Established in July 2018, the Australian Space Agency is a Federal Government initiative that is intended to transform and grow a globally respected space industry in Australia. Essentially this is Australia’s NASA and the Government anticipates that it will lift the economy, inspire and improve the lives of Australians and build strong international and national engagement. It also provides Australia with the opportunity to build our high technology manufacturing sector.
Australia’s Space Agency
The Space Agency will provide national policy and strategic advice on the civil space sector. It will also coordinate Australia’s civil space sector activities and support the growth of our space industry in the broader economy. On an international level, it will lead our national civil space engagement and deliver our international space obligations.
Based in South Australia, the Space Agency will oversee Australia’s current activity on earth and elsewhere, while also looking at future opportunities. The Federal Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Karen Andrews, hasn’t even ruled out a trip to the Moon or Mars in the future and they may complement the satellite launches that Australia already has underway.
The future of high tech manufacturing is secure
One of the key priorities of the Australian Space Agency is to strengthen Australia’s competencies and grow our capabilities in space technology. This will have flow on opportunities for high technology manufacturing and engineering businesses. Located close to three universities, the Space Agency is well-positioned to take advantage of research opportunities as well.
High technology areas of manufacturing and engineering also stand to benefit from the estimated 20,000 jobs that will be created by 2030 as a result of the Space Agency’s work. The areas that may benefit include space technology like neo-satellites and rockets, but also some much closer to home like agriculture. For example, sophisticated satellite technology can be used to map land areas and help farmers make decisions about crop planting.
Other areas of technology that may benefit from improved capabilities include positioning, navigation and timing infrastructure, remote asset management and space situational awareness and debris monitoring. It’s an exciting time to be involved in the design and manufacture of this type of technology in Australia, with our new Space Agency set to launch Australian engineering on the international stage.
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