One giant leap for Australia as national space agency announced

Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham surprised attendees at the 2017 International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide this week by announcing the government’s plans to establish Australia’s very own space agency.

Speaking at the congress, Birmingham made reference to the government’s review into an Australian space industry capability, which began in July. The review has been undertaken by an expert reference group chaired by former CSIRO chief Dr Megan Clark, which received almost 200 written submissions and conducted more than 400 consultations from Australian industry, government and society.

“An important issue the review was asked to look at was whether Australia should have a national space agency, and while there is more work to be done in this review … one point is overwhelmingly clear. The case for establishing the Australian space agency is compelling, and so I am pleased today to announce that the Australian Government will be establishing a national Australian space agency,” Birmingham said.

In a statement made later in the day, Acting Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Michaelia Cash said, “A national space agency will ensure we have a strategic long-term plan that supports the development and application of space technologies and grows our domestic space industry.

“The agency will be the anchor for our domestic coordination and the front door for our international engagement.”

Image taken at the 2017 IAC conference in Adelaide. Image credit: AusSMC.

So exactly what will this news mean for Australia? Dr Alan Duffy, a research fellow at Swinburne University and one of the country’s most well-known astronomers, said the announcement “marks a huge moment for Australia as we can finally explore and commercialise space together as a nation”.

Dr Duffy noted that the space economy is worth $420 billion each year globally and $3–4 billion per year in Australia — the latter of which could easily double with a national space agency, he claimed.

“A national space agency isn’t about sending people into space; it’s about creating people’s jobs here in Australia,” Dr Duffy said. “I have spoken to countless students who want to know how they can work in the exciting space sector without having to go abroad. With a national space agency, our best and brightest can now create a future economy right here.”

The University of Adelaide’s Associate Professor David Ottaway agreed, noting that Australian STEM graduates “frequently need to move overseas” in order to chase opportunities in state-of-the-art engineering, sciences and technology.

“It will be amazing if the opportunities that the space industry offers are available locally,” he said. “On top of this, I cannot think of a better way to inspire the next generation of physical scientists and engineers.”

Associate Professor Michael Brown, an astronomer at Monash University, added that the creation of an Australian space agency will enable the creation of Australian-made components. He noted, “Australians have long been users of foreign-built or -operated satellites for communications, remote sensing and research. Indeed, much of my astronomical research uses data collected by American, European and Japanese space telescopes.

“We still need the details, but I’m optimistic that Australia can develop its own satellites and be partners, rather than bystanders, in multinational space projects. For example, Australia could be a natural partner for future radioastronomy satellites.”

Dr Lee Spitler, from Macquarie University, noted that Australia’s space sector has so far been operating as “a grassroots movement across a small number of companies, university groups and the defence sector”; a national space agency will thus bring the work of these organisations to the forefront, as well as increase the potential for our country to play a key role in the international space scene in the future.

“A space agency not only will serve as a conduit for establishing formal agreements with other nations, it may lead to strategic initiatives for boosting key space-related activities in Australia,” he said.

Associate Professor Graziella Caprarelli, from the University of South Australia, is meanwhile holding out for the release of details regarding the structure of the agency and what its portfolio will be.

“I was pleased to hear from Senator Birmingham’s speech … that, even though the principal justification for the establishment of an Australian space agency is to drive, nurture and support Australia’s space industry, there appears to be a general understanding that industry growth cannot be detached from STEM education, scientific research and training, as well as technical development,” she said.

“It is to be hoped, therefore, that the future Australian agency will assume a coordinating role for all space-related activities, encompassing education, research, training, technical and business development, international law and policy, [and] exploration missions.”

The expert reference group will now develop a charter for the space agency for inclusion in the government’s wider strategy, to be completed by the end of March 2018.

Following the news, UNSW Canberra and the Australian National University (ANU) have announced a collaboration to create end-to-end capability for the design, assembly and testing of spacecraft for future space missions. The collaboration provides joint access to both world-class facilities at UNSW Canberra Space and ANU’s Advanced Instrumentation Technology Centre (AITC).

“The UNSW Canberra team includes 40 highly skilled Australian space professionals from the global space sector,” said Professor Russell Boyce, director of UNSW Canberra Space. “This includes scientists, engineers, faculty staff, postdocs and PhD students, who bring more than 150 years of experience in organisations such as ESA and NASA — where they designed, developed and deployed spacecraft and space instrumentation for near-Earth and deep space programs.

“This agreement also helps create the right environment in the ACT for space engineering to grow and deliver commercial operations. The UNSW Canberra commercial spin-off Skykraft will provide commercial services to a growing space sector, drawing on the research at UNSW Canberra Space.”

UNSW Canberra’s new Concurrent Design Facility, partly funded by the ACT Government, will meanwhile partner with French space agency CNES. Said to be an Australian first, this facility allows the country to lead the design and operation of future space missions.

“So, our UNSW Canberra space partnerships will service not only our teaching and research, but will feed right through to supporting national needs and commercial opportunities,” said Professor Boyce.

“These agreements provide new employment pathways for university graduates, while positioning Canberra right at the heart of the national space industry.”

Top image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Kim Warden