Australian Space Initiative report released
A Space Industry Taskforce organised by Global Access Partners advocates the creation of a commercially focused national space agency in its own report, submitted to the Australian Government in August.
This report was prepared by the GAP Taskforce on Space Industry, an international multidisciplinary group of astronauts, entrepreneurs, engineers and policy experts. It offers a visionary, but realistic set of near and mid-term goals to create a vibrant space industry in Australia, rich in export, technology and employment opportunities.
Australia was the only nation in world’s top 50 economies to have no space programme of its own. Australia’s failure to compete in the US$350 billion global space sector impoverishes the nation to the advantage of other nations, while our reliance on foreign suppliers risks our national security.
Australia cannot afford to lag behind its international competitors in this fast-growing sphere of economic and technological endeavour, nor should it cede the new marketplace to foreign firms when its own entrepreneurs and engineers are eager to play a greater part.
Open Forum is an interactive policy discussion website hosted and moderated by Global Access Partners (GAP).
Max Thomas
October 7, 2017 at 12:06 pm
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that Australia has been missing out. We spend a lot on foreign technology: communications, remote sensing, transport, navigation, weather forecasting and climate research etc. We are more than capable of doing much of this ourselves while at the same time providing opportunities for our young scientists. The ‘cringe’ is a waste of space.
Max Thomas
October 7, 2017 at 8:21 pm
As indicated by the position of the Sun in the picture, there’s ample scope for discovery.
admin
October 9, 2017 at 9:28 am
Absolutely Max, it’s definitely an exciting development and a long time coming.