Space industry in Australia may focus more on terrestrial projects over space flights.
Australia's Space Industry: Strategic Investment in Ground and Data Space Infrastructure
Recent commentary by Cassandra Steer, a leading Australian space expert, suggests Australia needs a more focused approach to its space industry, particularly in ground and data space infrastructure. Steer, the Chair and Founder of the Australian Centre for Space Governance, has highlighted that despite having strengths in these areas, Australia lacks a clear national policy compared to other space middle powers such as Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
Over the past few years, there has been uncertainty about the direction of Australia's space industry. In a roundtable discussion for a think tank journal, Steer expressed concern about the lack of a national policy regarding space capabilities' importance to Australia's broader interests.
However, Steer also pointed out that Australia excels in ground and data segments, including satellite dishes, data processing, space situational awareness, and management of data integrity. According to Steer, these areas are crucial to Australia's identity as a space nation, despite being less exciting than rockets and astronauts.
Australian government agencies like Geoscience Australia and CSIRO manage large satellite dishes for downloading Earth Observation (EO) data from U.S., European, and Japanese programs. As a result, Australia has established itself as the world's leading custodian of EO data, with expertise in processing, managing, and redistributing data globally.
The roundtable discussion was part of Asia Policy, published by the National Bureau of Asian Research, a Seattle, Washington-based think tank. The report, titled "Asia's Space Ambitions," is available online for a short time.
Tristan Moss, an Australian space historian, notes that Australia's space policies have been deliberately limited, pragmatic, and based heavily on defense or strategic alliance interests. The government has consistently decided not to invest in a large national space program but instead to rely on Australia's international partnerships for space service needs.
The debate persists over what Australia's priorities should be in terms of investing public money in space technologies. Australia still lacks a strong, coordinated national approach, and its emerging identity as a space nation is nascent.
Steer suggests an explicit national policy statement regarding investments made into the ground and data segments over the decades would benefit Australia. The medium and long-term future holds potential for Australia as a space middle power, especially in contributing to space security, sustainability efforts, and Indo-Pacific needs.
The Space Agency of Australia, created in 2018, was tasked with creating 20,000 jobs within a decade. Despite its objective, the Agency is not a statutory body and is under-resourced compared to many proponents' arguments. The Agency's budget was cut in 2023 as part of federal budget reductions.
The space industry is currently in a new phase, often called "Space 4.0." This phase is characterized by dynamic partnerships between governments, the private sector, and society, according to Canada's Vina Nadjibulla and Charles Labrecque, who wrote the roundtable's introduction. By 2035, the space economy is projected to triple and reach $1.8 trillion, creating additional opportunities for private actors in the coming years.
Today, nearly 80 countries have space programs, compared to 40 in 2000. Asia holds the world's greatest concentration of countries with independent space capabilities, positioning the region at the forefront of a modern space race.
Steer concluded that Australia may be developing a unique, national narrative as a middle player committed to impacting space security and sustainability efforts in partnership with other middle powers and smaller nations. Key government departments are beginning to advocate for space technology cooperation in the region as a policy lever for shared interests. This aligns with historical federal government approaches to utilize space investment as a means to broader political ends and benefits.
- The space industry in Australia, as pointed out by Tristan Moss, has been historically pragmatic, with public investment focusing on defense or strategic alliances, but the ongoing debate is about prioritizing investments in space technologies.
- In the context of the space economy projected to triple by 2035, Australia, as suggested by Steer, could benefit from a more explicit national policy statement regarding investments in ground and data segments, positioning itself as a contributor to space security, sustainability efforts, and Indo-Pacific needs.
- The evolution of the space industry into Space 4.0, characterised by dynamic partnerships between governments, private sector, and society, presents opportunities for private businesses in Australia to capitalize on, given its expertise in ground and data segments.
