The Australian Space Agency was announced at the International Aeronautical Congress 2017 in Adelaide, and commenced operations on 1 July 2018.
Now 100 days old, the Agency has defined its purpose, values and responsibilities and continues to share these with the Australian and international space communities.
Milestones achieved
Establishing a number of strategic international links, the Agency has signed agreements with the French, Canadian and United Kingdom space agencies to explore where our nations can work together. Last month, a resolution was also introduced into the United States House of Representatives commending Australia on establishing a space agency.
Focussing on industry, two statements of strategic intent have been made with global partners, European manufacturer Airbus and the other with Italian satellite company Sitael. These partnerships present opportunities to grow the capability and competitiveness of Australia’s space industry, as well as sending a signal for further investment opportunities.
Legislation has been passed to support an increase in participation in the domestic space sector while balancing our role as a globally responsible regulator. The Space Activities Amendment (Launches and Returns) Act 2018 will ensure our space regulation supports our growing capabilities and will take effect within 12 months.
The Australian Government has also granted three overseas launch certificates for small satellites, with a further three projects under consideration.
Locally, the Agency has held forums in all states and territories to hear from businesses that want to contribute directly to the space sector, including a range of organisations that see the potential to apply space technologies in other sectors. Over 750 participants from the space sector and broader industries attended, including mining, precision agriculture, consulting, STEM related organisations and amateur space enthusiast clubs.
The Agency has also represented Australia at a number of space-related events. Most notably, the Agency has just attended the International Astronautical Congress in Bremen, Germany, in October. At IAC2018, the Agency showcased some of the best of our nation at ‘The Australian Space’, a booth incorporating industry and state and territory capabilities. Domestic conferences included the Aerospace Futures Forum, the Australian Engineering Conference, the Australian Space Research Conference, In The Zone conference, and the GovInnovate Summit.