A Narromine man hopes a project he is working on will help him quite literally get to the moon. 

39-year-old Michael Barnett wants to become an astronaut and set foot on earth’s only natural satellite. 

An Australian has never set foot on the Moon. 

Barnett CEO/Founder at Barnett Space Technologies is also PhD candidate focusing on Direction Drilling on the Lunar surface at the University of NSW will be a leading a team at an international competition in the United States in June. 

The 'Over the Dusty Moon Challenge' invites university teams to design and build a system to transport regolith (loose rock and dust) over the lunar surface and lift it into a rigger. Only six teams around the world are invited. 

“Last year we were also invited and we came third. This year our aim is to win,” he told the Western Plains App. 

Transporting moon soil is a difficult proposition. Moon soil is just in shards, often very fine and can tear equipment to shreds. While the average temperature on the moon is -110 degrees celsius and the gravitational force is one sixth as what it is on earth. 

“When you take things to the moon they have to be low weight and low power. So one of the challenges is to try to minimise the weight and power which is what have done," said Mr Barnett. "So what we have designed is just five kilograms in weight and uses the same amount of power as a low voltage light globe.” 

The competition is run by NASA through the Colorado School of Mines. So the judging panel includes three NASA representatives whose attention he hopes to get as lead researcher on the project. 

ABOVE: The trophy won by Barnett's team last year. Image: Michael Barnett. 

Childhood Dreams of “Building Cities in Space” 

Barnett grew up in Narromine, but currently lives in Singapore.

“I've always loved the idea of building cities in space. Ever since I was a little kid, right through primary school I can't even necessarily tell you why, I was fascinated with the idea of building a city in space.," he said.

"I loved Star Wars and the sci-fi genre, but that wasn't why, it's kind of a mystery why and I just kept pushing it. A lot of people doubted it. But I think after becoming the second person in Australia in 2005 to get my space engineering degree then I think people started to see how serious I was about it,” he explained 

Image: Pixabay 

“I want to be an astronaut there are no ifs, buts or maybes about it. In the last three years, I've looked at the clock - not getting younger - and so right now I'm going at all hammer and tongs,” the 39 year old told the Western Plains App 

He explained that many astronauts tend to be older and so the dream, he hopes, is not just lifelong, but within his grasp. 

He needs support from the Australian space agency or to be provided with private funding to do so. He says the Australian space agency is not currently looking at sending astronauts to the moon, but he hopes he can drum up support to “get Australians in space”. 

“I love the unknown, it's a completely new realm, it's nothing like it on earth, its a new world, it amazes me,” he said. 

“Mate I’d love to go the moon, but if I got a ticket to Mars my wife has asked me to give her a few month's notice to get her affairs in order and we’d make a new life there,” he joked.