Congratulations, Roger Franzen AO, for a career of service to our space industry

Shoal Group congratulates our long-term associate, Roger Franzen, who was today made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for “distinguished service to the space sector, to complex systems engineering, and to aerospace and satellite communications technology.”

Roger’s wide-ranging career in space has included an extensive range of professional appointments across industry, academia and in professional societies. He has worked with Shoal Group on space matters since 2008, with his most recent contribution being advice on the development of the Space Domain Awareness (SDA) capability design for Defence Space Command and to a major space project in the Middle East.

Roger Franzen at Mt Stromlo Observatory in 2014

Our CEO, Shaun Wilson, has worked with Roger in various guises for more than 25 years. Shaun commented that “Roger has been at the heart of the Australian space industry for as long as I can remember and has always been regarded as a wise and generous professional who brings deep knowledge and experience to everything he does. And he has been generous with his time and advice in nurturing the careers of many space professionals in this country, including mine. His AO is thoroughly deserved, and our industry should be very proud and grateful for his contributions.”

For over two decades, Shoal has been a leader in complex systems engineering for space, playing a pivotal role in shaping Australia’s sovereign space capability. Beginning with foundational work to support national space priorities, Shoal has delivered success across key areas including navigation, earth observation, space domain awareness, communications, access to space, and robotics. Our systems thinking approach is embedded in every project, enabling safe, sustainable outcomes across government, industry, and academia. Today, Shoal’s expertise is extending beyond Australia, delivering world-leading solutions to complex space challenges on a global stage.

Roger has been an integral part of much of this work, providing sage advice and support.

The King’s Birthday 2025 Honours List recognises 830 Australians.

About Shoal

Shoal is complex systems design company. We use Systems Engineering combined with Modelling, Simulation and Analysis to help our clients define, analyse, decide, optimise, and deliver technology-intensive projects in complex environments across Defence, Space, Transport, Energy and Infrastructure.

More: shoalgroup.com

Media contact

Shaun Wilson
CEO and Founder, Shoal Group
+61 438 394 288
[email protected]

Canberra, 9 June 2025