Prime Minister Julia Gillard and US President Barack Obama
met in November 2011 in Canberra. Among their discussions, the two leaders spoke of partnerships in space between the US and Australia, and expressed the desire of both nations to extend the Space Vehicle Tracking and Communications Facilities Agreement, which was first signed in 1980. Through this agreement, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (
CSIRO) operates the Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex (
CDSCC) on behalf of the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (
NASA).
The CDSCC is an operational facility in Tidbinbilla, ACT, and is part of the international Deep Space Network that supports NASA’s command, telemetry and communications activities. The antennas at the CDSCC are used to receive and transmit vital data to spacecraft in low Earth orbit or exploring deep space.
As of last week, the treaty-level agreement that sets the framework for this partnership
has been extended, allowing NASA and the CDSCC to continue their work together.
Australia’s position in the southern hemisphere, our abundance of land and our strong, high technology capabilities in science and research make us an ideal partner for international space activities. This is also why Australia, with New Zealand, has been able to build a strong bid to host the
Square Kilometre Array.
While Australian agencies, organisations, researchers and individuals operate and drive the Australian space industry, the
Space Policy Unit is responsible for coordinating diplomatic arrangements that allow them to collaborate with international parties on space activities. The Unit works with countries around the world on an ongoing basis to renew, update and create agreements that allows this science to take place.
More information about treaties and their importance to international cooperation is available from the
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.