When Chloe Radoll boarded a plane from Tamworth to Oxfordshire, she wasn’t just travelling halfway across the world—she was stepping into history.
The young Anaiwan woman and engineering student at the University of Technology Sydney is one of the first Indigenous Australians to take part in the National Indigenous Space Academy’s (NISA) new international partnership with the UK’s national space laboratory, RAL Space.
For Chloe, the opportunity is a dream come true. She is currently working alongside leading scientists and engineers on pioneering projects in quantum technology and camera systems that have been used in major NASA missions.
“It still feels surreal,” Chloe, above with fellow student Mitchell Cooper, says. “To come from a regional town in NSW and now be here in the UK, contributing to global space science—it shows just how far you can go when someone believes in your potential.”
National Indigenous Space Academy
Chloe’s placement is part of a 10-week program designed to give First Nations STEM students hands-on experience at the highest level of space research. Until now, NISA students had travelled to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. With this new partnership, Chloe is among the trailblazers expanding NISA’s reach into Europe.
While the technical skills she’s gaining are invaluable, Chloe says what matters just as much is representation.
“As a young Indigenous woman in engineering, I know how important it is to see people like us in these spaces. I want younger girls—especially those from First Nations and regional communities—to know they belong here too.”
Her journey is backed by Monash University, the Australian Space Agency, and the Andy Thomas Foundation, who together launched NISA in 2023 to open pathways for Indigenous Australians in space education and careers. The program has already supported multiple students, with nearly half a million dollars in renewed funding to keep running until 2027.
Professor Christopher Lawrence, NISA Lead and Associate Dean (Indigenous) at Monash University, says Chloe’s success embodies the program’s vision.
“Chloe is exactly the kind of leader we hope to nurture through NISA,” Professor Lawrence explains. “She’s talented, determined, and passionate about giving back. What she learns in the UK, she’ll bring home to inspire the next generation of First Nations innovators.”
For Chloe, that mission is personal.
“Space feels limitless,” she says. “And I want other young women to know their possibilities are limitless too.”
👉 Learn more about the National Indigenous Space Academy and its programs here.