40 AUSTRALIAN SKY & TELESCOPE February | March 2019
SPACE BASE by Jonathan NallyAdelaide set for lift-off
South Australia becomes home to the new Australian Space Agency.
A
fter a hard-fought campaign by
various state capitals, Adelaide has
emerged victorious in the race to
become home to Australia’s new official
space agency. Announcing the decision
on December 12, Prime Minister Scott
Morrison said that “Australia’s space
industry is set to hit new heights”.
“This Agency is going to open doors
for local businesses and Australian
access to the US$345 billion global
space industry,” the Prime Minister
said. “Our government’s $41 million
investment into the Agency will act as a
launching pad to triple Australia’s space
economy to $12 billion and create up to
20,000 jobs by 2030.”
The Australian Space Agency will be
located at the tech hub at Lot Fourteen
on the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site.
Set to open by mid-2019, the space
headquarters will employ 20 full-time
equivalent staff.South Australian Premier, Steven
Marshall, said the investment would
drive entrepreneurship and innovation.
“South Australia is the ideal location
for the Australian Space Agency with a
range of local space industry businesses
already established here as well as
a rapidly growing defence industry
sector,” the Premier said. “Establishing
the headquarters of the Australian
Space Agency in South Australia will
launch our space and defence sectors to
the next level.”
Federal Minister for Industry, Science
and Technology, Karen Andrews, said
Adelaide was selected to host the Agency
after putting forward the strongest case.
“South Australia is already home
to more than 60 organisations and
800 employees in the space sector and
this decision builds on the very strong
technology and defence presence in the
state,” Minister Andrews said.“Australia’s science, research and
technology sectors are key in improving
the competitiveness of Australian
businesses... We are committed to
growing Australia’s space sector, and
our government is also investing
$260 million to develop world leading
satellite capabilities, and to significantly
increase GPS accuracy in our cities and
regional areas.”
Inaugural head of the Agency, Dr
Megan Clarke, said that the new base
in Adelaide will provide “an exciting
location for the Agency to deliver on
our mandate to transform and grow
the Australian space industry to inspire
and improve the lives of all Australians
— underpinned by strong national and
international engagement”.
“We’re engaging with companies
nationwide, and have already signed
Strategic Statements of Intent and
Cooperation with three industry ESA/ATG MEDIALAB