Building Next Generation Portable Life Support Systems
Engineering, IT, Mathematics and Statistics
PLEASE NOTE
- Due to the sensitivity and security of this project, students must have Australian Citizenship or Permanent Residency to apply.
- This research internship is funded in partnership with Space Research Network (SRN), students must be from an SRN member university to apply. This includes most NSW Universities and ANU (USyd, UTS, UNSW, MQ, UoN, WSU, UoW, ANU).
ABOUT THE INDUSTRY PARTNER
Metakosmos is a Sydney based Space tech startup working on next generation spacesuits with applications across multiple environments ( land , sea & air). Metakosmos is building Kosmosuit, which is an integrated spacesuit platform with protective suits & embedded performance monitoring solutions. Metakosmos is a part of startup networks run by Microsoft, Google, AWS & NVIDIA to name a few. The company won the Global innovation award at Tech Connect World USA in 2023, won the space category award at the inaugural SXSW Sydney pitch competition, Engineering Business of the Year at Australian Space Awards 2024 & Good Design Australia award for its products & engineering.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
Hands-on Systems Engineering Experience – Work directly on a functioning life support prototype, contributing to the design, integration, and testing of a closed-loop rebreather system. Gain practical experience across mechanical, electrical, and control subsystems in a real-world, safety-critical environment.
Exposure to Advanced Human Life Support Technologies – Develop an in-depth understanding of oxygen supply, CO₂ scrubbing, sensor integration, and control system optimisation—core technologies underpinning space suits, extreme environment systems, and next-generation wearable life support platforms.
End-to-End Development & Validation – Participate in prototype refinement, hardware-software integration, testing campaigns, data analysis, and performance validation. Build skills in requirements development, risk assessment, verification, and iterative engineering design.
Career-Defining Mentorship & Impact – Collaborate with experienced engineers in a high-performance space technology environment. Contribute meaningfully to technology that advances human spaceflight capability, strengthening your technical portfolio and positioning yourself for future roles in aerospace, robotics, biomedical, or advanced systems engineering.
RESEARCH TO BE CONDUCTED
This research focuses on the design and simulation of a closed-loop rebreather system for advanced life support applications. The project will involve developing a detailed system architecture that integrates oxygen supply, carbon dioxide (CO₂) scrubbing, breathing loop dynamics, sensors, and control subsystems into a compact, wearable configuration.
The work will begin with requirements definition and trade studies to optimise mass, volume, power consumption, and safety margins. A physics-based modelling approach will be used to simulate respiratory flow dynamics, gas exchange behaviour, CO₂ absorption kinetics, oxygen partial pressure control, and transient breathing profiles under varying metabolic loads. Thermal effects, humidity, and pressure variations within the breathing loop will also be modelled to understand performance limits and stability.
Dynamic system simulations will be developed (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink or equivalent tools) to evaluate control strategies for maintaining safe oxygen partial pressure and preventing CO₂ breakthrough. Failure mode and off-nominal scenario simulations will be conducted to assess system robustness and inform redundancy and safety mechanisms.
The research will iteratively refine component sizing, scrubber bed geometry, sensor placement, and control logic based on simulation outcomes. Results will guide prototype design decisions and provide quantitative validation of performance envelopes prior to physical testing. Ultimately, the project aims to de-risk hardware development through rigorous modelling and simulation, advancing the maturity of the rebreather system for integration into a helmet and sensor suit platform.
SKILLS WISH LIST
If you’re a postgraduate research student and meet some or all the below we want to hear from you. We strongly encourage women, indigenous and disadvantaged candidates to apply:
- Strong foundation in fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, and gas exchange modelling
- Experience with system modelling and simulation tools (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink or similar)
- Understanding of control systems design and feedback loop implementation
- Familiarity with CAD and mechanical design for compact, integrated systems
- Ability to analyse experimental data and translate simulation results into design improvements
RESEARCH OUTCOMES
The primary outcome of this research is a validated, simulation-driven design framework for a closed-loop rebreather system suitable for integration into an advanced helmet and sensor suit platform. The project will deliver a refined system architecture supported by quantitative modelling of breathing dynamics, oxygen control, and CO₂ scrubbing performance under representative operational conditions.
Key outcomes include a high-fidelity dynamic simulation model capable of predicting system behaviour across varying metabolic loads, environmental conditions, and transient breathing profiles. This model will define safe operating envelopes, response times, and control stability margins, and will be used to optimise component sizing, scrubber configuration, gas flow pathways, and sensor placement.
The research will also produce an evaluated control strategy for maintaining safe oxygen partial pressure while preventing CO₂ breakthrough, including analysis of off-nominal and failure scenarios. These simulations will inform risk mitigation strategies, redundancy requirements, and system safety constraints.
Additionally, the project will generate documented design trade studies addressing mass, volume, power consumption, and performance efficiency. The findings will reduce technical risk prior to hardware testing and provide clear design inputs for prototype refinement.
Ultimately, the research will advance the technology readiness and system maturity of the rebreather, enabling informed progression toward integrated testing and future life support applications in space or extreme environments.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
The intern will receive $3,300 per month of the internship, usually in the form of scholarship payments.
It is expected that the intern will primarily undertake this research project during regular business hours and maintain contact with their academic mentor throughout the internship either through face-to-face or phone meetings as appropriate.
The intern and their academic mentor will have the opportunity to negotiate the project’s scope, milestones and timeline during the project planning stage.
Please note, applications are reviewed regularly and this internship may be filled prior to the advertised closing date if a suitable applicant is identified. Early submissions are encouraged.
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