Senior leaders from Australia’s space industry, government and academic communities convened in Canberra this week to expand the dialogue around establishing a National Space Agency for Australia.
The Securing Australia’s Space Industry Forum 2017, hosted by Lockheed Martin Australia in partnership with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) and the Space Industry Association of Australia, explored key opportunities and challenges for the realisation of a National Space Agency, the formation of which was announced by the Federal Government during the recent International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide.
Speaking at the Forum, Rod Drury, managing director, Lockheed Martin Australia Space Systems Company, reaffirmed Lockheed Martin’s commitment to facilitating formative, high-level discussions between industry, government and academia in support of realising a National Space Agency for Australia.
“The Government’s announcement of a National Space Agency that will provide clear, consistent leadership on space was resoundingly welcomed by Australia’s space community,” he said. “It is critical that Australian industry, government and academia work together to ensure that Agency has the capabilities and capacity necessary to support the sustainable growth of our burgeoning space industry by advancing technology innovations and furthering scientific discovery.”
In his address to the Forum, Vince Di Pietro, chief executive, Lockheed Martin Australia, acknowledged the significant contribution of Forum speakers and reiterated Lockheed Martin’s ongoing commitment to Australia’s space industry.
The Securing Australia’s Space Industry Forum 2017 featured a keynote from Dr Megan Clark, Chair of the Expert Reference Group, Space Industry Capability Review, followed by a panel discussion featuring some of Australia’s leading space industry commentators including: Peter Jennings, ASPI executive director; Air Vice Marshal (retd) Mark Skidmore, Chairman of Skykraft; Michael Pakakis, director of the Victorian Space Science Education Centre and Solange Cunin, founder and CEO of Cuberider.
ADM comment: Since the IAC earlier this year, the debate and buzz around a reinvigorated Australian space industry has been palpable. The government review into the sector is due to report back in March next year and will lead the way forward on the government front.
South Australia seems to be leading the charge in all things space as well as seen in Philips Smart’s report.
As pointed out in one of the three reports commissioned by the review by the UK’s Bryce Space and Technology the global space economy was worth an estimated US$345 billion in 2016, with from one quarter government budgets and three quarters commercial revenue. Close to 50 nations have government space budgets, nine over $1 billon, and nearly 20 under $100 million.
“A number of growing, new commercial activities, which do not yet generate significant revenue, are attracting investment,” the Bryce report notes. “These activities include satellite servicing, platforms, space mining/resource utilisation, situational awareness, in-space research and manufacturing, and others. Investors are also targeting new telecommunication and EO products and services. Investment in commercial space activities has increased in recent years, with a particular focus on the potential of lower-cost space infrastructure such as smaller, less expensive satellites, and reusable launch vehicles.”
On the industry side, Australian companies have already started carving out their own niches in cube and nano sats with Australian industry and DST Group already getting some runs on the board. But there is still much to be decided in this exciting space (pun intended) as past efforts have seen many start ups become failure statistics. ADM hopes that good policy form government and an entrepreneurial spirit from industry back up the new enthusiasm for space.
Readers with an interest in all things space should also keep an eye out for a report from ASPI's Malcolm Davis in February 2018 on all things Australian and space.