

Bandini-Maeder also secured the Female Space Leader of the Year title, capping off a standout year and cementing her position as one of the key figures helping accelerate Australia’s space sector growth and commercialisation efforts.

The full list of winners is available here.

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Among the individual winners were representatives from University of Sydney Law School, Flinders University Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies, AFTdynamics, Gilmour Space Technologies and Electro Optic Systems, each recognised for their contributions to advancing Australia’s capabilities in space exploration, satellite technologies, robotics, engineering and research.

Meanwhile, major organisations, including Neumann Space, Robinson Aerospace Systems, the University of New South Wales, the Australian National University’s Institute for Space (InSpace) and Northrop Grumman Australia, were among the standout winners in the corporate and team categories.

Their achievements reflect the growing maturity of Australia’s space industry as it continues to expand its footprint across launch services, space research, satellite development, deep-space missions and emerging commercial opportunities.

The awards come at a significant moment for Australia’s space sector, with major projects, investments and partnerships increasingly translating from ambition into operational capability.

Winning an Australian Space Award has become one of the industry’s most sought-after honours, providing national recognition for organisations and individuals making a tangible contribution to the growth of Australia’s space economy.

Beyond the awards themselves, the event also served as one of the industry’s premier networking opportunities, bringing together established leaders, emerging businesses, researchers, government stakeholders and the next generation of space professionals.

Australian comedian Mark Humphries hosted the ceremony, providing entertainment throughout an evening dedicated to celebrating the sector’s achievements.

Over seven years, the Australian Space Awards has established itself as the benchmark for excellence across the nation’s space industry.

Winners were selected through a rigorous judging process assessing innovation, leadership, business growth, diversity, commercial success, technical achievement and contribution to Australia’s broader space ambitions.

Steve Kuper, Defence & Aerospace Lead at Momentum Markets, said 2026 had marked a defining period for the sector.

“This year has been a real turning point for Australia’s space industry, where many of our biggest plans have become reality,” Kuper said.

As Australia’s space sector continues to mature and compete on the global stage, the Australian Space Awards remains a powerful showcase of the talent, innovation and ambition driving the industry forward.

“I would like to congratulate all the winners and those shortlisted tonight,” Kuper said.

The full list of winners is available here.