Human Space Launches within

Human Space Launches Within 5 Years - ASA Reveals Plan

Australia’s $12 billion plan to join the international space race comes with a pledge of when humans could be launched, and how we will develop our own rover.

Ten years ago, talk of spaceports and lunar landings or rocket ships taking Australians to the stars was pretty much all pie in the sky.

But Australia’s fledgling space program will this year take a giant leap forward with a series of rocket launches and satellite projects to seal the future of the $12 billion industry.

And the recently minted Australian security alliances, the AUKUS with the UK and US and the Quad with India and Japan, will be expanded to “shape” space tech collaboration.

Australian Space Agency head Enrico Palermo has outlined his 2022 plans to accelerate the national space program which he said would see human space launches from here within five years.

Mr Palermo, who took the role in 2021 after 14 years at Virgin Galactic departing as chief operating officer, said Australia was just starting develop a brand as an emerging “space nation”. “I see 2022 as us really starting to arrive as a space nation in international forums,” he said. “The world wants to work with Australia that’s clear and the agency team in the first three years built those bridges … now we will turn it into active activity and partnership.” That includes with NASA in Arnhem Land near Nhulunbuy mid year for a series of multiple rocket launches, NASA’s first launch from a commercial launch pad outside the US. This comes on top of a signed agreement with NASA to also see an Australian-made rover included in a future mission to Mars.

There are now close 150 spacerelated organisations in Australia, 90 alone in South Australia and he said his challenge was to ensure they could be tied together for collaborations, to avoid duplication, including with the new Defence Space Division.

Mr Palermo singled out Gilmour Space Technologies and Black Sky Aerospace from Queensland as also advanced in their plans for launches.

In 2022 space would be included into AUKUS and Quad Dialogue “priority” negotiations where Earth observation data and technology could be shared for peaceful regional use and would open the market for Australia’s space industry.

He said all the data Australia receives for everything from weather bureau stats for forecasts to mapping came from foreign satellites and from a national security perspective this needed to change.

But he said Australia needed to move with an “increased sense of urgency”

Worked has commenced on the Arnhem Space Centre under construction from NASA. ELA.

to make the most of opportunities for international collaborations, with more investment. Austrade was already fielding foreign interest for launches, attracted by the orbits that can be reached more easily from Australia.

“We have a real opportunity for Australia to be a regional hub for human space flight activities, I truly believe that and that’s a position we should grab. Our estimates are that it’s a very large market opportunity human space flight both professional and private space travel. We are a great launch base for that … if it’s a domestic developer we are a few years off but arguably if we create the right conditions we could see international operators bring their technology to Australia.”

“Today with Space X, Blue Origin Virgin Galactic, three entities, Boeing is intended to fly Starliner and a few others up and coming. So you have internationally four entities flying commercial rockets with people on board into space so the market is there, the technology is there and there is an opportunity for us.”

CALL FOR ‘SPACE TRADIES’

Young engineers working on rockets at Gold Coast based Gilmour Space Technologies. Gilmour Space Technologies.

The nation’s network of TAFEs has been called on to create “space tradies” from high school graduates to help further develop Australia’s space industry.

Already most top universities including Swinburne University, and UNSW and the ANU offer industry relevant training but the Australian Space Agency has said the shift has to start from high school as a trade interest.

“Many of the careers that need to be filled now and into the future require the hands-on learning of places like our TAFES, we need space apprentices, we need space tradies,” ASA boss Enrico Palermo said.

“We also have a responsibility to ensure that the workforce we are creating is diverse … You’d be hard pressed to find a six or seven-year-old who is not totally in awe of space. What we need to do is maintain that awe and interest through high school and into tertiary education.”

AUSSIE SPACE ROVER

Next month applications close for The Moon to Mars Trailblazer Program where up to $50 million in government funding is up for Australian business and researchers to develop and build a small space rover.

The rover will head to the Moon with NASA as early as 2026.

The semi-autonomous rover will collect lunar soil and deliver it to NASA that will attempt to extract oxygen, a key step towards establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon. It will also support future missions to Mars.

Charlies Miranda