Australian Satellite Utilisation Policy Analysis and Thoughts

Assistant Industry and Innovation Minister Kate Lundy today released Australia’s long awaited Satellite Utilisation Policy today at Mount Stromlo. In essence it is Australia’s first Space Policy, and one that has been under consultation and development for many years now. It can be found on the Australian Government Space website here, or direct download link here.

The opening line probably summarises the document best ‘Australia aims to achieve on-going, cost-effective access to the space capabilities on which the nation relies now and in the future’. This is what we need as the bare minimum from our space policy. It is also clear from the outset, that the document wants to head off any speculation that we’re about to send Aussie’s to the moon, by focussing more on Satellites and satellite utilisation – ‘Australia’s Satellite Utilisation Policy does not commit Australia to human spaceflight, domestic launch capabilities or to the exploration of other planets.’ It also commences with a strong case as to why Australia needs a space policy, helps justify the clear need for an Australian space policy.

The policy identifies the overall goal for the Australian Space Policy as:

Achieve on-going, cost-effective access to the space capabilities on which we rely.

And follows up with five major benefits that will flow to Australia by achieving this goal, including:

• Improved Productivity: space capabilities such as satellite imagery and high accuracy positioning deliver information that brings about greater efficiencies and encourages innovation.
• Better Environmental Management: satellite information enables effective environmental management across Australia’s extensive and often inaccessible land and ocean territory.
• A Safe and Secure Australia: space capabilities are important contributors to national security, law enforcement and to the safety of all Australians in disasters.
• A Smarter Workforce: space capabilities help transform existing industries and build new ones that provide quality jobs.
• Equity of Access to Information and Services: satellite communications enable high-speed, universal access to TV broadcasting, internet and telephone services.

The policy then examines how it will achieve each of the seven principles that were previously released by the government, providing a much more comprehensive definition on what the government will do to achieve each of the principles.

The document concludes by providing some description of how the organisation or space responsibility will be achieved under the new policy.

Overall, I am delighted with the policy document, and the government should be commended for its extensive consultation process with all industry stakeholders over the past few years. The document has taken a constructive and positive approach to the Australian space sector, whilst remaining measured and conservative in what it is trying to achieve, which I believe will ultimately contribute to its sustainability, community support and overall success.  

There are several specific points of the policy that I am very pleased to see:

• The document forms its basis around the economic benefits to Australia from space – ‘Over four billion dollars of GDP is derived from space capabilities.’ I believe this approach lends credibility and weight to the policy, and improves the justification of the policy to the Australian public.
•  Principle 4 – Contribute to a Stable Space environment – which will allow the Department of Foreign Affairs to ramp up Australia’s diplomatic efforts in protecting the space environment for all to use, but also in negotiating international agreements surrounding space.
• Several mentions about the education, skills and capability needs of the industry, and identification of how these can and should be improved
• Linkages between defence and civilian space – should be kept separate at government level, but due to size of Australia, both defence and civilian space need to be supported by a single and coherent Australian space community.
• Specific identification of our priority allies and partners, as well as a desire to increase cooperation with countries in our region – ‘Relationships with key allies and partners including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand, Japan and the European Union are a priority. Consistent with the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper, Australia will increase its engagement with regional neighbours with expanding capabilities that may complement Australia’s space capabilities.’ It will certainly be interesting to see what follows with each of the nations mentioned.
• The strong statements related to the increase of Australian defence space capabilities, which mirror other public defence strategy positions. I will be keeping a close eye on the next defence white paper to see if there are any new space capabilities announced. I also like the idea of the establishment of the ‘Space Community of Interest’ within defence to bring together ‘interested parties from industry, academia and government together to explore vulnerabilities, including interdependencies between space-related infrastructure and critical infrastructure, and to develop options to mitigate risk.’ This will help leverage the skills and expertise beyond those within the defence department themselves.
•  Clear responsibility split between civil and defence space in Australia, whilst encouraging the broader community to link together to support both sides

There are a couple of areas that are not in the policy that could be improved over time:

• The lack of industry growth targets. Notably, the UK space policy includes an export growth target of 10% of the global market by 2030. Australia lacks any concrete targets to work towards, perhaps not so focussed on the export side of things, but more related to growing the industry in Australia as a whole. This is something that I would like to see in future worked into our space policy.
•  Australia has headed down the ‘cross-agency coordination office’ path, which was very similar to what the UK did with its space policy originally. More recently, the UK has moved to a dedicated Space Agency model. In the short term, I believe that the ‘cross-agency coordination office’ path is  also the best policy for Australia to adopt, and it was prudent to take this approach at this time. It will help bring together and coordinate the disparate functions of the government. I do however believe that longer term a stand-alone agency represents the best solution for Australia, to bring all of the space capability within a single organisation inside government.
• My first impression was that the Space Policy Unit (SPU) was no-longer going to exist, given the policy is now developed, and there is no funding in the future estimates for the SPU. However the policy identifies that the SPU within the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education ‘will be the chair and secretariat of the SCC’. I can only presume that somehow a small level of funding will be included in the upcoming budget for the SPU to continue in some form.
• In the media release surrounding the Policy announcement today Senator Lundy announced “from 1 July 2013, a new Space Coordination Office in the Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education would be responsible for coordinating Australia’s domestic civilian space activities and showcasing that excellence.” Which is unusual, as the Policy document itself doesn’t specifically refer to the Space Coordination Office, nor is it represented on the figure 1 diagram showing how the various committees interrelate.
• The Policy announcement has not been in conjunction with any new funding initiatives such as an extension of the highly successful Australian Space Research Program, or even identification of funding for the government departments that will be in charge of implementing the new policy. My guess is we will have to wait and see what is in the upcoming budget on May 14^th 2013.

Finally, let me congratulate all of those involved in the development of the policy. The smart and dedicated people at the Space Policy Unit in Canberra have brought together a comprehensive Space policy document since they were founded on the 1^st of July 2009, which was built essentially from a clean sheet of paper.

Make no mistake; the space policy is an enormous and monumental step for the Australian Space Industry, and one that we have needed for several decades.

It is however, just the beginning of Australia’s rising space journey. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Minister Carr's Address to the ASSC

Minister for Space Senator Kim Carr today opened the 11th Australian Space Science Conference in Australia. In doing so, Minister Carr gave a major address on the Australian Space Industry, and in my opinion, one of the best government speeches on the topic of Space that we have seen in a long time.

You can read the full address here.

The Speech is important for a number of reasons including that Space is actively being discussed at Prime Ministerial level. Here are my top five highlights from the speech:

1. The speech puts a baseline for the first time about the size and scope of the Australian Space Industry, demonstrating that the industry is strong, and important to Australia. Perhaps this also highlights how ineffective we have been so far as an industry about promoting ourselves with a common voice, and something that we need to radically improve over the coming months to support the governments vision.

"Combined, the Australian space industry involves around 630 organisations employing 8,400 people and generating revenues of up to $1.6 billion."

2. The speech highlights just how important the Space Sector is to the Australian government - and identifies that the Australian government is already a significant investor in Space activities, with over 30 government programs dependent on space infrastructure.


"Australian government is already a major purchaser of Space Today in Australia, there are some 30 separate federal government programs that depend on space industry infrastructure. The Australian Government provides significant investment in space activities to the tune of more than $1 billion per annum."

3. The speech identifies the enormous contribution of Earth Observation to the Australian GDP. We'd love to hear similar data for Satellite communications and Position Navigation and Timing too.

"It  (Earth Observation) contributes at least $3.3 billion to our GDP in 2008-09, and on conservative assumptions that contribution will grow to $4 billion by 2015."

4. Minister Carr has announced the set of principles that will guide the space policy and consultation in the coming months. I am guessing that these principles will be discussed a great deal within the industry in the coming period, and we will be hearing a lot more about them, so read them carefully.

"The principles, which will be the backbone and direction for the policy, are:


a) Focus on space applications of national significance;
b) Assure access to space capability;
c) Strengthen and increase international cooperation;
d) Contribute to a stable space environment;
e) Improve domestic coordination;
f) Support innovation, science and skills development;
g) Contribute to national security and economic well-being."

5. Perhaps there are three lines that I think resonate with me the most, and I think should have a lasting effect on all of those in the industry if we want to be serious about developing an Australian Space Industry that is sustainable:

"For us, this is not about putting man on Mars.
This is about the very practical ways in which the space industry underpins our economy and our way of life.  
It is about the very real jobs and businesses in this country which help us harness those benefits."

Well done Minister for Space!

Minister Carr Meets NASA Administrator Bolden

In an event that has received surprisingly little coverage in the main stream press, Australian Space Minister Senator Carr met with NASA Administrator Bolden on the 28th June 2011.

In the media release which you can take a look at here, it highlights that they discussed:

"Australia's national space policy development, the Australian Space Research Program and NASA's involvement, future NASA missions and potential future Australian-United States collaboration."

  It goes on to say:

"The Australian Government is keen to encourage further opportunities for international collaboration with NASA and the United States regarding civil space science activities. Australia has significant niche capabilities to contribute in the international arena," Senator Carr said. 

Administrator Bolden and Senator Carr also discussed NASA's interest in future space science collaborations, including in the area of Earth observation."

This leaves me with a lot more questions than answers. What sort of collaborations are they discussing? Will this be part of the upcoming National Space Policy? If there wasn't some sort of opportunity on the horizon, what else would they be discussing?

I'm truly reading between the lines here, but would it be possible that they were discussing a potential Australian involvement on a NASA Earth Observation program?

Let me know if anyone has any ideas on this one. I am guessing we'll be hearing more on this front.

Why Australia needs a Cubesat Competition and Prize

Australia needs to get back into orbit. In doing so, a new generation of engineers need to learn about the technology and science required to work in space, and all of the trials and tribulations that accompany such technology. Not wanting to state the obvious, but Australia is currently not capable of building the large satellites that we need for our Earth Observation, Telecommunications and Navigation requirements. But, before we give up on any future hope, we are perfectly capable of building nano and micro satellites. In fact, there are many different projects around the country that have undertaken early work in building such satellites, but none that have achieved launch or operations.


It is time that we get these projects into orbit.


Australia should undertake a cubesat satellite competition in an effort to get us back in the space game in a rapid time frame. The competition could involve Australian teams made up of education institutions, together with industry and perhaps even governement agencies.  


To win the Australian Cubesat competition, teams would have to develop, launch and operate a Cubesat form satellite - 1U, 2U or 3U. The satellite would have to make at least 10 orbits, and transmit data taken from within space (whether that be an image, a measurement of some scientific parameter, or something else) back to an Australian ground station. Whilst cubesats are not considered capable enough to be operational satellites, the data that is sent back should demonstrate a real-world concept of a Space Application that can directly benefit Australia.


The first team to achieve the 10 orbits and data back to earth would be awarded the Australian Cubesat First prize of AUD$1Million. The second team to achieve it would be awarded a prize of $500K, and the third team $250K. Overall, the whole competition would cost less than $2Million, and provide a great boost for the Australian Space industry - and likely get Australia back into orbit again, potentially in a big way if all 3 prizes are claimed. Given cubesats can be built and launched for $250K or less, all three prizes would be very attractive.


Prize money could be provided by the Australian Government Space Policy Unit, perhaps in conjunction with Australian Industry and Private Donors as sponsors. If no-one claims the prize, the money is safe. Prizes have been shown to provide 10 to 40 times the return on investment, so given the Australian Space Research Program relies on a funding matched model, a 10+ return on investment, with payout only upon success, provides a much better return for the Australian Government in stimulating industry.


The Australian Cubesat competition would likely create at least 3 flight proven satellite operations in Australia, and a series of teams and engineers that would be dedicated to both learning, and applying their skills in real world space applications. It would stimulate the Australian Space industry across a range of areas, and allow more complex and capable follow on missions to be envisaged that can address Australian issues using space technologies. It would also be an outstanding educational opportunity for many Australian Universities and even schools to get involved in, and would serve to inspire a young generation into maths, science and engineering fields.


I would love to hear feedback from everyone on such a prize - do you think its a good idea? how could it be improved? spaceboomerang@gmail.com

2011 Australian Research Infrastructure Roadmap hints at future Australian Space Research

The recently released "2011 Strategic Roadmap for Australian Research Infrastructure" Discussion Paper has hinted that the upcoming Australian National Space Policy will include a research program, and identifies early achievements of the ASRP.

The Discussion paper, which can be found here, outlines the following:


Geospatial and space technologies
The Space Policy Unit (SPU), formed in 2009, is developing a national space policy, an element of which will almost certainly be a research component. Early indications are that the Australian Space Research Program, coordinated by the SPU, has already fostered very useful collaborations between a number of Australian and international research organisations, agencies and companies. Australia sits in what is known as the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) ‘hotspot’ where all of the current and proposed GNSS systems are visible and this unique geography provides opportunities for Australian researchers.

It is expected that the upcoming release of the Australian National Space Policy will incorporate a follow on program from the highly successful Australia Space Research Program that recently closed submissions for its fourth and final round. It also shows the increasingly importance that Space is beginning to play within the Australian Research landscape.

Round 4 of the Australian Space Research Program Open

Round 4 of the Australian Space Research Program is now open for applications, closing at 3pm AEST, Thursday 31st March. 

Whilst widely viewed as a highly successful program that has delivered very good value for the small investment made, it may be the last round of the ASRP, dependant on what is announced this year in the upcoming Australian National Space Policy. Hopefully the Space Policy includes at least a program to follow the ASRP, but may build upon the success of the ASRP with a broader Space Research Program, focussing on the key Space priority areas that have been identified.

In the Media Release from the Minister for Space Kim Carr, it also highlights just how successful the ASRP has been so far, particularly through the development of international partnerships:


“Eight of the 11 projects funded so far under the program have international partnerships, including organisations in Germany, Japan Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and France. I hope to see even more collaborations with the next round of funding.”


For Round 4 there will be two applicant information sessions as follows:

• Sydney - Wednesday 23 February, 10.30 - 11.30am
  Biomed Lecture Theatre E
  Ground Floor, Biological Sciences Building
  University of New South Wales
  Kensington

• Brisbane - Thursday 24 February, 2.00 - 3.00pm
  Room 50-N201
  Hawken Building (Building 50)
  St Lucia campus
  University of Queensland

Winners for round four are expected to be announced in June 2011.

For further information on Round 4 of the ASRP - head here.

Space in Australia: A mistaken identity?

From what I keep hearing, the most common response by average Australians to “Should Australia invest in Space” is “we can’t afford to send man to the moon! Why don’t we invest the money in hospitals instead?” which tells me two key things about Space in Australia.

Firstly, that Australians are not fully aware of what Space technologies are used for. Despite what Aussies think, Space is not just about sending Man to the Moon. Sure, human space exploration is a highly visible and inspiring part of Space technology, but overall, it’s actually quite a small part of the global space industry – less than 5% of the overall US$260 Billion Space Market in 2010.

What makes up most of the space industry, is technologies that improve the lives of people on earth, every single day, such as telecommunications, navigation and positioning, weather forecasting, television broadcasting, climate monitoring and defence surveillance. It is exactly these technologies that Australia, and Australians use every day, and which underpin several aspects of our modern society. In this respect, the perception of Space for Australians is quite a long way away from the reality.

The second point that the response tells me is that Australians think that Space would be a poor investment for Australia to make, and that there are much higher priorities.

I fully agree with the argument that hospital funding is vital in Australia, and more funding can always help the hospital system, however Space is also a vital part of Australian society, it just receives extremely little funding from Government – in stark contrast to most other developed economies.

When a cyclone or bushfire is bearing down on your house and an Earth Observation satellite gives you enough advanced warning to save lives and minimise economic damage, an Earth Observation Satellite is a good investment. When satellite telecommunications makes up a US$80B industry globally, and “has probably had more effect than any other space technology on the average Australian”, providing telephone, television, radio and internet connectivity to a massive number of Australians, a telecommunications satellite is a good investment. When up to 10% of your economy depends on Precision Navigation, Positioning and Timing, then GPS type systems become a good investment. This is not to say that other government funded areas like hospitals aren’t important, but that investment in Space technology and capabilities are also important.

The Australia space policy that will be released in 2011, is likely not to include Australia sending a man to the moon. What it is likely to focus upon, is exactly those technologies that we use, and are already vital to Australia – Earth Observation, Satellite Communications, and Position, Navigation and Timing. Not only is this approach the right one, but it will help change the perception in Australia that Space is only about “Sending Man to the Moon”, helping sustain support for space funding over the longer term.

As Australian Space professionals, we also have an obligation to help change the debate in Australia from “we can’t afford to send man to the moon” to “why don’t we have satellites to help better forecast our weather, measure climate change, connect our households and protect our shores?” It is not enough for us to expect the public opinion to evolve naturally to understand what we often take for granted.

It’s time we take back Space in Australia for what it really is.

Australia and UK discuss Space at the third Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN III)

In the third Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN III) held in Sydney on the 18th of January 2011 between Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Kevin Rudd, Australian Minister for Defence Stephen Smith, UK First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs William Hague and UK Secretary of State for Defence Liam Fox, Space was high on the Agenda.

The ministers focussed on the Space Arms control aspects in their Joint Communiqué, saying:

"Australia and the UK welcomed the US decision, reflected in the June 2010 US National Space Policy, to consider practical and verifiable space arms control measures. Australia and the UK supported the need for space arms control measures that meet these criteria and agreed that they should be focused on preventing behaviours that threaten the peaceful use of space by all nations.


Australia and the UK also agreed to support the development and implementation of transparency and confidence building measures for space, to enhance stability and safety in space activities."

Following on from the recent AUSMIN discussions on Space between Australia and the United States,the AUKMIN talks mark a further escalation of the priority of Space to the current Australian Government.

The talks certainly signal a closer cooperation in Space between Australia and the UK in the future, particularly from a defence perspective, but perhaps also from a civilian perspective.

Australian Space 2011 - What to Expect?

After my round up of the Australian Space Scene for 2010, I thought it would be good to take a quick look at what we might expect in 2011.

The first thing that is happening in 2011, and in fact, has just kicked-off, is the ISU's Southern Hemisphere Summer Space Program in Adelaide. This will bring a certain focus of the Space world back to Australia, but perhaps most importantly, it is a great example of a build up of intellectual infrastructure in Australia. Put simply, we need Space experts, and more of them, to create and be involved in the projects of tomorrow for Australia. It has always been a bit of a chicken and egg problem in Australia, without any Space projects, why choose a space career; and without any space professionals, how can we realistically achieve space projects? Well, this should help solve that problem.

The next development this year, is the tender, and awarding of two Ka-Band satellites by NBNCo. This means that the Australian Space Market will be back on the radar of the big Satellite Prime Contractors throughout America and Europe. Whilst the satellites are not going to be built here, it is likely that there will be a local content requirement in the project, and this may bring some good technology transfer to Australia. It will also stimulate the industry as the Satellite Prime Contractors look to various Australian companies for teaming opportunities.

Most importantly, we will finally see the release of the Australian National Space Policy that the Space Policy Unit has been working on since its creation. We know a few things that it will focus on, such as providing a vision for Australia’s use for space, and linking that back to Australia’s economic, environmental, social, defence and national security goals; looking at how to enhance the space industry – and create Australian space jobs; and how to enhance Australia’s international space relationships.

It will hopefully outline what will replace the highly successful Australian Space Research Program, and will also look at areas of Australian research and education in the space domain. Certainly what has been done well in the past year or two, is a strong and methodical build-up of evidence as to why Australia should be involved in Space. In doing this, an Australian space policy should be both sustainable and supported by both sides of parliament.

We might see more movement on the Defence Department's plans for a Radar Surveillance satellite which was announced in the last white paper, and I'm very confident we'll hear more about Space Surveillance in Australia - both the partnership with the US and the proposed facility at Exmouth.

We’ll definitely hear a lot more about the Square Kilometre Array and the Australian / New Zealand bid, and having a solid National Space Policy should help our case.

So that is a few highlights that we will hopefully see in 2011 - and I'm sure that there are many more exciting things that I haven't mentioned. It is shaping up to be a very big year in Space for Australia – I hope you’re looking forward to it as much as I am!

Q&A with the Australian Space Policy Unit

I was interested in finding out a little more about what is happening with the Australian Space Policy Development, and the Space Policy Unit in General, and the nice folks at the Space Policy Unit were kind enough to answer a few of my questions - and also to let me share their answers with you all!

For anyone interested in learning more about the Australian Space Policy Unit, head over to their website here.

Thanks again SPU.



Space Boomerang: Can you provide an update on how the National Space Policy Development is going?

Space Policy Unit: The Space Policy Unit has responsibility for development [of] the policy and work is currently continuing.
 The National Space Policy will:

• provide a vision for Australia’s use of space and in so doing support and enhance its national priorities including economic, environmental, social, defence and national security goals
• coordinate space activities within Australia, especially those carried out by or within government
• enhance industry capabilities
• ensure Australia meets its future research, education, and innovation potential
• enhance Australia’s international space relationships for mutual benefit and
• ensure Australia contributes to the global development of the peaceful use of space.

In developing an evidence base for the policy, the Unit engaged experts to assist in the identification of Australia’s domestic space capabilities and strategic priorities and review the International Space Landscape. The outcomes of these studies all supported the direction that Australia’s space policy focus should be in the areas of Earth observation, satellite communications and position, navigation and timing applications.

To ensure a whole of government perspective, the Australian Government Space Forum (AGSF) is involved in the development of the policy. Key government agencies with an interest in space issues are members of the forum, such as the Department of Defence, Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. A full list of members is available at www.space.gov.au.



Space Boomerang: How do you see the recent release of the Decadal Plan for Australian Space Science influencing the space policy?

Space Policy Unit: The Australian Government is pleased that the space community came together to develop its own research priorities and to identify to the Government investment opportunities and rationales within the space sector. The resulting Decadal Plan will be taken into consideration in the development of the National Space Policy.



Space Boomerang: When can we expect to see the release of the National Space Policy?

Space Policy Unit: The Australian Government will make an announcement in 2011.



Space Boomerang: Will the Space Policy cover defence activities, and if so, do you anticipate a common approach to both civilian and defence space activities in Australia?

Space Policy Unit: The National Space Policy will articulate Australia’s role in protecting the space environment. Though we don’t have an indigenous space based capability, our role in looking after the environment for the future should not be diminished. The policy will influence and support an international rules-based approach to the use of space. It will talk about space situational awareness, including space debris, and our role internationally on this.

The nature of these activities means they cover both civil and defence areas. The Unit will work with Defence to ensure the civil space matters covered in the policy as consistent with defence priorities.



Space Boomerang: Will the Space Policy discuss the creation of an Australian Space Agency or equivalent, or potential steps in that direction?

Space Policy Unit: This will be a consideration of the policy. The Space Policy Unit is the central point of contact and coordination for the Australian Government's civil space activities.



Space Boomerang: Will there be a relationship between the Space Policy and the current NBNCo procurement of two Ka band communications satellites in any way?

Space Policy Unit: The procurement of the proposed Ka band communication satellites is the responsibility of the NBNCo.



Space Boomerang: Given the Australian Space Research Program funding will run out in around 2012/2013, will the Space Policy examine funding issues beyond this date?

Space Policy Unit: The policy will support innovation, science and skills development just as the Australian Space Research Program currently does. The policy will consider funding options for these activities.

Australia and the United States sign a Civil Space Cooperation Framework Agreement

During a meeting between Australian and United States Government Officials in Washington DC on the 26th and 27th of October, Australia and the United Sates signed a joint "Statement on Bilateral Cooperation in the Civil Use of GPS and Civil Space Activities", reinforcing and expanding previous agreements.

Within the meeting, officials reviewed the progress achieved so far on the "Joint Delegation Statement on Cooperation in the Civil Use of GPS and Space-Based Positioning Navigation and Timing (PNT) Systems and Applications" signed in April 2007.

According to the announcement: "The first day's discussion covered the broad and growing use of the U.S. Global Positioning system (GPS) and its augmentations in the air transport field, the installation of ground monitoring stations that will improve performance of current and emerging Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and applications for GPS including national spatial reference systems, weather forecasting, climate observation, space weather, and important economic uses of GPS time. The second day's discussion focused on U.S. and Australian space policy developments, long term sustainability of space activities and bilateral space science cooperation."

The announcement goes on to say "The framework will encompass collaboration on important space applications such as satellite-based land and sea remote sensing, climate change research and meteorology, and space-based PNT, as well as opportunities for early discussions on new systems and future civil space-related missions under development." which is very much in line with the Australian Space Policy Unit's current interests.

“Civil space infrastructure is critical to all Australians. Every day, we use civil space systems for applications ranging from GPS navigation, to land and sea remote sensing. This agreement formalises Australia’s continued access,” said Innovation Minister Senator Kim Carr (or Minister for Space as I like to call him).

The US and Australia will review cooperative civil space related activities between the countries anually, and engage in perioudic consultation to pursue the goals of the proposed core framework.

The statement can be found here, with the Media Release found here.

This is the second major space announcement within a few days between Australia and the United States, one military, one civilian. It is a strong sign of the current US administration's goal to engage with more international partners in Space, and such tight cooperation is likely to have a large influence on the Australian Space Policy under development.

AUSMIN Announces Space Cooperation between the United States and Australia

As discussed in my previous article Space Surveillance Site to be Built in Western Australia, as part of the 25th Australia-United States Ministerial Conultations on the 8th of November 2010, Minister for Australian Foreign Affairs Kevin Rudd, Australian Minister for Defence Stephen Smith, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, have discussed the possibility of cooperation in Space Surveillance and Security.

In a sign of the increasing importance of Space in Australia - the "Joint Statement on Space Security" indicates "Australia and the United States both recognise that space systems have become critical national infrastructure."

"Australia intends to work with the United States to progress efforts to prevent long-lived debris-creating behaviour, and develop and implement transparency and confidence-building measures for enhanced stability and safety in space activities."

During the AUSMIN, Australian Defence Minister Smith and Defence Secretary Gates signed a "Space Situational Awareness Partnership Statement of Principles". This is also seen as a strengthening of Australia's already close relationship with U.S. Defence on issues of Space.

In practice, the US and Australia are considering a joint Space Surveillance facility which is likely to be built at the Harold E. Holt communications base at Exmouth in Western Australia. At the moment, it is likely that the facility would use Radar technologies, but may also include a component of Optical tracking. Australia is actually very well positioned, as there are likely some technology parallels with the Jindallee Over the Horizon Radar Network (JORN), and even more importantly, the technology that EOS has been working on would be an obvious candidate for development and inclusion.

What this will mean is the US will get much better tracking of Space objects in the Southern Hemisphere - currently underserved within the Space Surveillance field. Secondly, better tracking will in theory lead to fewer collisions in space, as well as better transparency of space objects internationally. Thirdly, it will give Australia a major boost in Space Survellance knowledge, as well as major developments in both technology and personnely related to Space. If such a facility is built, Australian defence will be significantly boosting their space capabilities, a good sign for the future.

In an interesting footnote, the joint statement includes " Complementing this work, Australia and the United States also noted the ongoing discussions on developing an Australia-United States Civil Space Cooperation Framework Agreement to take the long-standing civil space cooperation between the two countries to a higher level, strengthen collaboration and provide opportunities for early discussions on new developments. Australia and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to intensify space cooperation across a range of common interests and decided to review progress in this field at AUSMIN 2011."

Perhaps this is tied together with the current Australian Space Policy that is under development, or a broader cooperation framework with the US on Space. I guess we'll have to wait and see on that one.

More information about AUSMIN and the recent announcements can be found here.

Space and the Australian Election Part II

Well, in my most recent post about Space and the Australian election I said: "Space, whilst not being the number one topic, is increasingly gaining influence. " How quickly that would prove true, with the NBN playing a major role in the decision of who should form government - particularly the NBN as it relates to outback Australia - read Satellite Broadband.

Now NewSat has joined in the debate strongly by taking out a half page advertisement in the Australian Financial Review highlighting how they could provide Satellite broadband much better than the planned services for the NBN. Clearly, NewSat has an enormous vested interested in attacking the NBN plans, as it recently had its proposals rejected by NBN, and stands a much better chance of success with its own services if the NBN plan is cancelled.
However, in this article for ITWire, NewSat chief executive officer Adrian Ballantine has highlighted how suitable satellite broadband is for Australia's geography. He is quoted as also saying:

“Yet unbelievably we are the one country in the OECD without a space policy. This illustrates that the key decision makers who have shaped broadband policies have been lacking the right knowledge about what is possible, what is needed and what is the right solution.”

 
The article goes on to identify how the Government has recently been making improvements through the Space Policy Unity and the Australian Space Research Program. 

From an Australian Space Industry Perspective, I couldn't agree more with Mr Ballantine. Australia is one of the best suited countries geographically speaking to utilise Space based services for many things - including Communications. And to not have a serious knowledge within the Australian government, is a bad outcome for Australia in general.

Although to counter the NewSat arguments, Satellite based broadband makes sense where ground based technologies become cost-ineffective, which is true in many parts of Australia. The different between GEO based broadband and fibre, is the much greater latency issues associated, which causes problems for real-time applications such as voice calls and gaming. I'd also argue that a guaranteed 12MBps is much better than the "chance" of getting any other service, and much better than the dial-up connections that some still have to cope with. 

However, other Space Based solutions may also be available to solve that problem. For example, the people at O3B (or Other 3 Billion), are currently developing a LEO constellation to provide communications network, to provide communications to the "Other 3 Billion" - or those who currently don't have access to it worldwide. This type of system might work very well in the regional parts of Australia.

Whatever side you are on, this is a clear example where Space technology is increasingly part of Australia's national needs. The least we can do is have a debate that is truly informed by Australian Space experts - underpinned by a National Space Policy. Only then can we fairly decide how best to use Space for Australia.

Space and the Australian Election

The Australian Election is just around the corner and as Australians prepare to vote, Space, whilst not being the number one topic, is increasingly gaining influence. As it is not covered well in the main stream media, I thought I'd pen a few thoughts of my own on the issue.


Where were we at the last election?


The Australian Space Sector had been in the wilderness for around a decade. The Howard government had chosen to take a "hands-off" approach to the sector, and besides the Space Licensing office for regulation of space activities, there was very little government involvement. We also had the start of the "Australia: Lost in Space?" Senate report, but otherwise, there was not much to talk of as far as the Australian Government is concerned.


Where are we now?


Since the election, we've had the release of the Senate Report, the Defence White Paper with several relevant Space announcements, the start of the Australian Space Research Program, the setup of the Space Policy Unit, a new Space.gov.au website, the announcement of 2 Ka Band Communications satellites as part of the NBN, and the formation of the Space Industry Innovation Council. Not to mention, many, many new space projects in Australia through the ASRP, several new space courses including the new ISU course in Australia, and the recent landing of the Hayabusa probe at Woomera.


When you think about it, that is absolutely HUGE progress in 3 years since the last election. From where we stood then, it is hard to believe that so much has been achieved!


What does the future hold?


The next term of the federal government holds several key events for the Australian Space Industry.


1. Australian National Space Policy
        The Space Policy Unit is rapidly working on developing an Australian Space Policy. Under a labour  government, it is probably likely to continue it's current course, however under a liberal government, it might be reviewed or cancelled.


2. The announcement of the SKA
        The location of the SKA facility will be announced in 2012. I would suggest both sides of politics would be working hard to secure this for Australia, as it will bring massive economic, development and scientific benefits to the country. I'll rate the two parties even on this one.


3. The potentail for 2 new NBNCo Satellites
        NBNCo is a labour policy. If labour gets in, my bet is before the next election, there will be two half built Ka Band Satellites ready by the next election (if they're not already launched, or timed to launch near the next election!). If the libs get in, perhaps Optus will pick up the slack, or maybe NewSat, but it's unlikely that we'll see the same level of activity or investment as we will under NBNCo.


4. Steps Closer to an Australian Space Agency
        This one is perhaps the hardest to answer. I would guess that under a liberal government, there would be almost no chance of a Space Agency in the next term of government. If Labour gets in expect steps in the right direction, but perhaps an Australian Space Agency may need to wait until the next term.


So overall, I think it would be fair to say that Labour is a much better vote if you want to see progress in Space in Australia. They've achieved amazing things in the sector in just 3 small years, and for that they should be congratulated. I hope by the next election, we can see a lot more runs on the board for Space, and even some strong bi-partisan support for Space activities.

Australian Government Space Website Launched

The Australian Government has launched its Space website – which can be found here.

The new website, besides looking dramatically better that the somewhat bland previous site has also had some new material added on it, such as the Hayabusa landing, as well as some more information about the Space Policy Unit and upcoming National Space Policy.

They’ve released a new flyer for the Space Industry Innovation Council and they have also created dedicated pages for Earth Observation, Satellite Communications, Position, Navigation and Timing, Global Navigation Satellite Systems and the Global Positioning System (GPS).

It seems entirely appropriate with all of these major developments going on in the Australian Space Industry, that the government website was improved. I hope they can now use this new website to post more news and information about the Australian Space Sector as it becomes available – I know I for one will be watching it closely.

Now at least we know who to call and where to go to speak to the Australian Government about Space – bravo Space Policy Unit!

Australian Space Development Conference Full Preliminary Program

The National Space Society of Australia has released the full preliminary program which can be found here.

My first thoughts on the preliminary program are – things are really taking off here! Firstly, if they get most of the invited speakers, the conference has really taken a step up in its importance for both the industry in general, and its significance to the Australian government. Secondly, they have been able to create 4 streams for most of the conference, all with interesting and relevant speakers – when compared to the last conference in 2008, this is a big step up.

A few speakers/Sessions that will be interesting...

Senator the Hon Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
We’ll call him the minister for Space for now. Senator Kim Carr has achieved some big strides for the Space Sector so far since being in the portfolio, and we should thank him for that. What will be interesting, will be any comments he can make about the future – in particular, in Space Policy development.

Session 4A - Defence and National Security
The Australian Department of Defence is really recognising how truly important Space is to what they do. I would guess that we’ll see some big changes in the way Space Defence works in Australian in the coming years, regardless of what happens on the civil side. This session could be really interesting to hear what the various defence branches have to say.

Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water
One Government minister would be good, but two would be incredible to attract to the conference. If Senator Penny Wong can speak, it will demonstrate just how important this government takes space and space technology. Fingers crossed that she comes.

Dr Michael Green and Prof Ros Dubs: Capacity Building: The Role of Government
Both Dr Michael Green and Prof Ros Dubs are two of the main players in the Australian Government Space scene now. Everyone in the room should be interested in their talk.

I could go on, but let’s see how the program develops over the next few weeks. I also hope that the Liberal party can also send some representatives – just to get a real understanding of the importance of the Space sector to Australia.

Let me also send out a big congratulations to Kirby Ikin, Anthony Wicht and the entire conference team at NSSA. Every two years they put on an very good conference, and a lot of hard work goes into the organisation that most of us never see.