United States to Relocate Space Surveillance Radar to Australia

Announced as part of the AUSMIN 2012 meeting in Perth between the United States and Australia, the United States will relocate one of it's C-band surveillance radar from Antigua to Exmouth in Western Australia. This aligns with Project JP 3029 as part of the 2012 Australian Defence Capability Plan.

In addition there is discussion that a DARPA-built optical telescope could also be relocated from New Mexico to Western Australia to monitor Space Debris and Satellites right out to GEO, as well as the potential establishment for a combined communications gateway to support the Wideband Global SATCOM System, of which Australia is already a partner and has paid for an additional satellite in the constellation.

Overall the announcement represents a major step in US-Australian Space collaboration, as well as a significant boost to the Australian Defence Force space situational awareness capability.

The Joint Communique released states:

We recognised the need to address the rising threat presented by increasing congestion in space from over 50 years of space activities and a significant rise in space debris. In particular, we need to ensure our continued access to space assets for services critical to the functioning of modern economies, as well as for national security purposes.

In response, we have brought forward a new and important element of this cooperation by signing a Memorandum of Understanding on the relocation and establishment of a jointly-operated US C-Band space surveillance radar at the Harold E. Holt Naval Communication Station in Western Australia. We have also decided to work towards the relocation of a highly advanced US Space Surveillance Telescope to Australia.

The relocation of these capabilities will strengthen the US global Space Surveillance Network's ability to track space assets and debris, and contribute to the global public good by making this information publicly available and providing satellite operators around the world with warnings of possible collisions between space objects, thereby reducing the danger posed by space debris.

The relocation and joint operation of these assets is a demonstration of our commitment to closer space cooperation, and builds upon the Space Situational Awareness Partnership established between Australia and the United States at AUSMIN in 2010.

In addition, the Joint Communique reaffirms the joint commitment to:

• relocate a US C-Band space surveillance radar to Western Australia in 2014, where it will track space assets and debris, contribute to the safety and security of space-based systems on which we rely and increase coverage of space objects in the southern hemisphere;
• complement the C-Band space surveillance radar capability by working towards the relocation of an advanced US space surveillance telescope to Australia, and explore ways to better leverage Australian space surveillance capabilities for combined benefit, as next steps under the Space Situational Awareness Partnership signed in 2010;
• discuss the possible establishment of a Combined Communications Gateway in Western Australia, which would provide both Australia and the United States greater access to the Wideband Global Satellite communications constellation in which we are partners. The discussions follow the signature of a Military Satellite Communications Partnership Statement of Principles in 2008;

Overall, the facilities will help provide the United States with far better Space Situational Awareness capability in the Southern Hemisphere, whilst also giving Australia direct access to advanced Space Situational Awareness Technology. It will also allow both countries to keep a very close watch on any space launches coming from Asia, as well as both satellites and space debris already in orbit. 

The C-Band radar will cost around $30 Million to relocate, with an annual $10 Million operation cost annually. It is anticipated that US personnel will train Australian operators, rather than remain in Australia to operate the system. The Radar facility is scheduled to be up and running in 2014. 

The Australian publishes a 'Satellite Technology Special Report'

On the 29th of October, the Australian newspaper published a 'Satellite Technology Special Report', with many good articles about current space companies and activities.

Fortunately, they folks over at NewSat have reproduced a version on their website.

Head over here to take a look.

Australia in the Asian Century White Paper refers to Space

Buried on page 239 of the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper provides an interesting few paragraphs on space related technology, and the growing importance in Asia.

Whilst the reference is fairly small, it shows an increasing understanding and importance placed within the Australian government on space related issues. It also makes an interesting reference to continuing investment in Australia's space-related ground infrastructure. Perhaps this will feature in the upcoming policy.

The Space Paragraphs:

Space-related technologies, such as those used to observe the Earth from space, are increasingly important for security, environmental and commercial interests. In the maritime domain, for example, information from space can provide essential data for anti-piracy measures, fisheries enforcement and environmental operations. Advanced space-enabled positioning systems, which are highly accurate and based on existing systems such as the global positioning system maintained by the US Government, are driving innovation in the logistics, agriculture, construction and other sectors. 

Some regional countries are increasing their investment in space technology. For example, India, China and Japan are flying satellite missions and are developing independent satellite positioning systems. And Vietnam is investing US$600 million in a space technology centre in the Hoa Lac hi-tech zone in Hanoi. 

Protection of this space-based and space-related infrastructure will become increasingly necessary.

Australia’s regional connections, geographical location and long-term engagement on space issues position us well. However, we need to continue our investment in space-related ground infrastructure to capitalise on our location and ensure that our capabilities remain relevant.

Australian Space Policy to be called "Satellite Utilisation Policy"

It is understood that Australia's first national space policy is in the throws of debate within federal cabinet, and has been renamed the "Satellite Utilisation Policy".

In what is seen as a strong reflection of Australia's ongoing awkwardness with the space domain and policy, the renaming of the Australian Space Policy demonstrates that politically, the policy needs to focus on the use of space technology for solving Australia's national problems, rather than a general association with the space activities of other international space agencies.

Previously the Space Policy Unit has focussed on what was called a 'National Space Industry Policy' - reflecting a focus that the policy would be directed towards 'industry development' rather than space in general. The new name demonstrates a very practical focus to the policy - likely centered around the workhorse applications of Telecommunications, Earth Observation, and Position, Navigation and Timing - the  technologies that most Australian's use every day without ever considering that they are using Space technology.

There are some implicit implications of this change of focus within the policy. Where does this leave Australian space science? Science is not traditionally considered a utilisation of satellites - perhaps science is excluded from the policy consideration all together? If so, where does this leave the Australian Space Science Decadal Plan?

How will this change of focus be perceived internationally? By excluding the broader space domain, will the policy address legal and diplomatic aspects of space? Is Australia serious about becoming an active diplomatic middle power nation, when we don't have a policy that covers an area underpinning our national economic, military and environmental future? Will international space agencies feel confused about Australia's direction within the space domain, and how will the new policy focus change how they interact with Australia?

What about defence - will the policy be a whole of government policy with civilian and defence activities covered? In Australia, we struggle to sustain a single space community - let alone two communities with limited interaction.

What I do know is that most people in Australia still think of putting man on the moon when the topic of space comes up, and why would Australia want to spend bucket loads of money on that?

Short to mid term, the focus of the space policy as a 'Satellite Utilisation Policy' is likely insulate the policy from major criticism surrounding the 'waste of money' theme associated with manned exploration, and allow Australia to start changing the conversation to - why are we not better using these technologies and industries to better solve our problems. It is also more likely to receive better parliamentary support, providing a more sustainable future for the Space Sector in general.

Dr Phil Diamond to head SKA

Dr Phil Diamond, chief of astronomy and space science for CSIRO has recently been appointed directory general of the of the Square Kilometre Array Organisation, who is overseeing the construction and operation of the SKA facility.

Dr Phil Diamond (Photo: CSIRO)

Dr Diamond has been working with the SKA project since early 2000, and has an intimate knowledge of the  proposed facility and its journey so far, particularly through his involvement with ASKAP. He is also one of Australia's leading astronomers, with over 30 years of radio astronomy behind him, having led both the Jordell Bank Centre for Astrophysics in the UK and the CSIRO astronomy and space science division in Australia.

The $1.5 Billion facility will be built across sites in both Australia and Southern Africa, with detailed design currently under way, and full construction commencing in 2015.

Congratulations Dr Diamond!

Australian Space Jobs

NBN Co is currently looking for a "Technical Specialist Satellite Control" - which you can find on Seek here. The role is responsible for operational and technical leadership within the Satellite Control Facility for NBN Co.

Telstra is also looking for a 'Head of Satellite Sales', based in Hong Kong who will be responsible for all of Telstra Global's satellite sales. You can head over to the ad here.

Dr David Williams to head CSIRO Information Sciences Group

In a major coup for both CSIRO and the Australian Space Industry, Dr David Williams has been appointed as the head of CSIRO's Information Science Division. The Information Science Division covers astronomical and space sciences, digital productivity and services, information and communication technologies and mathematical and statistical sciences and has around 1200 staff.

Dr David Williams (Photo Credit: CSIRO)

Dr Williams is currently the chief executive of the UK Space Agency and has been a key figure in the creation of the agency and growth in the space sector over the past few years.

Dr Williams comes with both major credibility and contacts within the international space industry - something that is sure to benefit the Australian Space Industry over the coming years starting with the release of the Australian National Space Policy later this year.

What will be of direct interest to Australia is that the United Kingdom previously operated British National Space Council, which was a collection of all UK civilian government departments that operated in the space domain. This arrangement left the BNSC with no ability to drive overall space policy within the UK, a scenario that Australia currently finds itself in. Dr Williams helped transition the BNSC to the current UK Space Agency, which has led to recent growth within the UK Space Industry, and widespread praise for the stronger economic and scientific benefits from the new arrangements. In  2010/2011 the UK Space Industry turnover grew to £9.1bn from £7.5bn in 2008/09.

Within his new role, Dr Williams will oversee Australia's Square Kilometer Array facilities, one of the world's largest scientific projects currently under development.

Welcome Dr. Williams, and we look forward to you helping to grow Australia's space capabilities.

Australia's role in Curiosity's Mars Landing

I've hesitated to write a blog post on Australia's role in NASA's Curiosity Mars mission - not because it isn't a great topic or story, but because there has been such substantial coverage of the topic in the mainstream Australian media.

In light of the successful touchdown on Mars, I just couldn't resist putting a few notes down about it for those who like to follow the blog.

First and foremost, the NASA Deep Space Communications Complex at Tidbinbilla (just outside of Canberra) was the prime communications receiving station on earth to communicate with the Curiosity Spacecraft for the decent and landing today. As a back up, both the Parkes telescope and New Norica facility in Western Australia were also used as backup communications links. A large crowd gathered at  Tidbinbilla today to watch the even, with some even arriving at 9am to get the best seats in the house!

Our second major involvement is that the Curiosity rover has touched down within the Gale Crater is in fact named after Walter Frederick Gale, a Sydney banker and astronomer who undertook many observations of Mars, and subsequently had the Gale crater named in his honour. An interesting article about Walter Gale can be found here on the Cosmos website by Jonathan Nally.

Thirdly is Marion Anderson's involvement - a geologist from Monash university - who was involved in the landing site selection for the Curiosity mission. Alan Kerlin has an interesting interview with Marion over here.

Finally, Dr Penny King - a geologist from the Australian National University will be helping to control the scientific instruments of the Curiosity mission from NASA's JPL. No doubt, Dr King will be very excited that  Curiosity has successfully landed on Mars - as the science is just about to begin!

Congratulations to all those involved in the mission - particularly those at NASA who have worked so long and hard for this moment. I look forward to hearing of the many discoveries that will be made through such an important mission.

Space Code of Conduct: An Australian Perspective - Analysis

Brett Biddington has written an interesting article about Australia's interested in a Space Code of Conduct - head over here for a good read.

Dr James Moody Article

The Australian has a great article on Dr James Moody and his career background - I can highly recommend it for all of you budding Space experts in Australia - head here.

2012 Australian Defence Capability Plan Space Projects

The Australian Defence Capability Plan has recently been updated (the 2012 DCP can be downloaded here) to include several space projects, including a new Space Surveillance project. Australia is growing both its defence uses of space and its capabilities in space technologies - a clear result of its recent investments in skills and training within the defence force in space related topics.

The 2012 DCP has a few interesting space related projects that are worth spending a bit of time on.

JP2008 Phase 5B.2 -Military Satellite Capability - Satellite Ground Station East and Network Management System. Following the Australian involvement in the US Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) project, JP2008 Phase 5B.2 will estabilsh new satellite ground stations in eastern and western Australia. These ground stations will deepen Australia's involvement in the WGS project, following Australia purchasing a 6th Satellite in exchange for access to the entire WGS constellation.

JP2044  Defence Geospatial Intelligence Capability  - JP2044 will upgrade Australia's ability to exploit geospatial data (such as satellite imagery) for Australian Defence needs. Whilst this does not include a space-based capability, JP2044 will ensure that the Australian defence forces will become an even more sophisticated user of Geospatial Intelligence.

JP2025 Phase 6  Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) will upgrade the JORN network to ensure that it's capability remains cutting edge. The JORN provides over the horizon radar surveillance through bouncing radar off the ionosphere.  This project will include emerging technologies into the JORN capability, where Australia remains a global leader - particularly through DSTO. Interestingly, some of the technology and skills required for JP 3029 Phase 1 will leverage Australia's experience with JORN.

JP 2078 Phase 2 - Hyper-Spectral Imaging is an early phase project examining the ability to detect targets through Hyper-Spectral Imaging (HSI) - particularly targets associated with improvised explosive devices, weapons of mass destruction and deep hide military equipment. Whilst a final decision has yet to be made on the platform that will be used, a satellite capability is under serious consideration. The project will continue some early work done by DSTO and RPDE on this topic.

JP 3029 Phase 1 Space Surveillance is a new project related Space Situational Awareness. Currently Australia has very limited Space Situational awareness relying heavily on the US Space Surveillance Network for its knowledge. This project intends to relocate a C-Band radar from the US to Australia to support an initial Australian capability. In 2010 Australia and the US signed a partnership to cooperate with the US on Space Situational Awareness. In Parallel, the US will likely locate a new Space Fence facility in Western Australia to improve the accuracy of their in the Southern Hemisphere.

Overall, there is an increasing understanding with Defence of the importance of space information, space technologies and space capabilities. The 2012 DCP further demonstrates the increasing priority that Defence is placing on Space. No doubt we will see this  priority increase even further over the next decade.

Australia signs on to be Landsat 8 Partner

Australia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United States Geological Survey to become an international collaborator on the Landsat 8 program.

The Landsat series of satellites have been the longest running satellite series for imaging Earth from space. Since 1972, seven Landsat satellites have been launched, with Landsat 8 or the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) being launched on the 24th of January 2013.

The Landsat series of satellites have been vital to many Australian government programs as one of the primary sources of Earth Observation data since 1979. Most importantly, by signing up to the Landsat 8 program, the Australian government will achieve data continuity which is vital to examine data trends over years or decades.

The media release related to the MoU signature is available here, and some further interesting information about the Landsat series can be found over on Geoscience Australia's website here.

ViaSat awarded a $280M NBNCo Contract

NBNCo has awarded a $280M contract to California-based ViaSat for the supply of the ground segment of the satellite component of the NBNCo Satellite system. The contract includes provision of the 13.5m dishes accross the 10 NBN gateways accross Australia, as well as the 200,000 satellite dishes and satellite modems for households.

It is believed that ViaSat will provide a similar solution to the NBN to what it is providing for its Exede service in the US.

The contract is anticipated to generate around 300 jobs in Australia according to the NBN press release, with the long term satellite system being up and running in 2015.
The contract award completes a two year procurement process which follows the NBNCo decision in February to select Space Systems Loral for the Space-based component of the Satellite system.

Why Australia should ride JUICE to Jupiter

The European Space Agency announced in May that they had selected the Jupiter Icy moons Explorer, or JUICE mission for their next large class science mission under the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 program.

The JUICE mission will see a spacecraft launched in 2022, and arriving at Jupiter around 2030, spending around 3 years in the Jovian system making detailed observations. The mission will analyse Jupiter's atmosphere and magnetosphere, and examine Europa, Ganymede and Callisto - particularly examining the moons internal structures and oceans. After initial flybys of Europa, the mission will enter orbit around Ganymede, and focus on observing the magnetic field and internal ocean structure.

So, what has this got to do with Australian Space?

Well, the JUICE mission has recently released its call for scientific payloads  which allows proposals to be made for scientific payloads from European countries, the USA, Russia or Japan - or in otherwords, contributing partners.

Within the 2010-2019 Decadal Plan for Australian Space Science, an International Collaborations and Future Opportunities program was called for. Essentially, the program was to be established to allow Australian Scientists to participate in major international space science missions, that Australia could not afford by itself.

The JUICE mission couldn't fit the bill better, as a wonderful opportunity for Australia to contribute a small amount of funding, and build an Australian payload to go and explore the Jovian system.

Participating in such an incredible scientific opportunity  would not just be a major boost to Australian space science, but would serve to strengthen our cooperation with the the world's leading space agencies. Given the current budgetary difficulties within Europe and the US, additional funding would also no doubt be welcomed.

As Australia is about to release its first national space policy later this year, it is opportunities in Space Science such as the JUICE mission that we must seriously consider. With the timeframe of 20 years before the spacecraft will go into orbit around Ganymede, Australia must not pass up such an incredible space science opportunity.

It would be great to see an Australian response to the JUICE call for paylods, with the support of the Australian government to fund the payload as a modest contribution relative to the total mission size. We could then become a mission partner along with Europe, America, Russia and Japan, and we could ride JUICE to Jupiter.

Brett Biddington appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM)

In the 2012 Queen's Birthday Honours list Brett Biddington has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for:

 "service to the space sector, particularly through national policy and industry development, science and education support, and through governance of astronomy programs."

Brett has worked tirelessly over many years, and thoroughly deserves the honour and recognition of such a prestigious award.

Brett spent nearly 23 years in the Royal Australian Air Force, after which he became a member of Cisco Systems’ global space team that was responsible for developing the Internet Router In Space (IRIS) program, which led to a software router being launched into space.

He has served or currently serves on nearly every Board, Committee and Council in the Australian Space Industry, including chairman of the Space Industry Association of Australia, the Australian Space Industry Innovation Council, the Australian Telescope Steering Committee, the Kokoda foundation, ASRI, and he is an Adjunct Professor at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia (just to name a few).

Brett is also completing a PhD with the Australian Centre for Astrobiology, and spent many years working closely on the Square Kilometer Array project, which Australia was recently jointly awarded.

He has been a strong driving force in recent years behind the resurgence in Australian Space activities, and he has worked tirelessly to help form the upcoming Australian National Space Policy.

Brett - Thankyou for all of your hard work, and congratulations on your award!

Space jobs at RMIT and NBNCo

RMIT is currently looking for a Research Fellow, Space Tracking/Geodesy to join their Satellite Positioning for Atmosphere, Climate and Environment (SPACE) Research Centre.

The Role description includes:

Reporting to the Director of SPACE Research Centre RMIT University and Manager Modelling Analysis of EOSSS (EOS Space Systems Pty Ltd), you will be required to undertake research in the SPACE Research Centre specifically for the ASRP Grant project. You will work primarily on space tracking, real-time orbit determination (OD), atmospheric mass density modelling, space conjunction analysis, satellite laser ranging (SLR) and precise point positioning (PPP).

For more information, head here.

NBNCo is currently looking for a Project Coordinator - Satellite, with the role description:

Working within the Network Architecture and Technology (NA&T) group the Project Coordinator - Satellite will be responsible for overall project coordination and administration activities within the satellite engineering delivery team.

For more information, head here.

Happy Space job hunting!

Sold-Out Australasia Satellite Forum held in Sydney

The 2012 Australasia Satellite Forum was held in Sydney on the 16th of April, to a sold out audience of Asia-Pacific Satellite executives and industry representatives.

The key-note address was given by Nationals MP Luke Hartsuyker, whose speech can be found here. The speech devotes a lot of time to the National Broadband Network and coalition criticism on it. He does go on to deliver in-principle support to satellite services delivering broadband to rural Australia, whilst reminding the forum of the Aussat issues. Whilst it is good to see the coalition engaging in this type of forum, it would be far more interesting to know the coalitions future policies regarding the space and satellite telecommunications sector.

The forum also attracted industry experts from NewSat, NBNCo, Arianespace, Optus, Telstra, Thales Alenia Space, Space Systems Loral, Hughes, and many other companies.

The day's program can still be found here.

Australia and South Africa jointly awarded SKA Telescope

In a widely expected, but somewhat controversial decision, the Square Kilometer Array facility has been awarded to both Australia and South Africa.

It is understood that Australia / New Zealand have been awarded the low frequency component for the SKA, whereas South Africa has been awarded the mid frequency component.

The press release states:

"The majority of SKA dishes in Phase 1 will be built in South Africa, combined with MeerKAT. Further SKA dishes will be added to the ASKAP array in Australia. All the dishes and the mid frequency aperture arrays for Phase II of the SKA will be built in Southern Africa while the low frequency aperture array antennas for Phase I and II will be built in Australia."

Congratulations to all involved from both Australia and South Africa. Whilst I'm sure everyone would have wanted the whole facility, it is a great reward to two deserving sites.

For the full press release head here.

Australian Budget Ignores Space, Threatens Future

The 2012-2013 Australian Federal Government budget has left the space industry out in the cold, with no new funding announced. This places the Australian Space Policy Unit and the Australian Space Research Program with just 12 months of funding left before they could in theory be shutdown.

Since the seed funding for the Australian Space Industry was announced back in the 2009-2010 budget, no new funding to sustain long term space activities has been announced. Whilst the original small investment has seen a resurgence in Space activities in Australia, a cloud now hangs over what will happen beyond the next financial year, placing the industry on edge as to what the long term future will be.

The Space Policy Unit is expected to release the first Australian National Space Industry Policy in the third quarter of this year, which will hopefully provide a strong direction for the industry together with the announcement of new funding that matches or exceeds current funding amounts.

Announcing a National Space Industry Policy with no funding would effectively undo some of the great achievements made over the last few years, and risk many of the economic benefits that the Space Industry brings to Australia.

All hopes rest with the upcoming policy to provide certainty for the Space Industry.

Climate R3 Workshop to be held in Perth in late May

The Second Climate Regional Readiness Review (Climate R3) workshop will be held from the 22nd to the 25th of May 2012 in Perth, and will be held together with the APRSAF Space Applications for Environment (SAFE).

The 2nd Climate R3 workshop will further develop the Climate R3 initiative which was born out of an Australian proposal at the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) -17 held in Melbourne in 2010. The initiative is aimed at undertaking a regional readiness review for Key Climate Missions, and determining the ability of APRSAF countries to benefit from space derived data and information.

SAFE aims to establish prototype platforms for the development of solution (service) oriented application systems for climate change mitigation and adaptation by using space based earth observation technology. This workshop will report on the five on-going prototyping projects endorsed by APRSAF and review possible new prototyping projects.

The Australian Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research & Tertiary Education and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will co-host the second Climate R3.For further information, head over to the space.gov.au Climate R3 webpage here.

Australian Space Funding - Back down to Earth or Ready to Launch?

As we approach the announcement of the 2012/2013 Budget, the space industry is staring down a cross roads of its future in Australia.

Winding the clock back to the 2009/2010 Federal Budget, $48.6 Million was budgeted accross the next four years for two things - $40 Million to setup the Australian Space Research Program (ASRP), and $8.6 Million to setup the Space Policy Unit (SPU).

The ASRP has seen 14 grants awarded across the four selection rounds. Of these, there were 4 grants awarded under Stream A (Education) and 10 awarded under Stream B (Space Science and Innovation). A total of 61 different organisations have been part of the ASRP, and the program requires that recipients match grant funding by at least 1 to 1, so over $80 Million in value has been created by the program. Overall the ASRP has been a stunning success, and has re-established a small, but growing space industry in a relatively short time frame.

The Space Policy Unit was funded $8.5 million across the 4 year period, to help coordinate Australia's national and international civil space activities, including partnerships with international space agencies. In this time, the SPU has made great strides in starting to coordinate the plethora of space activities in Australia, develop the Principles for a National Space Industry Policy, and helped Australia step back onto the international space stage - particularly becoming active in international space policy again.

At an average of $12.2 Million per year, the results achieved have been very impressive, however, all of this funding expires at the end of the 2012/2013 budget.

Compare this with the US$17.7 Billion that NASA is allocated for each year, and you start to get a feeling for the severity of the lack of funding for Space in Australia.

Now this is not to say that Australia doesn't spend a lot on space or that space doesn't deliver value to the Australian economy. In the recent times we have seen several parts of the government actively involved in the Space domain - recently the NBNCo signed a deal with Space Systems Loral for 2 Ka-band telecommunications satellites for $620 Million, the defence department has spent $927 Million on joining the Wideband Global Satellite Communications constellation, a joint Australian / U.S. Space Surveillance facility was announced for W.A., and Geoscience Australia valued the contribution of Earth Observation to the Australian economy at over $3.3 Billion.

At this point - we need to ask ourselves, is a meagre $12.2 million per year spent by the Australian Government worth it? Is it enough?

Clearly the investments made in the SPU and the ASRP have been both worth it, and at the very least the Australian government needs to commit in this year's budget to extending this funding for the next five years. If this commitment is not made, the SPU and ASRP would effectively shut down at the end of next year's budget - a disastrous outcome for Australia.

Furthermore, the SPU and ASRP funding should be expanded - to deliver a national space policy and start undertaking more ambitious space projects that address Australia's national priorities.

In doing so, we should draw together the various government departments that are actively involved in Space to more effectively and efficiently apply our limited resources. We should also examine long term strategies of how we can develop more self-reliance, and avoid sending giant cheques overseas every time we need to purchase critical space infrastructure.

Back in November 2008, the Australian Senate produced a landmark report into Australia's Space Sector entitled: Lost in Space? Setting a new direction forAustralia's space science and industry sector. Since then we've made great strides - but it is now time to accelerate, not to go back to where we were then.

It is time for Australia to re-commit to its space priorities in this year's budget.

SKA Board Postpones site selection decision, hints at compromise solution

The SKA Organisation met today as expected to discuss the site selection for the SKA facility.

In a media release posted here, the organisation noted:

"The Members wished to move ahead with the site selection process, and recognised that it is desirable to maintain an inclusive approach to SKA. They noted that it is important to maximise the value from the investments made by both candidate host regions. They therefore agreed to set up a small scientific working group to explore possible implementation options that would achieve this. This working group will report back to the Members at a meeting in mid-May; its report will provide additional information to facilitate the site decision for SKA. 


The Board of the SKA Organisation met on 4 April, following the Members meeting, and discussed progress of the project. The Board approved an application for Associate Membership in the SKA Organisation from India (represented by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics)."

By suggesting that 'it is important to maximise the value from the investments made by both candidate host regions', rumours will continue that a compromise solution may be under examination. Such a decision might be politically a win-win outcome, but may not be the best technical solution for the SKA.

Perhaps a shame that a decision couldn't be made today, but at least Australia is still in the hunt.

NASA Administrator Bolden in Australia

This week has seen NASA Administrator Charles Bolden in Australia, the first NASA administrator since 1973 to do so.

Mr Bolden at the CDSCC (Photo credit: Penny Bradfield)

Mr Bolden visited the NASA Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex at Tidbinbilla, highlighting that when the Curiosity Rover touches down on the surface of Mars on August 6th, that the CDSCC will be receiving the signal as an integral part of the mission and the only deep space facility located in the southern hemisphere. Mr Bolden also examined the current upgrades to the CDSCC facility which will see four new dishes built at the facility.

In his visit, Mr Bolden also gave an address at the University of Sydney, and visited Questacon in Canberra where he answered questions from the audience and students across Australia.

Adelaide Looses bid for IAC 2014

Adelaide has lost the rights to host the International Astronautical Congress in 2014 after the IAC endorsed the Canadian bid to host the congress in Toronto.

Adelaide was one of four valid bids received by the IAF before the Feb 1st deadline, which included:

• Adelaide, Australia
• Istanbul, Turkey
• Jerusalem, Israel
• Toronto, Canada

The IAF announcement can be found here. Congratulations to the Canadian team, although we wish that the Adelaide bid could have been successful. Perhaps next time!

12th Australian Space Science Conference to be held in September

Image: National Space Society of Australia

The 12th Australian Space Science Conference (ASSC), will be held from the 24-27th of September at RMIT University in Melbourne. The conference is the premier meeting of Space Scientists throughout Australia, and attracts scientists, engineers, academia, industry and government. This will be the sixth ASSC jointly sponsored and organised by the National Committee for Space Science (NCSS) and the National Space Society of Australia (NSSA). This year's conference will cover:

• Space science
• Space engineering 
• Space industry 
• Space archeology 
• Government, international relations and law 
• Education and outreach

There will be a special session on successful, submitted, and future applications for Australian Space Research Program funding.There will also be a special session on implementation plans for the 2010 – 2019 Decadal Plan for Australian Space Science and connections to the new 2011 Strategic Roadmap for Australian Research Infrastructure.

If you are interested in Space Science in Australia, I can highly recommend attending. Further information about the conference can be found here.

(Space Boomerang Note: This article has been adapted from the NSSA conference notice here)

Australian Defence Payload Launches on Intelsat 22

Image: Boeing - Intelsat 22

March 26 saw the Intelsat 22 telecommunication satellite launched successfully on a Proton Breeze M rocket from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Intelsat 22 satellite was equipped with a UHF payload that was paid for by the Australian Defence Department, under project JP2008 Phase 5A. Including ground enhancements, the project value is around AUD$145M

The Intelsat 22 is a geostationary satellite that was built by Boeing of California which includes C- and Ku- band payloads for commercial applications, but demonstrates a new model of business for Intelsat by co-hosting international defence payloads. Intelsat is highlighting the on-time, on-budget nature of the deal to demonstrate that this kind of acquisition model can deliver a better outcome for defence departments worldwide.

The Satellite is designed for an 18 year lifetime, and was built on the 702MP platform. An interesting video of the Intelsat 22 spacecraft in integration and test is on Youtube here, with a further video on the UHF payload hosted here.

What I have found surprising - the Australia Defence Force seemed to have put out no media release or statement on the successful launch!

2011 VSSEC-NASA Australian Space Prize Winner Announced

NASA has announced the winner of the 2011 VSSEC-NASA Australian Space Prize. Lyle Roberts from The Australian National University will spend 10 weeks at the NASA Ames Research Center, as part of the NASA Academy program, where he will meet leading NASA scientists and engineers, and visit cutting edge research facilities such as JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Virgin Galactic, SpaceX and Kennedy Space Center. During his stay he will work on a current NASA research project “Understanding warning signs of major earthquakes” under the supervision of Principal Investigator, Friedemann T. Freund, San Jose State University Physics Dept. and Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute.

Lyle Roberts, Winner of the 2011 VSSEC-NASA Australian Space Prize (Photo: VSSEC)

 “Winning the VSSEC-NASA Space Prize and the opportunity to attend the NASA Space Academy at Ames is an incredible honour. This is one of those career defining moments that aspiring engineers dream of. My mind is still blowing itself apart; I think it will take a while for reality to sink in. My deepest gratitude goes to VSSEC and the other sponsors for providing me with (and supporting me through) this once in a lifetime opportunity.” said Lyle. The Engineering category of the prize is supported by the Engineers Australia National Committee for Space Engineering.

“The Engineers Australia’s National Committee for Space Engineering is pleased to note that this year’s winner of the EA Undergraduate Prize for Space Engineering, Lyle Roberts, has also been awarded the VSSEC-NASA Australian Space Prize. Congratulations Lyle, your excellent thesis made you a truly worthy winner. The committee is a strong supporter of this competition and would like to thank VSSEC and NASA for making the opportunity, to attend a 10 week NASA Academy program, available to Australian University undergraduates. We are confident that opportunities like this will inspire more young people to pursue a career in engineering and science.” (Mirek Vesely, Chair: National Committee for Space Engineering)

Australia presented NASA with five very strong candidates; selected from a national undergraduate thesis competition. Lyle’s project, High-Speed Digitally Enhanced Heterodyne Interferometry, presented a technique for increasing sensitivity and reducing the risk of critical mission failure of the proposed NASA GRACE ‘follow-on’ mission scheduled for launch in 2015. Other potential applications of this technique include high-sensitivity fibre-optic sensing, which is a rapidly expanding industry within Australia and around the world, and attracting significant interest from NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the European Space Agency (ESA).

When he returns to Australia Lyle will work with the Victorian Space Science Education Centre to share his NASA experience with secondary students and teachers to inspire Australia’s future scientists and engineers.

(SpaceBoomerang Note: This article has been re-produced from the VSSEC Media Release)

NewSat inks deal with Arianespace to launce Jabiru-1

On the 13th of March, Adrian Ballintine, CEO of NewSat signed a launch services contract for the Jabiru-1 satellite with Jean-Yves Le Gall, CEO of Arianespace.

In another major step forward for NewSat as a company, Jabiru-1 will be launched into Geostationary transfer orbit by an Ariane 5 launch vehicle from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana during the final quarter of 2014.

NewSat currently has an agreement with Lockheed Martin to produce the Ka-Band satellite using their A2100 platform. NewSat is currently finalising the credit arrangements for the satellite, and is able to turn to both U.S. and French export credit financing for the deal.

In other recent news, NewSat has entered into a further agreement with AP Kypros Satellite Limited for an additional orbital slot and expanded frequencies in existing slots. The agreement for the eighth orbital slot adds five additional orbital filings and rights to future filings in certain regions as they are made available.

Overall, a very successful few weeks for NewSat!

Setback for Australian / NZ SKA Bid

In a major setback for the Australian / NZ Square Kilometre Array bid, the SKA Scientific Panel has recommended the Southern African bid to host the facility.

It is understood that the Scientific Panel report identified very little difference between the two sites in terms of scientific merit, still keeping the door open to the selection of the Australian / NZ site.

In fact, both sites have good advantages - the Southern African site would be cheaper to build and is at a higher altitude, but the Australian / NZ site would  provide better radio quietness, be less likely to be impacted by future development and is in a far more politically stable environment. As such, either decision is still on the table.

The $2.5 Billion project is seen as one of the worlds best science facilities, comparable to the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland.

The final decision for the SKA site location will be made by the four countries represented on the SKA board of directors - China, Italy, the Netherlands and Britain, who are expected to make their decision on April 4th 2012.  The board of directors will meet on March 19th in the UK to discuss the findings of the Scientific Panel, and allow both sites to contest any of the findings made.

As a wildcard choice, rumours of a dual site selection continue to swirl, although this is seen as a poor scientific option that is likely to drive up construction costs.

Senator Gallacher discusses Space Policy in Australian Senate

In a speech to the Australian Senate on the 7th of February, South Australian Senator Alex Gallacher espoused the values of Space to Australia, highlighting the success of the recent policy activities in growing the industry as well as providing inspiration and pathways for students to study maths and science.

Senator Alex Gallacher (image: Parliament of Australia)

"The Labor government recognises the enormous economic value of space and how these programs can inspire students to take on space-related careers in science and engineering or to utilise the technology" said Senator Gallacher, going on to highlight the value to the Australian economy as well as the prospects to boost future employment in the sector.

He goes on to highlight the success of 'Project21', which is an Australian Space Research Program that is being run by the Flinders University, and supporting getting students back into Maths and Science.

It's great to see Space Policy once again making its way back into the discussion in the Australian government, and highlights how space continues to be on the rise in Australia. You can find the Senators speech here.

NBN Selects Space Systems/Loral for $620M Australian Satellite Contract

NBN Co has selected Space Systems/Loral of California to build two Ka-Band Telecommunications Satellite to be launched in 2015.

The deal that was announced by the Prime Minister and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, is part of the $2Bn investment on the NBN Satellite service that will provide a minimum 12 Mbps service to around 3% of Australia's population - particularly those in remote parts of Australia.

The two NBNCo Satellites to be built by SS/L (image source: NBN Co)

The combined throughput capacity of the satellites is around 90Gbps, with the telemetery, tracking and satellite control elements of the ground segment included in the contract.

The procurement process has been extensive, taking over two years, and involving most of the leading American and European Satellite manufactures. The contract is structured such that a new government would find it difficult to tear up the agreement, protecting the manufacturer from stopping work halfway through the project. There is no word yet as to whether any work will be done in Australia under the contract.

NBN Co is still working through two Satellite related tenders - one for the remainder of the satellite ground segment, and the other the satellite launch services.

Full details can be found on the NBN Co website here.

Adelaide submits bid to host the 2014 International Astronautical Congress

Adelaide has just submitted a bid in Paris to host the 2014 International Astronautical Congress. Over the summer period, a team supported by many different government agencies have worked together to produce a strong bid that has good state and federal government support.

The IAC which is hosted by the International Astronautical Federation, is one of the most important events globally in the Space Industry, and is attended by around 2500 delegates including many space agency executives and industry leaders from around the world. Australia most recently hosted the IAC in Melbourne in 1998 and stands a strong chance to again host the event in 2014.

The bid team have released a website - http://www.adelaideiacbid.com/ in conjunction with their submission - I encourage you to head over and take a look.

I have no doubt that we will be hearing a lot more about this in the coming months - a decision is expected by early April.

Dr Ben Green appointed to Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council

The Prime Minister announced on the 20th of January a new science advisory body called the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC). The council will meet three times per year to provide independent scientific policy advice to Government for both existing and emerging issues, as well as long term future scientific issues.

 The council will be led by Australia’s Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb, but most importantly for the Australian Space community is the appointment of Dr Ben Green, the Chief Executive Officer of Electro Optic Systems (EOS), one of Australia’s leading Space companies. Dr Green has had an extensive space career within both government and industry sectors, and more recently has been involved in EOS’s global success, particularly in the field of space debris tracking using laser technology.

No doubt Dr Green’s experience will be valuable to the new Council, but it is great to see a candidate with a comprehensive understanding of the space domain at the table providing advice to the top government levels.

VSSEC-NASA Australian Space Prize 2011 Category Winners Announced

The 2011 VSSEC-NASA Australian Space Prize category winners have been announced. The prize is open to all Australian undergraduate students who are currently completing their final or honours year at an Australian University.

This year 17 applications were received from nine Australian Universities, with a host of Australian industry experts reviewing the applications to determine the category winners.

This years category winners include:

Engineering:

Lyle Roberts from The Australian National University 

High-Speed Digitally Enhanced Heterodyne Interferometry

Geology and Planetary Geology: 

Cynthia Rathini Mahendran from the University of Technology Sydney 

Modelling the age relation of impact crater profiles on Mars

Space Physics and Astrophysics: 

Paul Stewart from The University of Sydney 

Postcard from the Edge of the Solar System: Cassini’s Ringside View of Mira

Data Processing and Electronics: 

Anthony Cheetham from The University of Sydney 

Cophasing JWST’s Segmented Mirror Using Sparse Aperture Interferometry

Biology and Human Physiology: 

Amy Spark from Monash University 

Injectable Tissue Scaffolds: Using Hollow Nanofibres to Form Hybrid Gels

All Category winners will now be submitting a seperate application to NASA who will determine the final VSSEC-NASA Australian Space prize winner in March. The ultimate prize winner will spend 10 weeks at the NASA Academy, working directly with a lead scientist or engineer.

For more information on the VSSEC-NASA prize and this years winners, head here.

Congratulations to all Category winners!

Busy summer for Space education in Australia

This summer is shaping up to be very busy for space education in Australia, particularly in Adelaide.

The International Space University and University of South Australia have been busy hosting the Southern Hemisphere Southern Space Program - in its second year this year. The Program runs until the 11th of February, and features a host of top space lecturers from around the world.

The program covers a broad spectrum of space topics, and was developed by the University of South Australia and the International Space University with support from Australian Space Research Program funding. This year's program features 35 students from Russia, Australia, India, South Africa, Nepal, USA, Poland, Brazil, China, Spain, Nigeria and New Zealand. The program also sees the students develop an extensive white paper on a contemporary and important space issue. For more information, head here.

Across town, the AIAA chapter at the Adelaide University has been hosting the ISSET Mission Discovery Summer School which allows students to work with Astronauts, Astronaut trainers, rocket scientists and NASA leaders. For more information head over to the webpage here, or checkout the Adelaide University AIAA  facebook page here.

Both of these events have seen a number of Astronauts and global space leaders in Adelaide for the week, with some wonderful free public events on offer. Speaking of which, the 25th of January will see the final Space Panel event as part of the SH-SSP program as follows.

 Australia's Future in Space 

 Wednesday, 25 January 2012 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm 

 The Mawson Centre, University of South Australia Mawson Lakes Campus 

 This distinguished panel of key officials and space policy experts will discuss the recent history, current status, and future direction of the Australian space program. The panel will be led by Professor Andrew Parfitt, Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of South Australia and will include Australian experts including Mr. Brett Biddington, Chair of the Space Industry Association of Australia, Mr David Hudson of Geoscience Australia and Mr. John Teager of Defence SA.

For more info, head here.

Beyond this, February will see DLR and RMIT team up to hold a 4-day Remote Sensing summer school. For more information, you can take a look at my previous article on the summer school here.

The busy summer is another sign that the Australian Space industry is on the up and up, and no doubt such wonderful educational events will put in place the brains trust to lead the industry for many years to come.

Australia steps back onto the global space policy stage

Australia has stepped back onto the global space policy stage, backing the EU plan for an international code of conduct for outer space activities.

The code of conduct is aimed at both minimising and reducing 'space junk' or space debris, which poses a long-term threat to space infrastructure that is vital to most developed nations, including Australia.

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said:  "Everything from aircraft and ship navigation, to electronic commerce, communications, climate monitoring and disaster management, not to mention many of our defence systems, all rely on satellites. But all that's being put at risk by the growing possibility of collisions with satellites and space vehicles."

The code of conduct was drafted by the EU, and has the support of the United States, Japan, Canada and Australia, although the United States has suggested that it will not include its military space activities under the code of conduct. Space debris poses a major risk to operational satellites, and is of particular concern to human space flight activities.

Australia has now become actively involved in the negotiations on the code of conduct, in a sign that Australia has once again become actively been involved in global space policy issues, mirroring the recent upsurge in Space activities in Australia.

ISU Southern Hemisphere Summer Space Program Kicks-Off again in Adelaide

The 2012 ISU/UniSA Southern Hemisphere Summer Space Program kicked off in Adelaide on the 9th of January. The Program runs until the 11th of February, and features a host of top space lectures from around the world. The program covers a broad spectrum of space topics, and was developed by the University of South Australia and the International Space University with support from Australian Space Research Program funding.

This year's program will feature 35 students from Russia, Australia, India, South Africa, Nepal, USA, Poland, Brazil, China, Spain, Nigeria and New Zealand. The program also sees the students develop an extensive white paper on a contemporary and important space issue. The 2011 paper is an interesting read - head over here if you want to have a look.

In conjunction with the SH-SSP, several public events are being held in Adelaide over the coming weeks, and I encourage you to get down if you can, as there is a good line up of speakers on offer. The events include:

Tuesday 17 January 2012 - International Astronaut Panel

Time: 6.00 - 7.30 pm, followed by refreshments

Venue: Allan Scott Auditorium, City West Campus, UniSA

The Astronaut Panel is a long-standing highlight of ISU programs and its objective is to give the program participants and the general public a direct opportunity to ask a broad range of questions to a number of astronauts. This year's panel will comprise astronauts Jean-Jacques Favier of France, Soyeon Yi of South Korea and Ken Ham and Scott Kelly from the United States. The panel will be moderated by Professor Scott Madry of the International Space University.

Wednesday 25 January 2012 - Public Panel: Australia's Future in Space

Time: 6.00 - 7.30 pm, followed by refreshments

Venue: MC1-02, The Mawson Centre, Mawson Lakes

This distinguished panel of key officials and space policy experts will discuss the recent history, current status, and future direction of the Australian space program. The panel will be led by Professor Andrew Parfitt, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Australia and will include Australian experts Dr Rosalind Dubs of the Space Innovation Advisory Council, Brett Biddington, Chair of the Space Industry Association of Australia, David Hudson of Geoscience Australia and John Teager of Defence SA. Sponsored by Geoscience Australia

If you are interested in attending any of these events or want further information, email iteeevents@unisa.edu.au 

For those who are interested in further information on the SH-SSP, head over to the University of South Australia's webpage here, or for up to date information head over to the SH-SSP facebook page here.

Good luck to all of those students on this year's program - I look forward to hearing about your progress and reading your White Paper when it is available.

SKA decision near as rumours grow

The location of one of the worlds greatest science facilities, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is expected to be announced in February 2012. Currently, the two competing sites include an Australian/NZ consortium, against a Southern African consortium. The competition has been long, with both consortia receiving strong support from their governments to win the €1.5 billion facility.

 In recent days, the internet has been awash with rumours that a possible win-win outcome might be being discussed behind closed doors. In such a scenario, each consortium might receive a part of the SKA facility (or a smaller facility each), potentially targeting different parts of the overall frequency range that the SKA was intending to target. Whist such an outcome could be a good political solution, it is likely to multiple the costs of the total SKA facilities, particularly as the infrastructure costs would be almost doubled.

 Whilst no official statements have been made to suggest that a compromise solution may be being discussed, both consortia have been lobbying hard, and have spent significant funding on pre-cursor telescope facilities to demonstrate their capability.

It is understood that no proposals have yet been made for two facilities split across different sites. Whilst it could be possible, a significant amount of work would likely be required, and further negotiations would be needed, delaying an inevitable decision.

I have my fingers firmly crossed for an Australian site selection, but keep your eyes peeled to see what will happen over the next few weeks. There may be surprises yet to come.

DLR and RMIT team up to host 4 day Remote Sensing Summer School

RMIT will team up with the German Space Agency (DLR) to host the Remote Sensing Summer School in February 2012 (13th - 16th).

The summer school will cover a variety of Remote Sensing Topics including:

• Introduction in developing image processing algorithms 
• Photogrammetry 
• GIS products and applications » airborne and space based remote sensing platform technology 
• Space system engineering 
• Thermal and LiDar applications for airborne systems 
• Commercial and defence surveillance capabilities 
• Application for fire monitoring and detection from UAV to satellite

The School will be presented by two of Germany's leading Remote Sensing experts, Dr Andreas Eckard and Mr Frank Lehman.

For more information, head over to the flyer on the space.gov.au website here, or email Dr Peter Moar at RMIT:  peter.moar@rmit.edu.au