The Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum has presented CSIRO’s Dr Alex Held with its prestigious Special Award for Long-term Contributions.
The award recognises Dr Held’s efforts in advancing space applications for societal benefit.
Currently the AquaWatch Australia Mission Lead at the Centre for Earth Observation within the CSIRO Space and Astronomy Business Unit, Dr Held has had a long and illustrious career in the Australian Earth observation sector.
Previously, he served as a co-lead of TERN’s Landscapes Assessment facility, as head of the CSIRO Office of Space Science and Applications (2004 to 2007), as a member of the National Committee for Space Science of the Australian Academy of Science, and he has also been involved with the international Committee on Earth Observation Satellites.
Dr Held co-chaired the Satellite Applications for Societal Benefit Working Group (SAWG) at the recent 30th Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum, which showcased progress being made under Space Applications for Environment (SAFE) initiatives.
The event saw CSIRO participate in meetings alongside the Australian Space Agency, as well as participation in Pacific Round Table discussions. CSIRO also hosted a workshop on the AquaWatch Australia Regional Alliance, which aims to boost collaboration across the Asia-Pacific.
In addition, Janet Anstee, Deputy Director of AquaWatch Australia, gave a presentation that highlighted the value of AquaWatch’s integration of citizen science through the EyeOnWater app.
