Research Management Committee

Dr Ben Greene is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Electro Optic Systems (EOS). Dr Greene is internationally recognised for his expertise in space research and the development and commercialisation of innovative solutions in the tracking, monitoring and management of space debris. He is also the author of numerous patents and the architect of a number of international space tracking systems.

Dr Greene is also a leader in space technology programs for geodesy, gravity field determination, GNSS development, space navigation, remote sensing, satellite systems, high power lasers, inter-continental time transfer and space surveillance.

Associate Professor Moriba Jah
Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
Cockrell School of Engineering –  The University of Texas at Austin
Professor Moriba Jah received his BSc in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, Arizona, and his MSc and PhD in Aerospace Engineering Sciences from the University of Colorado specializing in astrodynamics and statistical orbit determination.

While working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA, he was a spacecraft navigator and also the principal investigator of a new approach to determine the position and velocity states of aerobraking spacecraft via the unscented Kalman filtering of inertial measurement unit data. Professor Jah is a world-recognized subject matter expert in astrodynamics-based Space Situational Awareness sciences and technologies.

Professor Craig Smith is the CEO and technical director for EOS Space Systems. He leads a multi-disciplinary team of science and engineering innovators developing lasers, beam directors, precision timing systems, sensors, and control systems for the laser tracking products. Professor Smith has also held positions within EOS as CEO EOS Technologies (the US subsidiary of EOS) and Head of Research and Development. 

Prior to joining EOS Professor Smith was a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Defence Force Academy. There he developed novel techniques for imaging-polarimetry and spectro-polarimetry at thermal IR wavelengths.  Professor Smith has lectured in Physics and Electronics. He obtained Bachelors and PhD degrees in Physics from the University of Melbourne.

Dr Fumihiko Tomita is responsible for research strategy in the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) Japan, and also for the leadership in future inter-industry ICT innovation projects in the Telecommunication Technology Committee (TTC), Japan. He was awarded a BS degree in physics and MS and PhD degree in geophysics from the Tohoku University of Japan.

After an appointment as Assistant Professor, Dr Fumihiko joined the Radio Research Laboratory (RRL) which later became NICT. He has been supervising various research strategies and programs in NICT, and is currently the Chief Research and Strategy Officer and Vice President of NICT.

Professor Elaine Sadler 
Professor of Astrophysics and Director,
ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO)
Elaine Sadler has broad research interests in extragalactic astronomy, and uses both radio and optical telescopes in her research. As CAASTRO Director, she oversees a network of over 100 scientists and more than 40 research students across CAASTRO’s seven university nodes and eleven Australian and overseas partner institutions.

Elaine recently served as President of Division VIII (Galaxies and the Universe) of the International Astronomical Union (2009-12) and Chair of the National Committee for Astronomy 2010-12). She was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2010.

Mr Andrew Edwards
Manager, Satellite Support
Optus Satellite
Andrew Edwards has over 30 years’ experience in Satellite Operations and Orbit Dynamics. He is currently manager of the team which is responsible for the spacecraft engineering, orbit dynamics and computer equipment for current and future Optus operated spacecraft.

Andrew has supported mission analysis, station keeping, propulsion subsystem and fuel life estimation for all five generations of Optus’s spacecraft.

Mr Matthew Bold
Principle Researcher
Lockheed Martin
Matt Bold is a Principle Researcher with the  Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company Advanced Technology Center in Palo Alto, California, USA.  His undergraduate studies were in physics and mathematics at the University of Dayton and graduate studies in high energy particle physics at Arizona State University.  Since 1996 Matt has been studying the propagation of high energy lasers through the atmosphere with particular interest in the modelling of atmospheric optical turbulence and the performance modelling of adaptive optics systems.  For the last ten years Matt has been involved in the space situational awareness research efforts at the UKIRT Telescope in Hawaii and the Lockheed Martin SPOT telescopes in Santa Cruz California.

Dr Mark Skinner
Senior Project Leader for Space Traffic Management
The Aerospace Corporation
Mark Skinner is internationally recognized as a researcher in space object characterization and commercial space situational awareness. He is currently leading The Aerospace Corporation Civil Systems Groups effort to support the transition of space traffic management (STM) from the Defence realm to the Civil. For almost two decades he supported research efforts at the AMOS facility on Maui, Hawaii, and now supports STM in Washington, DC.

For the last six years, he has served on the US delegation to UN COPUOS, as an expert on space debris and SSA.

Mr David Ball
SERC Chief Executive Officer
David Ball has 25 years of experience in the telecommunications, media and technology sectors with a significant portion of his career specialising in satellite communications.  David has held senior positions encompassing sales leadership, business development, engineering and space systems development with Envista Pty Ltd, NewSat Limited, Intelsat and PanAmSat.  

David also served as a commissioned officer in the Royal Australian Air Force specialising in fixed, tactical and mobile communications systems management.  David holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree (Communications Engineering) from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and a Graduate Diploma in Business Management from Deakin University.