Mark Bateup

Dr. Mark Bateup has spent a career spanning 25 years in rocketry and hypersonics within the science and technology research group of the Australian Department of Defence.

A large part of his career has been involved in flight trials and experimentation, both at ground-test facilities and through free-flight trials. He has investigated rocket motor service-life extension for solid rocket motors for a range of missile systems and human safety-critical ejection systems, such as on the F-111 aircraft. His PhD in Aerospace from the University of Queensland involved investigation of hydrocarbon fuel in a scramjet duct. This research was conducted within one of Australia’s free-piston reflected shock tubes.

Mark was a critical team member of the USA-Australian collaboration in the Hypersonic International Flight Research and Experimentation (HIFiRE) Program as well as its predecessors: HyCAUSE and HyShot. These programs had a combined total of more than a dozen flight trials investigating hypersonic phenomena for both external and internal aerodynamics. He also spent several years in the Australian aerospace industry where he led a team that developed safety templates for rocket and missile systems through Monte Carlo analyses.

He has a passion for education across the STEM domain and is a great believer in the ‘learn by doing’ philosophy. He serves on the Committee of the AIAA Adelaide Section as a lifetime Member of the AIAA.