Eight First Nations university students are set to travel to the United States for a 10-week placement at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory through Monash University's National Indigenous Space Academy.

The National Indigenous Space Academy, known as NISA, was founded in 2019 to increase Indigenous participation in Australia's space sector and has now supported 29 students through the program.

The 2026 cohort includes students from universities across Australia, with each participant to be paired with a scientist or engineer mentor at NASA JPL.

Among them is Warumungu man Jordan Roulstone, who has connections to Tennant Creek and Alice Springs and grew up in north Brisbane and Caboolture.

Mr Roulstone is studying a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering with Honours and a Bachelor of Information Technology in Computer Science at QUT and has been awarded the inaugural Boeing NISA Scholarship.

The placement will allow him to explore the use of artificial intelligence in meteorology and space exploration.

"I'm fascinated by how AI can be used to improve current meteorology tools and solve some of the biggest challenges in space exploration," Mr Roulstone said.

"NISA will give me the opportunity to learn from people working at the forefront of these fields."

Mr Roulstone hopes to build a career in Australia's space and engineering sectors while encouraging more Indigenous young people to pursue STEM.

"I want to build a career that contributes to Australia's future in space and advanced engineering, but I also want to help create a future where more Indigenous young people can see themselves in STEM," Mr Roulstone said.

"QUT has supported me on that journey, and this scholarship is another step towards making that vision a reality."

Mr Roulstone will be joined by fellow QUT student and Dunghutti man Jamal Woods, who grew up on Bundjalung Country at Tweed Heads and is completing a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Mechanical Engineering.

Mr Woods said studying engineering at QUT had helped give him the confidence to pursue new opportunities.

"NISA is an incredible opportunity to take that next step, explore a career in the space industry and learn from leading experts at JPL," Mr Woods said.

Students selected for the 2026 program also include Tash Lee from Monash University, Jaimie Duffy from the University of New England, Noah Davis from the University of Sydney, Alaxandrea O'Brien from the University of Western Australia, Claire Weis from UNSW and Alexander Cramp from UNSW.

During the placement, students will contribute to projects developed by their NASA mentors and work on current missions, including projects involving ocean exploration vehicles and research into microorganisms aboard the International Space Station.

Before travelling to the United States, the students will complete a Space Boot Camp at Monash University covering aerodynamics, robotics, rovers, astrophysics, planetary science, engineering, computer science and earth sciences.

The program will also include industry visits, including a visit to Boeing Aerostructures Australia's manufacturing facility in Port Melbourne, where components for Boeing 737, 777 and 787 aircraft are produced.

Boeing Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific president Steve 'Zed' Roberton said the scholarship would give Mr Roulstone and the broader NISA cohort exposure to the aerospace sector.

"Through this scholarship and unique program, Jordan and the NISA cohort will have the opportunity to experience aerospace innovation firsthand including one of our US facilities, gaining invaluable insights to help them with their studies and hopefully future careers within the Australian aerospace industry," Mr Roberton said.

NISA Director and Monash University Professor of Practice in Space Innovation and Security Capabilities, Chris Lawrence, said the program provided Indigenous STEM students with experience at international space research facilities.

"NISA provides Indigenous STEM university students the unique opportunity to study and learn at two of the world's leading space research facilities, RAL Space in the UK and NASA/JPL in the US," Professor Lawrence said.

"Students work in teams on real life space missions and contribute to space exploration and search for other planets, solar systems and the ultimate search for other life existence in the galaxies."

NISA received two honours at the 2026 Australian Space Awards, winning Indigenous Space Initiative of the Year and Diversity Initiative Program of the Year.

Applications for the academy's 2027 program are expected to open soon through the NISA website.