Associate Professor Alice Gorman

Associate Professor

College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

place Humanities (227)
GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, South Australia

Associate Professor Alice Gorman is an internationally recognised leader in the field of space archaeology and author of the award-winning book Dr Space Junk vs the Universe: Archaeology and the Future (MIT Press, 2019). Her research focuses on the archaeology and heritage of space exploration, including space junk, planetary landing sites, off-earth mining, and space habitats. In 2022, she co-directed (with Justin Walsh) an archaeological survey on the International Space Station, which was the first archaeological fieldwork ever to take place outside Earth. She is an Associate Professor at Flinders University in Adelaide and a heritage consultant with over 30 years’ experience working with Indigenous communities in Australia. Gorman is also a Vice-Chair of the Global Expert Group on Sustainable Lunar Activities, a Life Member of the Space Industry Association of Australia, a Senior Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and an expert member of the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for Aerospace Heritage.

She is a regular contributor to national and international space policy, particularly focusing on issues of equity, social justice and rights of nature. She was part of a collective that drafted the first Declaration of the Rights of the Moon in 2021. She also contributed to the Vancouver Recommendations on Space Mining. Asteroid 551014 Gorman is named after her in recognition of her work in establishing space archaeology as a field.

Qualifications
PhD, University of New England (2001)
B.A.(Hons), University of Melbourne (1986)
Honours, awards and grants

2020: University of New England Distinguished Alumni Award

2020: finalist in the Australian Space Awards for Academic of the Year and Researcher of the Year

2019: John Mulvaney Book Award (Australian Archaeological Association)

2017: Bragg NSW Press Prize for Science Writing

2010: Voted 1st at Flinders University in the UniJobs Lecturer of the Year poll.

2007: Voted 29th in the annual Australia-wide Lecturer of the Year poll.

2001: Finalist, Queensland Premier's Awards, Bridges to Reconciliation category.

Key responsibilities

Alice teaches undergraduate archaeology and graduate cultural heritage management.

Topic coordinator
ARCH8405 The Archaeology of Australian Stone Artefacts
ARCH8018 Introduction to Cultural Heritage Management
ARCH2212 The Archaeology of Modern Society
Expert for media contact
Aboriginal issues
Archaeology
Heritage
Space
Technology
Australian space history
Orbital debris
Space archaeology
Spacecraft re-entry
Available for contact via
Or contact the media team
Media expertise
  • Aboriginal issues
  • Archaeology
  • Heritage
  • Space
  • Technology
Interests
  • Australian space history
  • Orbital debris
  • Space archaeology
  • Spacecraft re-entry
Further information

Alice publishes Space Age Archaeology, which is archived at the National Library of Australia as a significant scientific blog.

The Conversation