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.

Australia – US Space Situational Awareness Partnership Statement of Principles

Following on from last the recent agreements between Australia and the United States of America, here is the text for the Statement of Principles. (Source: Minister for Defence website)

AUSTRALIAN-UNITED STATES SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS PARTNERSHIP

Statement of Principles

• The Space Situational Awareness Partnership builds on the long history of close defense space cooperation between Australia and the United States that has formed a cornerstone of our alliance for over four decades.
• Our two Governments will work together in the spirit of cooperation on the space situational awareness partnership for the mutual benefit of our countries’ national security.
• Recognizing the importance of space situational awareness to protect our national interests, and support global peace and security, Australia and the United States will investigate the potential for jointly establishing and operating space situational awareness facilities in Australia to support the United States space surveillance network and to support the development of Australia’s space situational awareness and mission assurance capability.
• Understanding the vital role of space surveillance to protect our countries’ national interests, Australia and the United States will share the necessary space situational awareness information and technical data, and recognize each country’s space situational awareness priorities.
• In making use of the space situational awareness joint facilities, each government will respect the sovereignty and respective laws of the other.
• In recognition of Australian sovereignty, the contemplated space situational awareness joint facilities will operate in a manner that ensures the Australian Government has full knowledge of, and concurs with, any activities being undertaken in, through or from Australian territory.
• In the construction and operation of any space situational awareness joint facility, each Government will comply with its relevant laws and regulations.
• This statement of principles will form the basis for establishing the space situational awareness partnership and our nations’ expanded defense space cooperation activities.

For Australia                                                                                For the United States

The Hon Stephen Smith                                                                  Dr. Robert M. Gates

Minister for Defence                                                  United States Secretary of Defense

Space Surveillance Site to be Built in Western Australia

During the upcoming visit of both US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and US Defence Secretary Robert Gates scheduled for next week, a brand new multi-million dollar Space Surveillance facility will be built in Western Australia by the US according to the Fairfax newspapers.

The project, which was planned to be announced during US President Barack Obama's cancelled trip to Australia in June, will likely be built at the Harold E Holt Naval communications station in Exmouth, Western Australia. 

As highlighted in the most recent Defence White Paper, Australian military operations are now heavily reliant on space capabilities, and Space Situational Awareness and Mission Assurance was listed as one of the emerging capability priorities.

The facility is a natural extension of the US Space Surveillance capabilities, but will likely provide Australia with key information on  the protection of our vital space infrastructure, the space capabilities of other nations, as well as the ever increasing space debris problem. 

This continues the rise of importance in Australia of the Space industry, and it is likely that Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Defence Minister Stephen Smith will be on hand for the announcement.