In summary

  • A new Swinburne spinout LaunchLabz, is bringing real space research into Australian classrooms and homes with their Mission Kits, which contain microgreen seeds that have travelled to the International Space Station.

  • Founded by Dr Rebecca Allen and Dr Sara Webb, LaunchLabz turns Swinburne research into hands-on learning experiences

  • LaunchLabz and Swinburne have partnered with Australian of the Year and Swinburne Honorary Doctorate, Katherine Bennell-Pegg to deliver 1000 Mission Kits to schools across Australia

Bringing Space to Every Australian Classroom

These seeds have orbited Earth. Now they are sparking curiosity in classrooms, homes and communities across Australia.

Meet LaunchLabz, a Swinburne spinout led by Dr Rebecca Allen and Dr Sara Webb, whose mission is to inspire and educate learners of all ages with their Mission Kits. 

Each Mission Kit contains microgreen seeds that have travelled to the International Space Station (ISS). Available through the LaunchLabz website, they provide a hands-on way to explore how plants respond to the space environment, giving students and educators the opportunity to engage with space science and real-world research.

Bringing a piece of space into Aussie homes and classrooms

LaunchLabz is the first company to commercially offer educational kits featuring real space-flown samples. Built on Swinburne's Microgravity Experimentation Program, the venture transforms cutting-edge space research into a hands-on learning experience that learners can engage with.  

“Space has a unique way of capturing young people's imagination, but it can sometimes feel distant or out of reach. Through LaunchLabz, everyone will have the opportunity to engage with real science and work with materials that have travelled to space," says LaunchLabz co-founder, Dr Rebecca Allen.

Dr Allen added that “We want people to experience the excitement of discovery and understand that science isn't just something they read about, it's something they can be a part of."

Co-founder Dr Sara Webb, also believes that LaunchLabz's mission reflects the ambition and momentum of Australia’s innovation ecosystem. 

“LaunchLabz is about taking world-class research out of the laboratory and making it accessible to all. What we learn from these experiments won’t just help future space explorers, but it also has the potential to help us grow better plants on Earth.” 

Dr Webb added that "It will create opportunities for students to engage with authentic space research today, while helping build the skills and curiosity that will drive the discoveries of tomorrow."

The venture is already gaining traction, withLaunchLabz  powering a partnership between Swinburne and Australian of the Year, space innovator and Swinburne Honorary Doctorate, Katherine Bennell-Pegg on the Mission Sprouts program to deliver 1000 Mission Kits to schools nationwide. 

The partnership, which was announced at the Conference of the Australian Science Teachers Association in Brisbane will expand the reach of the company’s space education program. 

Launchlabz will also provide Australian teachers with a valuable new education resource while allowing students across Australia to engage with real world space research.

 Expressions of interest for the Mission Sprouts program are now open.

The Mission Sprout program aims to get Mission Kits into one in ten Australian schools by the end of the year

How a seedling became a startup

LaunchLabz's early success demonstrates Swinburne's commitment to turning research into real-world impact. Through its Innovation and Enterprise portfolio, Swinburne harnesses and cultivates innovation by supporting researchers and entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into ventures. 

Behind the scenes, Swinburne's Commercialisation team played a hands-on role in helping LaunchLabz progress from an ambitious idea to a market-ready venture. 

Swinburne's Associate Director Commercialisation, Space and Aerospace, Tom Forbes explained that "Our team worked closely with Rebecca and Sara to develop the business case and commercialisation strategy, helping to establish the company and put in place the legal and governance foundations needed to support growth."   

The team also supported the proof-of-concept phase and helped navigate the complex international arrangements required to send biological samples to the ISS.

These Mission Kits are just the beginning, however. 

Tom revealed that "Future programs could incorporate additional ISS-flown biological samples, including plants, fungi and microorganisms, giving students access to an expanding portfolio of authentic space science experiments. 

He added “Over time, this could create a sustainable pipeline connecting Australian research and education with the future STEM workforce." 

As Australia celebrates National Science Week this week, LaunchLabz's mission demonstrates how a single seed can spark something bigger. Reflecting this year's theme, Seeds of science: Nurturing knowledge for all, the venture is making space science more accessible for learners of all ages. 

Through its Mission Kits, LaunchLabz is helping learners explore the connection between space, research and innovation, while encouraging the curiosity, discovery and scientific thinking that can inspire the next generation of space scientists.

Featured

Related articles

How to configure New list: Select the parent folder & specific tags to display relevant articles (DON"T FORGET TO DELETE ALL THIS TEXT!)