We are excited that after the efforts of many, Australia’s Space Agency has been formed on 1 July 2018. To each and every one of you who has helped make this a reality, a sincere thank you for all the steps along the way. Our team will do our very best to serve our nation and your vision.
Every day space provides essential data for banking, TV, internet access, and GPS to simply know where you are. Space underpins almost every part of the broader economy helping farmers seed a crop between the rows of last year’s crop, marine vessels navigate, and emergency crews get up to date information. Growing how we use space will change how we live and work including providing new opportunities for communication in regional and remote areas. Space will be a defining domain for human endeavour and will change what we do on Earth.
Your Agency’s purpose is to transform and grow a globally respected Australian space industry that lifts the broader economy and inspires and improves the lives of Australians. This will be underpinned by strong international and national engagement.
How we work, not just what we do, is important to our team here at the Australian Space Agency. Our commitment to all Australians is that we will strive each day to do what we say we will do and build trust and respect with each other and our partners. We will build Australia’s reputation as a responsible global citizen committed to safe and secure operations in space and on Earth. Key to our success will be building partnerships around the globe and at home that realise shared ambitions. In a sector undergoing transformation and rapid growth, we will embrace the Australian entrepreneurial spirit, value our differences and draw strength from diversity. We hope, like our team here at the Australian Space Agency, that you will be curious to find out more – and we plan to share some of the really cool things that Australia will be doing in space.
Some may argue that Australia may be late to the party, but we are entering a time where the space sector is moving from the realm of government to the commercial world. Our Agency will be one of the most industry-focused space agencies in the world, engaged internationally and demonstrating Australia can be a leader and a responsible global citizen, drawing on our home-grown Aussie ingenuity.
No other industry can inspire nations quite like space, where human ambition can set its sights on interplanetary missions, colonisation beyond Earth and the opportunity of finding new life. We can dream this big because of the space-based technologies that have connected the world in unprecedented ways, and in the coming decades Australia has the opportunity to become a global leader in pushing Earth’s links with space even further.
We look forward to building a space agency of which all Australians can be proud.
Dr Megan Clark AC
1 July 2018