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No industry vacuum as Australian Space Agency launches in Adelaide

More than 1000 space leaders including NASA representatives are in Adelaide today for an industry forum as the local sector continues to gain momentum.

Feb 19, 2020, updated Feb 19, 2020
Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the Space Forum exhibition at the Adelaide Convention Centre this morning.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the Space Forum exhibition at the Adelaide Convention Centre this morning.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison began the day by officially opening the new Australian Space Agency headquarters at Lot Fourteen on North Terrace, 29 months after the Federal Government announced in September 2017 that a national agency would be established.

An Australian Space Discovery education centre and $6 million Mission Control to monitor orbiting spacecraft were added to the plan in March 2019 and are expected to open in Adelaide next year.

The agency moved into its headquarters on the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site in December, with the opening timed to coincide with today’s space forum focusing on key areas of national and international space trends, research and development, education and access to space.

In its ninth year, the forum has grown from just 110 attendees in 2016 to more than 1000.

The Adelaide Convention Centre event features presentations from the Head of the Australian Space Agency Dr Megan Clark, Minister for Industry Science and Technology Karen Andrews, Italian Space Agency President Dr Giorgio Saccoccia and a panel facilitated by NASA’s Dr Christyl Johnson.

It also includes a trade hall where a record number of 40 exhibitors are promoting space industry products and services.

“Australia’s space sector has gone from strength to strength since we established the Agency and I’m confident we will continue to build on that momentum,” Andrews said.

“Space is inspirational but it’s also big business. We’ve set the goal of tripling the size of the sector in Australia to $12 billion and adding an extra 20,000 jobs by 2030.

“But beyond that, space will create opportunities for core industries – from manufacturing to mining – to tap into new supply chains.”

Lot Fourteen also houses other space industry participants including the SmartSat CRC and CSIRO.

The SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre was also officially opened at Lot Fourteen today.

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The $245 million research initiative that brings together more than 100 national and international partners this week announced some of the first projects for the group, initially focusing on bushfire disasters, satellite water monitoring and improving Australia’s communications.

SmartSat will join forces with NASA, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, CSIRO and Adelaide industry partner Safety from Space to work on the projects.

“Critical communications infrastructure is often damaged during a major fire incident, which may complicate rescue efforts and put lives at further risk,” SmartSat chief executive officer Professor Andy Koronios said.

“We are meeting with NASA this week to discuss a project that will adapt existing emergency beacon technologies into a form of miniaturised satellite radio, connected into a national incident data management system that will deliver a complete, real-time picture of disaster zones and ensure reliable communication for individuals and communities in danger.”

SmartSat CRC is Australia’s largest ever space research program. It was established last year to work with the Australian Space Agency to contribute to the Australian Government’s goal of tripling the size of the space sector to $12 billion and creating up to 20,000 jobs by 2030.

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