Australian Space Agency

[hauritz]

South Australia will be home to Australia' s new space agency. Just sounds like baby steps at the moment but by 2030 the space industry could create up to 20,000 jobs.

SA beats strong competition to be home to Australia's new space agency

It is also good to see Australia once again seriously getting back into the space industry. A little known fact is that Australia was actually the third nation to build and launch a satellite back in the 1960s. Joe Bjelke-Petersen ... the former premier of Queensland ... was pushing the idea of a spaceport back in the 1980s. For those who remember old Joe you would hardly describe him as a visionary but even he saw the potential of this industry.

Anyway with around a hundred satellites launched every year and that number expected to increase dramatically over the coming decades its good to see Australia belatedly re-entering the space industry.

 

[Stampede]

South Australia will be home to Australia' s new space agency. Just sounds like baby steps at the moment but by 2030 the space industry could create up to 20,000 jobs.

SA beats strong competition to be home to Australia's new space agency

It is also good to see Australia once again seriously getting back into the space industry. A little known fact is that Australia was actually the third nation to build and launch a satellite back in the 1960s. Joe Bjelke-Petersen ... the former premier of Queensland ... was pushing the idea of a spaceport back in the 1980s. For those who remember old Joe you would hardly describe him as a visionary but even he saw the potential of this industry.

Anyway with around a hundred satellites launched every year and that number expected to increase dramatically over the coming decades its good to see Australia belatedly re-entering the space industry.

Good to see Australia coming on board with this Industry.
Congrats to SA for getting the space gig, but can anyone confirm if there is an advantage in launching rockets closer to the equator.
No expert in this field so happy to be advised.

Regards S

 

[Ananda]

Why is it better to launch a spaceship from near the equator?

Not an expert..but this can explain on the benefits of Equatorial Space Launch. In sense the earth moving faster in Equator thus space launch in Equator can benefit from inertia effect. This means you can launch more payload with relative less fuel relative to non Equator launch sites.

At least that's what I read of.

 

[John Fedup]

Yes, launching closer to the equator is better as rockets don’t have to be as powerful since the surface velocity is highest at the equator and diminishes as you move to higher latitudes.

 

[ngatimozart]

We had another launch from the Mahia Peninsula with Rocket Labs first commercial launch on 11th November. They are also placing a NASA payload into orbit, I think, next launch.

 

[AndyinOz]

I'm still utterly devastated that my suggestion of the Australian Research (&) Space Enterprise was not adopted as the name for our space agency alas not to be. Rocket Labs next launch is meant to be a payload of about 80kg worth of nano-sats for NASA from what I recall reading somewhere.

 

[ngatimozart]

I'm still utterly devastated that my suggestion of the Australian Research (&) Space Enterprise was not adopted as the name for our space agency alas not to be. Rocket Labs next launch is meant to be a payload of about 80kg worth of nano-sats for NASA from what I recall reading somewhere.

Some people just have no sense of humour.

 

[FoxtrotRomeo999]

I'm still utterly devastated that my suggestion of the Australian Research (&) Space Enterprise was not adopted as the name for our space agency alas not to be. Rocket Labs next launch is meant to be a payload of about 80kg worth of nano-sats for NASA from what I recall reading somewhere.

 

[ngatimozart]

@FoxtrotRomeo999 you've been short changed.

 

[foxdemon]

Why is it better to launch a spaceship from near the equator?

Not an expert..but this can explain on the benefits of Equatorial Space Launch. In sense the earth moving faster in Equator thus space launch in Equator can benefit from inertia effect. This means you can launch more payload with relative less fuel relative to non Equator launch sites.

At least that's what I read of.

Hi Ananda, apa Akbar? The best launch site depends on the sort of orbit you are after.

For polar obits, a launch to the north/south is what you want. Ideally, this launch would not pass over populated areas. So SA or NZ are actually pretty good choices for that. Look into America’s issues with polar orbit launches to learn more.

If you want an equatorial orbit, which you might for heavy lift and deep space stuff, then a location on the equator would be the right choice. Again, you want a launch trajectory over water, being less populated than land. And the rocket gets fired off to the east. PNG’s Manus Island is an exemplary example of a suitable location. I hope the locals won’t mind a bit more stuff being built there. Kiribati already has Japanese tracking facilities installed. So there is a real possibility of establishing Asia’s future space port infrastructure along the equatorial Pacific.

Just remember there are different types of orbits. Polar orbit is fine for the naval recon cube stats NZ and Oz are working on.

 

[seaspear]

With Canada joining N.A.S.A in its Gateway Luna project to have a orbital manned station above the moon that can have astronauts potentially do further luna landings , Canada contributed over 1 billion dollars to be the first international partner ,
Is this something Australia could consider becoming involved in

 

[ngatimozart]

With Canada joining N.A.S.A in its Gateway Luna project to have a orbital manned station above the moon that can have astronauts potentially do further luna landings , Canada contributed over 1 billion dollars to be the first international partner ,
Is this something Australia could consider becoming involved in

I can understand it from a purely scientific point of view, and that Canada is a partner in the International Space Station, but in an Australian context why? What would be in it for Australia to justify such a large outlay?

 

[seaspear]

If you were to ask what was in it as a financial return , the answer may be nothing ,but to be involved in the cutting edge of the various technologies at a time when Australia has not been could have its own benefits if Australia can identify what it can develop and contribute .
In the long term taking samples may be the start of accessing resources unavailable on Earth
JPL | The Lunar Gold Rush: How Moon Mining Could Work
Mining Moon Ice: Prospecting Plans Starting to Take Shape
But naturally there has to be a planned outcome of what is intended long term so that those involved understand the costs risks and benefits , the Gateway Luna Project has not to date but this could change ,not being involved in a project that may produce strategic resources may put Australia at a disadvantage also consider other partners in this include the European Russian and Chinese space agencies .

 

[tonnyc]

Basic science research is always a good thing to invest, so if Australia wants to invest in the Lunar-Gateway I wish you guys well. Who knows what useful things will be discovered from space-based research.

But if Australia want to do resource exploitation, then the Gateway is not the best investment. Australia will be better off investing in either an Earth-orbit space station like the ISS, or further ahead, invest in near-Earth asteroid exploration and exploitation.

Most moon mining proponents point to He3 as the main resource to be exploited, arguing that this is fuel for fusion power. That's correct but also conveniently fails to mention that we have not been able to make fusion work economically. At this moment we still needs to put more energy into it than we get out of it and we can't control the fusion for any commercially useful length of time yet. There is also no guarantee that the fusion technology that we invent will use He3. The deuterium + He3 fusion is just one of several available fusion pathways and I don't think a fusion tech geared toward a pathway can easily be adapted to a different pathway.

Realistically the possible immediately useful resources that we can get from the moon are rare earths and ice. These I believe can be gained more profitably via asteroid mining, though lunar ice may be available faster than asteroid ice. I don't think there is much hope of any solid return on investment in the Gateway project and it should be looked at purely as a basic research project.

 

[John Fedup]

The amount and quality of lunar ice is of the upmost importance. Without a good source of water, no hydrogen and oxygen for lunar production of rocket fuel. Oxygen transport from earth for life support would be problematic for a large group needed for mining. This limits all other lunar activities from being economically viable.

 

[hauritz]

NASA’s surprise Aussie pick for rocket launch

Nasa has signed a deal to launch rockets from 2020. Equatorial Launch Australia is looking at creating a spaceport in the Northern Territory. These won't be your huge heavy lift rockets. Mostly small suborbital rockets for data collection and engineering tests.

 

[ngatimozart]

NASA’s surprise Aussie pick for rocket launch

Nasa has signed a deal to launch rockets from 2020. Equatorial Launch Australia is looking at creating a spaceport in the Northern Territory. These won't be your huge heavy lift rockets. Mostly small suborbital rockets for data collection and engineering tests.

Ah well NASA that's ok. Here we just launch DARPA satellites from Mahia Peninsula in a Kiwi / US rocket

 

[hauritz]

Ah well NASA that's ok. Here we just launch DARPA satellites from Mahia Peninsula in a Kiwi / US rocket

View attachment 46630

Good to see the Newbies getting into the satellite biz. We used to launch satellites from Woomera ... about 50 years ago.

 

[justinterested]

There was an interesting article in this weekends Australian by Jess Malcolm on why a new space treaty with the USA fails to deliver for the local space industry. Here are some pertinent quotes -
"Queensland-based space manufacturer Adam Gilmour, chief executive of Gilmour Space Technologies, has blasted the agreement, saying it will not actually benefit the domestic industry. Mr Gilmour said only US rockets will be able to be launched as part of the deal, and no Australians will be able to help facilitate the process as they would not be able to operate within the area to protect US technology."
"The Albanese government has been under scrutiny over its handling of space policies in recent months, with The Australian last year revealing Defence had spent $40m of taxpayers’ money on two satellites it did not know what to do with. The satellites will have to go into storage where they will rapidly deteriorate unless a use can be found for them. It also follows the axing of a $1.2bn NASA-backed satellite program by Mr Husic, who tried to hide the decision from the US government until hours before it was announced."
It seems Labor does not really share the previous governments vision for the potential of an Australian space industry.
Link - behind a paywall

 

[KrustyKoala]

It seems Labor does not really share the previous governments vision for the potential of an Australian space industry.
Link - behind a paywall

Labor's current focus above all else is Finance and its quest for budget surplus. With the senior members of the Government "shutting out ministers"

Federal ministers are frustrated that key spending proposals are being rejected by Anthony Albanese’s powerful inner circle, with Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher dubbed “co-deputy prime ministers” in a sign of tension within the upper echelons of the government as it prepares the upcoming budget.

Four members of the ministry confirmed to this masthead that Industry, Science and Innovation Minister Ed Husic had complained directly to Albanese that the cabinet’s powerful expenditure review committee – responsible for overseeing ministers’ submissions for budget measures – was shutting out ministers from decision-making.

Husic also raised concerns about what he saw as the influence on the committee of two unelected bureaucrats – Finance secretary Jenny Wilkinson and Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy. Some critics claim the pair are holding the government back from spending on Labor policy initiatives.

To be fair to Ed Husic he is clearly annoyed like other Ministers he is getting little priority from the Government. This Labor government has been forced to make cuts in a lot of areas to get to a budget surplus and they will have to keep finding areas to cut it if they want another.