Curtin powers global push to find life on Mars and advance autonomy

Science

Curtin powers global push to find life on Mars and advance autonomy

by Lucien Wilkinson for Curtin News

Perth, Australia (SPX) Oct 06, 2025

Curtin University is helping unlock the secrets of life on Mars and advance next-generation robotics and autonomous systems, with two new international agreements signed this week at the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney.

Curtin signed a Statement of Strategic Intent to formalise the LifeSpringsMars Working Group, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India-based technology company Uncharted AI at the WA Government Trade Booth.

The LifeSpringsMars Working Group unites scientists and industry experts from Curtin, Edith Cowan University, Arizona State University, the University of Auckland and international robotics partner companies. It will advance mission design studies, demonstrate new technologies for mining, defence and remote operations, and develop education and workforce pathways in space science.

Curtin University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research Professor Melinda Fitzgerald said Western Australia’s unique geology makes it a natural leader in planetary exploration.

“Through the LifeSpringsMars Working Group and our partnership with Uncharted AI, Curtin is helping to answer the question ‘are we alone?’ while also delivering technologies vital to Western Australia’s future,” Professor Fitzgerald said.

The MoU with Uncharted AI will support joint research, the initiative of the LifeSpringsMars working group to extend their activities into India, pilot projects in WA and India, and workforce initiatives connecting the two regions.

Uncharted AI Co-Founder and CEO Pradyumna Vyshnav said the collaboration would push the boundaries of exploration on Earth and beyond.

“Partnering with Curtin allows us to bring our autonomous technologies into a world-leading hub of planetary science,” Mr Vyshnav said.

“Together we can advance astrobiology and lunar exploration, while also transforming how we discover critical minerals and explore extreme environments, whether in WA, on the Moon or beyond.”

The announcements build on Curtin’s wider involvement in international space and technology initiatives, including Robopalooza Perth 2025, where Uncharted AI will demonstrate its robotics technologies, and the Indo-Pacific Robotics, Autonomy, AI and Cyber Conference, further positioning Western Australia as a hub for global innovation.

Curtin is also inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers through its two new Space and Planetary Sciences majors.

+ LifeSpringsMars Working Group

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