Lost In Space? Dr Kirsten Banks Has Got You Covered!

Did you know that there’s an exoplanet with ruby and sapphire rain? Or that there are fireworks at the centre of the Milky Way? We know so much about the Universe, and still have so much to learn. All of them can leave us gasping in awe, appreciating beautiful alien-like environments, and scratching our heads over how incomprehensibly big it is.

From our tiny little rock orbiting an average star in one of many trillions of galaxies out there, we have learned so much. We’ve pointed our telescopes towards the heavens and learned so much from the light. We’ve sent robotic explorers as our envoys to visit other worlds and report back. We’ve sampled the primordial material that birthed our Solar System from asteroids, and built a probe that has kissed the Sun. We’ve even ‘felt’ the Earth stretch and squeeze as billions of years old gravitational waves have washed over us. 

Excitingly, SpaceAustralia.com’s alumna, Dr Kirsten Banks, has written a book bringing all of these fun facts about space together. To celebrate the release of this book, SpaceAustralia.com is giving away 5 copies to our readers -- check out the competition details at the end of the article.

I had a chance to catch up with her about what she’s been up to since her SpaceAustralia days, and her next fun book ‘Lost In Space’.

Hey Kirsten, well, it’s Dr Banks these days! How are you? How’s things? What have you been up to since the SpaceAus days?

I’m great! Space is just getting more and more curious, and now I’ve gone from talking about the curious mysteries of the Universe from the small screen to the physical page! 

That virtual wall at Swinburne University of Technology looks amazing, how much has it changed the game for you, in your science storytelling?

Working at Swinburne’s Virtual Universe has been a really exciting challenge. Never have I ever had that much real estate to explain concepts about space before. The way it fully immerses you into whatever scenery you’re in is truly spectacular, and I’ve learnt that no talking can be just as impactful as filling the silence with explanations.

Alright, so you’ve now added the title ‘author’ to the long list of your achievements! That’s fantastic! Can you give us a high-level overview of what ‘Lost in Space’ is about?

‘Lost in Space’ is what I like to call a buffet of bite-sized fun facts. It’s full of the curiously cosmic stories that pique my interest in the Universe and make me wonder and go “Wow!” 

So, what’s your favourite fun space fact then?

My favourite space fact has to be that the centre of our Galaxy is an absolute party! There are fireworks out there, dancing stars zooming astonishingly close to light speed, plenty of alcohol to feed a whole galaxy of aliens, and (since writing this book) lots and lots of sugar. 

Do you remember the fun fact that made you love space and astronomy so much?

The moment that sparked my love for space was learning about the Orion Nebula and the hundreds of stars that are being born from that massive pink cloud of dust and gas. It’s definitely one of my favourite places in the universe because of that special moment.

As many of my readers will know, my favourite objects are pulsars -- do you have any fun facts about pulsars in ‘Lost in Space’? 

Pulsars absolutely get a few mentions in ‘Lost in Space ’ along with their amazing discoverer, but you’ll have to read it to find out! 

What made you want to write a book like ‘Lost in Space’?

I wanted ‘Lost in Space’ to be a book that people could just pick up and put down with no real commitment. Find a chapter that sparks your curiosity, give it a cheeky read, and boom, you have something fun to share in your next dreaded icebreaker activity! 

Everyone has a different writing style, shaped by how they generate ideas and do research. Can you share a little about your process for pulling all these great fun facts together into one book? 

When finding ideas for the chapters of ‘Lost in Space’, I just let my brain run wild, and at some point I had to stop myself and say, “Okay, Kirsten, that’s enough!” When it came to writing each chapter, I drew from the experiences I have online, sharing bite-sized fun facts on social media. Some explanations click really well with viewers, whereas some leave more questions than answers. Those experiences helped me try to get each chapter to a point that was digestible and understandable, and – hopefully – fun!

You’re still going strong across the socials, which is fantastic to see, reaching so many people around the world. Will we see a few of these fun facts and stories from your book in short-form video?

You absolutely will! Some you may have already seen in video format too! I call that “market research”  

What do you hope readers will take away from your first book?

I hope that people go away from reading my book more curious and allow themselves to ask the question, even if they think it might be a silly one. More often than not, those sorts of questions lead to really fascinating answers and sometimes even more mysteries! We need more curiosity in the world, and I hope my book sparks some of that curiosity. 

Should we expect another book on the horizon at some point?

You betcha! I’ve loved this process and, while I reach so many through socials, it’s great to leave behind something physical and tangible alongside the educational content that I make for the digital space. 

Kirsten, Dr Banks -- thanks so much for your time -- great catching up with you again, and hope everyone picks up a copy of the book and learns a little bit about the Universe we live in.

SpaceAustralia.com is running a competition to give away five (5) free signed copies of ‘Lost in Space’ by Dr Kirsten Banks. To enter the competition, reply to our post on BlueSky or Instagram and tell us what your favourite fun fact about space is! Dr Banks and I will read them all and pick out the top five.

Competition Rules

1. Entries can be a simple reply, but feel free to be creative and make some art about your fun fact, or a short video. Extra points for making it fun and creative!
2. Only one entry per person is permitted (across both BlueSky and Instagram)
3. By entering, you give permission for SpaceAustralia to re-share your submission to our audiences
4. Competition starts: 9am 26 October 2026 and will end at midnight (AEDT) on 8th November 2026.
5. Winners will be announced on BlueSky and Instagram on Tuesday 10th November
6. We will request (via private message) a mailing address from the winners so we can dispatch a copy of Lost In Space to you. These will be mailed through Australia Post.
7. Entries are only available to Australian audiences, with a mailing address in Australia.