STEPHEN MOGGACH FOR MISSION: SPACE

Stephen Moggach grew up successful a mini colony connected nan northeast seashore of Scotland. 

He was passionate astir shot and loved nan outdoors. He became willing successful chemistry astatine precocious school.

“My teacher, Mr Harper, was an inspiration,” says Stephen. “I sewage fascinated pinch really molecules formed and their properties, particularly really subtle differences made specified a large difference.”

This fascination led Stephen to prosecute a chemistry grade astatine university, past a PhD specialised successful crystallography.

“I ended up successful crystallography aft a sojourn to nan schoolhouse of chemistry successful Edinburgh, wherever I was shown immoderate gem anvil cells – devices tin of applying really precocious pressures to crystals,” says Stephen. 

“The section astatine nan clip was dominated by mineralogists and immoderate planetary science. That’s what sewage maine hooked. It was amazing.”

From 2005, Stephen held various positions successful academia until a caller opportunity successful Western Australia beckoned.

“In 2018, I was recruited to nan University of Western Australia arsenic an Associate Professor of Structural Chemistry, and successful October 2024, I was promoted to Professor of Chemistry,” says Stephen.

Caption: Stephen moving successful his laboratory astatine UWA.
Credit: Csmith Photography/Supplied Stephen Moggach

Pressure-cooking molecules

Stephen spends his clip looking astatine really molecules behave nether a batch of pressure. 

“Pressure is simply a awesome instrumentality to observe really things work,” says Stephen.

“I’ve spent my clip heating, cooling, pressurising and moreover sparkling ray connected materials and utilizing it to understand really to make amended ones.”

Today, Stephen useful astatine nan Space Crystallography node astatine nan UWA International Space Centre.

He leads a squad of researchers willing successful recreating nan biology conditions and aboveground mineralogy of icy moons specified arsenic Titan – Saturn’s largest moon.

Caption: Stephen Moggach useful successful nan International Space Centre node astatine UWA.
Credit: via ISC

Aside from pressure-cooking molecules, Stephen is moving connected different absorbing projects. 

One of them is called: Fill it, Squeeze it, Crush it: Extreme Gas Uptake successful Microporous Materials. 

Sounds intriguing? Here, he uses sponge-like materials to trap c dioxide and shop different gases. 

He besides studies materials that make energy erstwhile pressed – that’s called piezoelectricity. 

Somehow, he still finds clip to activity connected different things. He’s studying mini magnets that activity astatine nan molecular level and supply precocious services for UWA successful nan section of diffraction. 

Some words of advice

After 2 decades arsenic a scientist, Stephen has a pearl aliases 2 of contented to stock pinch nan adjacent generation.

“For young group who want to get progressive successful STEM – specifically connected abstraction – I would emphasise nan value of a beardown instauration successful basal sciences, peculiarly chemistry and physics,” says Stephen.

“I besides highly urge seeking retired opportunities for hands-on investigation acquisition and networking pinch professionals successful nan field.”

Space crystallography offers breathtaking opportunities to amended understand really different materials behave successful utmost conditions.

For an ever-changing world and a early of abstraction exploration, it’s a beautiful large deal.

Stephen is progressive successful nan Mission: SPACE programme delivered by Scitech and powered by nan Australian Space Agency. You tin registry for this nationwide virtual excursion here.