THE SPACE DOMAIN, Anthony Murfett

FOREWORD: Deputy Head of the Australian Space Agency Anthony Murfett

It’s been two years since the Australian Space Agency was established. While the Agency is ensuring Australia makes a bold and lasting contribution to the global space economy, we are also reviving the nation’s excitement in space.

Australia is not a new player when it comes to space. We have a strong history as the launching pad for space activities and international collaboration. From 1950s-70s, there was a considerable amount of space activity happening in Australia. We established an active sounding rocket program in 1958, were one of the earliest nations to put a satellite into orbit with WRESAT-1 in 1967, and supported Europe’s Europa satellite launcher and the UK’s Black Arrow satellite launcher, with both lifting off from Woomera in South Australia.

When Australia formalised its relationship with NASA through the Space Cooperation Agreement in 1960, the foundation was laid for a continued cooperative program between our countries. By the end of the 1960s, we were host to the largest number of NASA tracking stations outside of the United States. Today, the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex is an integral part of NASA’s Deep Space Network. The complex tracks more than 40 robotic spacecraft from dozens of nations exploring the solar system and beyond.

From 1968-1972, NASA’s Australian tracking stations all played an important part in supporting the Apollo program. When Apollo 11 made the first successful landing on the Moon in July 1969, Australia was instrumental in broadcasting that “one giant leap” to the world. During the Apollo 13 emergency, NASA’s Australian stations and the Parkes Observatory were crucial in tracking and communicating with astronauts aboard the spacecraft to aid the rescue mission.

Today, Australia’s collaboration with NASA includes agreements with the Australian Space Agency, Geoscience Australia, CSIRO and the Australian Antarctic Division. It’s a collaboration that extends across all states and territories, and supports areas such as vehicle tracking, robotics and automation, earth observation, astronomy and optical communications. As announced by the Prime Minister late last year, the Australian Space Agency will play a significant role supporting NASA on their inspirational plans to place the first women and next man on the Moon under the Artemis program, while also supporting a range of other activities on the Moon and Mars in years to come through our own Moon to Mars initiative. While we have an important space history, we are now ensuring Australia becomes, and remains, a key player in the global space economy.

While space conjures images of planets, rockets and astronauts, space has made a bold entrance into a commercial phase. Pre-COVID-19, the global space industry was valued at being worth US$350 billion, and by 2040, was expected to be worth more than US $1.1 trillion. As is the case overseas, Australia’s commercial space sector is experiencing accelerated growth, largely due to the rapidly evolving nature of space technology and the greater use of these technologies to support our lives here on Earth.

Technology is now smaller, innovation cycles are shorter and costs to access space are lower. We use satellites to locate and navigate where we are on our phones, to understand weather patterns, to monitor water levels or crops, to track and respond to natural disasters and emergencies, and boosting digital technologies by connecting satellites to the Internet of Things.

It was within this context that the Australian Space Agency was established on 1 July 2018 to grow and transform the Australian space industry. The Agency’s driving force is to triple the size of Australia’s space sector to $12 billion and create up to 20,000 additional jobs in the industry by 2030. It’s a big endeavour that is tied to Australia’s space industry strategy, the Australian Civil Space 2019-2028, and we are on track to deliver. The strategy outlines a staged plan to achieve this and is underpinned by seven national priority areas including earth observation, communication technologies and services, positioning, navigation and timing, and robotics. Australia has a unique competitive advantage in these areas that we know can valuably contribute to the space economy and the international community is keen to utilise.

The Australian Civil Space Strategy also outlines the targets for measuring the Agency’s role in growing the industry. The investment target was to stimulate at least a $1 billion pipeline of inward capital investment in Australia’s space industry between 2019 and 2025, including Research and Development (R&D) and infrastructure investment.

We are currently tracking a $2 billion pipeline of capital projects, including R&D in all states and territories. We are also on track to achieve yearly growth of the Australian space industry that exceeds 8.5 per cent per annum. From 2018-19, the Australian space sector employed approximately 13,200 people. This represents an employment

growth of 14 per cent from 2016-17. While these figures are pre-COVID, they paint a promising picture for the future of the industry – particularly as space will continue to play an important role in all aspects of our lives, both civil and defence.

The Australian Government has invested more than $700 million in the civil space sector since the Agency’s inception, which will be further accelerated by Defence’s recent announcements on investments in space. The Agency and our partners, like Geoscience Australia and CSIRO, are using these funds to help the emerging industry grow and thrive. Through our funding initiatives, the Agency is building new infrastructure to control satellites and track space objects such as the Mission Control Centre being built in Adelaide. We’re also drawing on our strengths in other sectors like the resources sector by showing how automation, robotics and AI in this sector can be applied in space. This will be embodied through the new Australian Space Robotics, Automation and AI Command Control Complex being built in Western Australia. Our investments in the sector are also supporting space and other industries to grow and contribute to the national and international sector through partnerships with national and international companies and agencies. Our industry is collaborating with international space agencies, including NASA and agencies in the United Kingdon, Europe, France, UAE, Japan, Canada and Italy.

The Agency’s flagship program is the $150 million Moon to Mars initiative, which is a five year program that gives Australian businesses and researchers the opportunity to showcase their immense knowledge and capabilities in projects that can support NASA’s Moon to Mars activities. Importantly, it will provide a path for Australian businesses to secure a bigger share of the global space market and show the world we are ready for investment.

A key component of our Moon to Mars initiative, the Supply Chain program, targets projects and activities to build Australian capabilities, skills and capacity in the space industry and adjacent sectors, like mining and advanced manufacturing. Australian companies making machined components and gears and creating silicon seals and gaskets are examples where their services can suit multiple markets, including the space market. As are resources and mining companies using robotics and satellite communications to service remote and extreme environments, which are excellent testing grounds for technology that has applications in space.

With grants opening soon, the Supply Chain program will provide local businesses the opportunity to grow their capability to deliver products and services into national and international space supply chains. This will bolster our economy and generate jobs in the process. The program is not only open to those in the Australian space sector but also provides non-space industries the opportunity to supply products and services to international space supply chains.

Space is also a key enabler of other high growth industries such as manufacturing and agriculture. By coupling this with the continual growth of the industry and its role in creating high tech jobs across the economy, space will help Australia’s economy emerge out of the COVID crisis. The Moon to Mars initiative is a signature part of this recovery.

As a space industry leader, it has been remarkable to be part of the exciting transformation and witnessing the huge growth of the Australian space sector over the past two years. We know space captures the hearts and minds of Australians, and it is incredibly important to us that we inspire the next generation to consider STEM and space career pathways. By inspiring the next generation through the prisms of space, Australia will increase its STEM educated population and create a workforce pipeline to sustain and continue the industry’s upward trajectory.

As part of our mission to inspire the nation, we are establishing the Australian Space Discovery Centre at our headquarters at Lot Fourteen in Adelaide. At the centre, students and the public will learn about Australia’s past and current role in space, and experience space through mission simulation activities, educational displays and exhibitions. The centre is expected to open in 2021 and will provide STEM education, engagement and inspiration for Australians to help us grow a future high-tech workforce.

Whether manufacturing components in a satellite supply chain, supporting faster communication via optical and quantum communications, or even fabricating space suits that can be used to help improve human health on Earth, Australia’s role in space is growing and moving in a very exciting direction. As we continue to grow the industry and build our capabilities, we will generate more opportunities to use our expertise for future space activities and programs on a global scale.

Space is well and truly reignited in Australia and I cannot wait to see how our future in space unfolds. I’m personally looking forward to the day that Australians can look up to the sky and know that the Australian flag, and our technologies, are helping humankind explore space, but more importantly, helping us here back on Earth.