Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation Senator Kate Lundy recently launched Australia’s Satellite Utilisation Policy, Australia’s first ever space policy.
“This space policy will ensure that Australians can continue to access the satellite capacity we need through partnerships with other countries and commercial suppliers.” Senator Lundy commented.
Senator Lundy explained that this space policy is not only important for end-users, but a good space policy will also pay economic dividends for Australia. Satellite imagery alone was estimated in a 2010 report to contribute about $3.3 billion per year to GDP. Positioning technologies, such as GPS, were estimated in 2008 to have added $1 billion per year to GDP, and this is forecast to grow to between $6 and $12 billion by 2030.

Key aspects of Australia’s Satellite Utilisation Policy include:
• Giving priority to earth observations from space; satellite communications; and position, navigation and timing;
• Contributing to international ‘rules of the road’ for space through Australian space situational awareness infrastructure and diplomatic efforts;
• Building and retaining high quality Australian space expertise; and
• Developing a plan to meet projected growth in Australia’s satellite information needs by modernising and consolidating Australia’s ground infrastructure.

Senator Lundy commented that there are 14 Australian Space Research projects that have put Australia at the cutting edge of space research and education. These projects are being funded by a $40 million Gillard Government investment to support space-related research, education and innovation activities.

The projects showcased included:
• trialling hypersonic combustion ramjets – scramjets – capable of travelling at 8600 km per hour;
• automated tracking of space debris, to prevent damaging collisions between satellites and man- made junk in orbit;
• Australia’s first two years Masters’ program in satellite systems engineering; and
• the development of Antarctic broadband, to provide broadband data and voice communications systems for the frozen continent.