Astrophysicist Dr Brad Tucker is optimistic about the newly announced Australian Space Agency. Photo: Sitthixay Ditthavong Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong "But this is not just about an agency for an agency's sake: that is why the review process is so important. We now need to put in the hard work to determine what form of agency and what mandate is best suited to support our growing industry." The ACT will lobby to house Australia's space agency with Australian National University Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics research fellow Brad Tucker arguing Canberra was already the nation's space capital. "We are already doing pretty much all of the cool big things - not everything, that's naive - so we in Canberra will see a large fraction of increase in this funding," he said. The ANU and UNSW Canberra signed an agreement on Monday that would, for the first time in Australia, allow for the professional design and delivery of space missions.

Astrophysicist Dr Brad Tucker is optimistic about the newly announced Australian Space Agency. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong UNSW Canberra rector Michael Frater said the memorandum of understanding cemented Canberra's standing as the home of Australia's space industry. "You can expect a number of expansions to be announced by us and others over the next few months because we're seeing an increased awareness of the importance of space and an increased awareness of the fact that Australia actually can take an active role, which is what's been missing in the past," he said. Australia will establish a national space agency. The university last month announced it would expand into Reid with a projected 10,000 extra students over the next three years.

Professor Frater confirmed space research and innovation was "one of the things we're looking at for the Reid campus". The government made its announcement on the same day Labor outlined its own plans to boost Australia's space industry through the establishment of a space science and industry agency from 2020. Opposition science spokesman Senator Kim Carr said Labor would also create a space industry innovation council and a space industry supplier advocate to bolster opportunities for investment. "It is in Australia's national interest to build our own capabilities in these areas, not only to meet current and future needs, but also to mitigate the risk of these services becoming unavailable," he said. Australia is one of the only developed countries in the world without a dedicated space agency.

The country's space industry is estimated to be worth as much as $4 billion per year and currently employs about 11,500 workers. Dr Tucker warned funding was necessary to allow for innovation. On Monday, federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham refused to commit any money to the agency, telling the ABC the government would "respond in next year's budget in terms of exactly the quantum of dollars required to make sure this is effective". "What needs to happen, regardless of the model, is you need to have funding for people to test, build and trial new products and technologies," Dr Tucker said. Loading

"That's the best way this works. If you don't have that, you don't have anything in my opinion." On Tuesday, Senator Cash will also announce the upcoming signing of a new civil space agreement between the US and Australia on civil on Tuesday and an agreement between CSIRO and the UK's Surrey Satellite Technology Limited.</s>This year’s International Astronautical Congress is being held in Adelaide, Australia and the opening ceremonies of this meeting of ‘all things space’ included a special announcement. The Australian government announced that it will establish a new national space agency, with the hopes of growing Australia’s already vibrant space industry.

Michaelia Cash, Australian’s acting Minister of Industry, Innovation and Science was quoted as saying that Australia will not have a NASA but an agency “right for our nation, right for our industry … that will provide the vehicle for Australia to have a long-term strategic plan for space – a plan that supports the innovative application of space technologies and grows our domestic space industry, including through defense space procurement.”

Australia’s space industry is worth about $4 billion and already employs about 11,500 people. But proponents for creating a space agency for the country say it will help coordinate and expand the efforts.

Of course Australia has been very active in space exploration, being part of every deep-space mission NASA has flown with tracking and communications as part the Deep Space Network and the precursor system of dishes around the world. The tracking and communications dish at Parkes, Honeysuckle Creek, Tidbinbilla and Canberra were notoriously part of the Apollo missions, and several other large radio dishes in Australia have been listening to space to tease out astronomical details. Additionally, the Square Kilometer Array being built in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa will help us answer fundamental questions in astronomy and cosmology.

In depth: how we *really* watched the footage from the Apollo 11 Moon landing, thanks to the Australian radio dishes.

But still, many have said that Australia is one of the few major developed countries that do not have a space agency. New Zealand established their space agency last year. You can see a list of all the world’s space agencies from Heather Archuletta’s Pillownaut website.

Reportedly, the plan is to double the size of Australia’s current space capacity within five years and add thousands of new jobs, while taking advantage of new technology such as cubesats.

“We have longstanding ties with NASA, exploring space together and generating all of these jobs. And that’s the key point, it is a jobs industry-first agency,” astrophysicist Alan Duffy told ABC. “It’s designed to create satellites and new uses for the images that come from those satellites, and I don’t mean giant, bus-sized satellites of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Thanks to smartphones something the size of a toaster has the same capabilities as some of these historic launches. So we get to space cheaper and we can do more when we’re there.”

Reportedly, more details of the new space agency will be announced this week during the IAC, which is a gathering of thousands of global space experts, heads of other space agencies and private companies.

By Nancy Atkinson - 

 Nancy Atkinson is currently Universe Today's Contributing Editor. Previously she served as UT's Senior Editor and lead writer, and has worked with Astronomy Cast and 365 Days of Astronomy. Nancy is the author of the new book "Incredible Stories from Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos." She is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador.</s>Australia will establish a national space agency to grow its space industry, the government has said.

The nation is one of the only developed countries in the world not to have a space agency.

Acting Industry Minister Michaelia Cash said it was "crucial" that Australia capitalised on the rapid growth of the global space industry.

It follows a domestic industry review which had called for a dedicated body to be established.

"The agency will be the anchor for our domestic co-ordination and the front door for our international engagement," Ms Cash said.

Political and industry leaders hope it will lead to thousands of new jobs.

The Australian government estimates the global space industry to be worth more than A$400bn (£235bn; $318bn).
• Four reasons India is going big on space

Ms Cash is expected to announce further details at the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide this week.

The conference will be attended by thousands of global space experts, including the heads of other national agencies and private companies.

Australia and Iceland are the only OECD nations without a space agency, according to the Space Industry Association of Australia.</s>SYDNEY: Australia on Monday committed to creating a national space agency as it looks to cash in on the lucrative $420 billion and fast-evolving astronautical sector.

The announcement came at a week-long Adelaide space conference attended by the world´s top scientists and experts including SpaceX chief Elon Musk.

It brings Canberra -- which already has significant involvement in national and international space activities -- into line with most other developed nations, which already have dedicated agencies to help coordinate the industry and shape development.

"The global space industry is growing rapidly and it´s crucial that Australia is part of this growth," acting science minister Michaelia Cash said in statement.

"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."

According to the government, the global space sector -- encompassing innovation, defence, and telecommunications -- has been growing annually since the late 1990s at almost 10 percent, driving revenue each year of US$323 billion.

Thousands of the world´s top scientists and space experts are attending the week-long International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide.

SpaceX chief Musk is set to give an update on his ambitious vision of establishing a Mars colony.

Also among those presenting is defence giant Lockheed Martin, which is working with NASA on plans to reach the Red Planet.

Lee Spitler, from Macquarie University´s astronomy department in Sydney, said Australia´s space industry currently operated "as a grassroots movement across a small number of companies, university groups and the defence sector".

"It will help bring to the forefront all the great work that has been going on in Australia in the space sector, and increase the potential for our country to play a key role in the international space scene in the future," said Spitler.

Australia´s commitment to an agency follows the government in July ordering a review of the country´s space industry capability, with a fuller strategy to underpin the work of the new body to be unveiled next year.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Australia launching its first satellite, the only country at the time to achieve the feat after the United States and Russia.

It has played a vital part in many space missions in the decades since then, with its Deep Space Communication Complex outside Canberra one of only three sites in the world capable of tracking NASA´s deep space assets.

Australian National University´s Penny King, who worked on the Mars "Curiosity Rover", mission, said the agency would improve opportunities for local scientists.

"Australians will be on the world stage, asking questions such as: How can we best care for Earth? How should we look for life beyond Earth? Where should we go?," she said.</s>SYDNEY: Australia will establish a national space agency as part of long-term plan to develop the country's domestic space industry, a government minister said on Monday.Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham made the announcement at the International Astronautical Congress , a five-day event being held in the Australian city of Adelaide."This agency will be the anchor for our domestic coordination and the front door for our international engagement with so many of you across the world's space industries," Birmingham said.He did not say where the agency would be located.The global space industry sector has been growing at a compound annual growth rate of 9.52 percent from 1998 to 2015, the government said last month."Globally, revenue from space-related activities in 2015 was about US$323 billion," it said.The five-day Congress is expected to draw more than 4,000 space professionals, including astronauts, engineers, scientists and innovators, from all over the world, according to the congress website.</s>Australia will establish a national space agency to grow its space industry, the government has said.

The announcement of an Australian space agency was made at the opening of 68th International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide and followed the Commonwealth’s decision to conduct a review of the nation’s engagement with the space industry.

Australia’s decision to establish a national space agency isn’t a ‘man on the moon’ exercise but a bid to secure a share of the booming space market, the federal government says.

Acting Industry Minister, Michaelia Cash, said it was “crucial” that Australia capitalised on the rapid growth of the global space industry.

The Australian government estimates the global space industry to be worth about A$420bn (£247bn; $323bn) each year.</s>Australia on Monday committed to creating a national space agency as it looks to cash in on the lucrative and fast-evolving astronautical sector.

The announcement came at a week-long Adelaide space conference attended by the world's top scientists and experts including SpaceX chief Elon Musk.

It brings Canberra -- which already has significant involvement in national and international space activities -- into line with most other developed nations, which already have dedicated agencies to help coordinate the industry and shape development.

"The global space industry is growing rapidly and it's crucial that Australia is part of this growth," acting science minister Michaelia Cash said in statement.

"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."

According to the government, the global space sector -- encompassing innovation, defence, and telecommunications -- has been growing annually since the late 1990s at almost 10 percent, driving revenue each year of US$323 billion.

Thousands of the world's top scientists and space experts are attending the week-long International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide.

SpaceX chief Musk is set to give an update on his ambitious vision of establishing a Mars colony.

Also among those presenting is defence giant Lockheed Martin, which is working with NASA on plans to reach the Red Planet.

Australia's commitment to an agency follows the government in July ordering a review of the country's space industry capability, with a fuller strategy to underpin the work of the new body to be unveiled next year.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Australia launching its first satellite, the only country at the time to achieve the feat after the United States and Russia.

It has played a vital part in many space missions in the decades since then, with its Deep Space Communication Complex outside Canberra one of only three sites in the world capable of tracking NASA's deep space assets.</s>CANBERRA, Australia -- Australia announced on Monday it would create its own space agency to increase its share of the US$330 billion space economy.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the agency would be part of Australia's development of an innovation and science economy. But the government has provided few specifics.

"It's a small agency to co-ordinate and lead," Turnbull told reporters. "The space sector, of course, is one of enormous potential."

Acting Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Michaelia Cash said the agency's charter would be developed by the end of March.

"The global space industry is growing rapidly and it's crucial that Australia is part of this growth," Cash said in a statement.

"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," she added.

The opposition Labor Party said such an agency was needed to increase Australia's share of a global space economy from less than 1 per cent of what the government estimates is worth $330 billion.

Labour said Australia and Iceland were the only countries in the 35-member Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that do not have a space agency.

Australia in 1967 became one of the first countries to launch a satellite and images of astronaut Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon were transmitted by NASA's Honeysuckle Creek tracking station in Australia.

But successive governments have baulked at establishing a space agency because of cost. The government has yet to announce how much it will invest in the new agency.</s>Australia will get its own space agency but no details have been revealed about how it will be funded or whether it will launch its own satellites and spacecraft.

Acting Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Senator Michaelia Cash, said in a statement that it was "crucial" that Australia played a part in the global space industry's growth.

“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," she said.

Cash said the agency would act as Australia's "anchor for our domestic coordination" of space activity "and the front door for our international engagement".

The government is awaiting the results of a space industry capability review - due in March 2018 - before it determines the new agency's charter.

The review had so far received "almost 200 written submissions" and consulted with "more than 400 people" across Australia.

“Feedback from the extensive consultation process has overwhelmingly shown the need for the establishment of a national space agency,” the government said.

The Australian National University (ANU) said in a statement it was "poised to play a key role" in the new agency but offered no further details.

Australian space startup Fleet's co-founder and CEO Flavia Tata Nardini, told iTnews she was excited about this development and what it will do for the space industry in Australia.

She wrote an open letter to the government back in June asking for a "decicated Australian space agency".

“The establishment of a national space agency is an important shift in attitude that shows the federal government is now starting to take the potential of space, and Australia's burgeoning role in it, seriously,” Nardini said.

“Space is a $400 billion market globally, and it's only going to continue growing as more industries look to the skies for their future prosperity.

"A space agency enables Australia to take a bigger slice of this market with confidence."

Australian space start-ups like Fleet, Gilmour Space Technologies, and Saber Astronautics would no longer have to rely 100 percent on overseas and private parties for support - be it financial or assistance on activities such as market strategies, technology development, or the establishment of international relationships, Tata added.

“For me, the move shows that the federal government is serious about space and innovation and the potential it brings, which is incredibly exciting and promising,” she said.

Dr Alan Duffy, a research fellow at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, said the announcement marked a huge moment for Australia as we can finally explore and commercialise space together as a nation”.

“A national space agency isn’t about sending people into space, it’s about creating 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.”</s>Fifty years after the Commonwealth of Australia launched its first satellite, the nation has finally announced its intention to create a national space program. On Monday September 25, Senator Simon Birmingham, the Australian Minister of Education, announced the government intends to establish a space agency in a speech at the 68th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) held in Australia this year, according to Space News.

The Australian government also released a statement announcing the formation of a national space agency. "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," acting Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Senator Michaelia Cash said in the statement.

Australian private companies and universities have participated in international space research for decades, and many of these institutions have been pushing for a national space agency for just as long. "Today, we celebrate two wonderful achievements: the hosting of the world's most important annual meeting of the international space community, and Australia's decision to participate as an equal member of that community," Michael Davis, chair of the Space Industry Association of Australia, said at the IAC.

The announcement comes in the middle of a nation-wide review of Australia's space capabilities. That review is expected to last several months, according to Space News, and a creation date for Australia's space agency has not been announced. Birmingham said more details about the space agency would be revealed September 26 at the IAC.

The nation's space agency is expected to focus on regulation and coordination with other countries at first, streamlining Australia's participation in international programs and bolstering domestic space institutions. The new agency's regulatory role will take precedence over major spaceflight or development programs, though Australian officials have expressed hope that the agency could grow to participate more heavily in many areas of space exploration. Officials have pointed to the successes of New Zealand's space agency, such as paving the way for U.S.-New Zealand company Rocket Lab to conduct launches from New Zealand's North Island, as reason for Australia to create their own agency.

The establishment of a space agency also opens the door for Australian astronauts to begin voyaging to the International Space Station to participate in international research. Previously, Australian-born citizens needed to become a citizen of another nation, such as the United States, before they could become astronauts.

Australia is only one of two countries in the 35-nation Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that does not have a national space agency, the other country being Iceland. Soon, the land Down Under will become the 34th nation of that democratic organization to host its very own space agency.
At the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide, the Government of Australia announces that it will create an Australian space agency.