The Australian Space Agency and the European Space Agency signed a statement of intent to explore deeper cooperation which identifies potential projects in areas including deep space, communications, navigation, remote asset management, data analytics and mission support.
Read the full statement
Building on more than 40 years of a long standing, close and productive relationship between Australia and the European Space Agency, the Australian Space Agency and the European Space Agency declare their intent to expand their existing cooperation in the domain of peaceful uses of outer space. Possible cooperation has been identified by both agencies across several initial domains. These domains are as follows:
- Space science, technology and applications highlighting:
- communications technologies and services
- position, navigation and timing
- earth observation
- space situational awareness (including space safety, planetary defence and space weather)
- remote asset management
- advanced emerging research and development
- space physiology and medicine
- robotics and artificial intelligence
- data analytics and mission support
- access to space
- technology capability and research In Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) to support scientific exploration.
- Evolution of New Norcia site to support future deep space missions and data analysis.
- Other emerging areas of joint interest.
The Head of the Australian Space Agency and the Director General of the European Space Agency have instructed their respective teams to review cooperation opportunities stemming the proposed domains listed above and submit a joint report for consideration summarising the outcome of this review with recommendations identifying next steps for a more formal framework for cooperation. This joint report is to be delivered by 15 October 2019 in anticipation of a meeting of both Heads of Agency in the margin of the upcoming International Astronautical Congress in Washington, DC later that month.
In the context of the review leading to this joint report, the Australian Space Agency and the European Space Agency teams are requested to propose collaborative activities to:
- focus on projects and activities that are already approved and/or to be considered in the context of decisions and/or milestones for the two agencies
- identify jointly suitable projects of common interest that can be supported and developed in Australia and European Space Agency Member States.
The Australian Space Agency and European Space Agency teams will have regular coordination meetings at working level and mutual provision of advice in the above-mentioned domains, as appropriate.
The Australian Space Agency and the European Space Agency will provide each other with a list of contact persons for each of the domains listed above, following the signature of this joint statement.
The Head of the Australian Space Agency and the Director General of the European Space Agency are looking forward to jointly expanding bilateral cooperation between the two agencies, taking into consideration multiple opportunities offered by recent respective developments and by the growth of their space sectors. Both Heads of Agency look forward to confirming the identification of new projects when they meet in October 2019 and to submit these proposed projects through their respective approval processes in view of establishing a significantly reinforced bilateral relationship in 2020.
This statement does not create legal obligations between the parties and does not establish the obligation to enter into a certain agreement.
