The Space Policy Unit within the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education has been given a mandate to bring forward a National Space Industry Policy for consideration by Government. The policy will be comprehensive and cover civil as well as defence matters. It will address how Australia uses space to tackle climate change, weather forecasting, natural resource management, forestry and agriculture, disaster management, national security.
Space and Australia
The Australian Government recognises that space technologies and expertise provide enabling infrastructure for a prosperous Australia. Public and private services associated with space technologies enable much of our day-to-day life, such as:
- Position, navigation and timing (PNT) services, including satnavs, GPS enabled phones and mapping services like Google Earth, are becoming increasingly central to personal navigation and planning
- Commercial precision PNT services enable critical capabilities that underpin Australia’s economic security, such as air and road transport of goods, precision agriculture, and natural resource identification and management
- Earth observation services help us understand climate change and monitor large-scale phenomena such as the El Niño, weather prediction, droughts, forest fires, and urban development, enabling long term Government and social planning
- Satellite communications technologies, including broadband, enable Australian citizens and companies to conduct essential business and access critical services such as emergency transport.
Given the critical nature of these services and technologies Government leadership and investment in national space industry policy serves to provide public good and economic benefit to all Australians.
Globally, the international space sector is growing rapidly with increases in both Government and commercial budgets, with more countries making active contributions through national space programs.
National Space Industry Policy
The Australian Government’s space activities fall under four broad themes:
- Ensuring access to space services (especially communications, global positioning/navigation, Earth observation)
- Supporting world-class space science and research, consistent with our national priorities
- Developing Australia's domestic space industries
- Safeguarding Australia’s national security.
The National Space Industry Policy will be comprehensive and cover civil as well as defence matters. It will examine Australia's current civil space activities with a focus on the core areas of Earth observation, satellite communications and navigation.
The Policy will provide a vision for Australia’s use of space and space-related technologies including providing strategies to enable Australia to meet its National Priorities through space and to ensure Australia meets its future space-related education and innovation needs.
Principles for a National Space Industry Policy
On 26 September 2011, Senator the Hon Kim Carr, former Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, released the Principles for a National Space Industry Policy. The Principles will be the backbone and direction for the National Space Industry Policy.
Principles for a National Space Industry Policy
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