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. 

Wikileaks identifies secret Australian - US Space Agreement

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that Australia and the United States have formed a "partnership to share top-secret intelligence from spy satellites". According to the article, the agreement was signed in February 2008, and has been revealed in secret US embassy cables obtained by Wikileaks.

The article goes on to identify that the agreement was signed by the then defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon and US Defence Secretary Robert Gates and was referred to as a "statement of principles on geospatial intelligence co-operation", however it was not identified in the 2008 AUSMIN Communique, with the leaked cable classified secret.

The article goes on to link the agreement to the 2009 Defence White Paper announcement to acquire a Radar based remote sensing satellite, and suggests that Boeing, Raytheon or Lockheed Martin are the most likely contractors to build the satellite, which would be entirely built and launched in the US.

It also suggests that the NRO is working closely with the Australian Satellite project, and that the Australian Satellite would form part a constellation that the NRO operates. The estimated cost of the satellite would be between "$820 million to $1.65 billion".

Whilst the Satellite project is no surprise to me, as it has been flagged in the Public Defence White paper, it certainly demonstrates the increasingly close alliance between Australia and the US in all things related to Defence Space, and seems to take a similar approach to the Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) project, where Australia has contributed to the cost of one satellite, whilst gaining access to the entire constellation.

It also demonstrates a more active approach from Australian Defence in becoming a producer within the satellite imagery world, rather than just a user. I do hope that in the realisation of the project there is as much local industry content as possible, to create a legacy within industry for future space capabilities.

(note that this post has adapted information from the SMH article which can be found in full here.)

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

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 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.