Kim Ellis, Director of Earth Space Technology Pty Ltd is a qualified mining and metals manufacturing research scientist and international lawyer. She serves as an Adjunct Faculty member for the International Space University, a Faculty member for the Center for Astrophysics & Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology and is an elected member of the International Institute for Space Law. Appointed as a NASA Postdoctoral Program Reviewer by USRA, Kim evaluated research on merit and provided recommendations for award of postdoctoral projects from 2015 to 2018.
Admitted to the Supreme Court of NSW, Kim is also a member of the following groups; New South Wales Law Society, the American and International Bar Association, American Bar Association Forum on Air and Space Law and Co-chair of the International Aerospace and Defence Industries committee & Official Observer; The Hague Space Resource Governance Group. Kim is contributing to the growth of the global Space Law profession through co-operative projects including organisation of Legal Symposiums and industry standards development initiatives.
Her career prior to 2010 was in Metals and Mineral Processing Research with BHP-Billiton at the Newcastle Steelworks then Rio Tinto Australia at the Melbourne Research centre, Latrobe University Technology Park. Returning to work for BHP-Billiton Shortland Research laboratory in New South Wales, Kim worked within the Uranium technology team for Olympic Dam Pilot Plant Process development. When BHP-Billiton restructured, Kim was employed by ANSTO, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation at Lucas Heights with the minerals research team on uranium process development. Areas of expertise
include hydrometallurgy, process chemistry, process pilot plant design, novel method development and testing, rheology, analytical chemistry and environmental chemistry.