In view of its location, Australia is an important partner in international space vehicle tracking activities as the host of NASA and ESA deep space communications earth stations. The country furthermore plays a key role in fundamental research with several large radio astronomy observatories. The Australian Space Agency, established in July 2018, acts as the principal co-ordinator of governmental activities on civil space matters and advises the government on civil space policy issues. It is under the responsibility of the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. Other important government actors include the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Geoscience Australia.
In the 2018-19 government budget, the Australian Space Agency was allotted AUD 26 million (some USD 20 million) over four years. From 2019-20, the Agency will also be able to draw from a pool of AUD 15 million (USD 12 million) dedicated to partnering with international space organisations. Australia intends to build on its niche industry capabilities and strategically develop new commercial opportunities to compete in the global space economy.
Other recent policy initiatives include the four-year AUD 220 million (USD 170 million) funding package for GNSS-augmenting infrastructure, for a satellite-based augmentation system and a complementary National Positioning Infrastructure Capability with an even higher accuracy (Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, 2018[1]).
The Australian government announced in the 2017-18 budget the creation of a digital analysis platform for satellite imagery and other earth observations, Digital Earth Australia. The objective is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of Australian government programmes and policies which rely on accurate and timely spatial data. The platform will also provide Australian industry with access to stable, standardised data and imagery products.
Research is conducted at a number of universities and research organisations, such as the government-funded Co-operative Research Centre for Spatial Information (GNSS and satellite imagery applications) and Space Environment Research Centre (space environment, space situational awareness).
The Australian space industry has activities in manufacturing, in particular ground stations and equipment, satellite operations and downstream applications, with several start-ups. Start-ups such as Fleet Space and Myriota are developing applications for the Internet of Things (IoT), planning to provide precision agriculture in remote areas, end-to-end goods tracking, assets and environmental monitoring, etc. Both companies launched their first satellites in 2018. Fleet Space now has four cubesats in orbit, out of a planned 100.
Important downstream activities include satellite operations and telecommunications, positioning, navigation and timing, and earth observation. Many companies cater to the maritime, extractive and agriculture industries. Space industry revenues have been estimated at some AUD 3 billion (USD 2.3 billion) (Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, 2017[2]).
Australia’s share in scientific publications in OECD’s space literature dataset (see guide to the profiles) is comparable to that of Canada and the Russian Federation and has been stable since 2000. The country’s share in space-related patent applications decreased between 2002-05 and 2012-15, mainly due to increased activity of other countries.
Satellite broadband penetration is one of the highest in the OECD area. The number of subscriptions is currently increasing after a dip between 2009 and 2015. This may be connected to the rollout of the National Broadband Network, a government scheme to provide high-speed and affordable (mainly fibre) broadband to all Australians. Two nbntm Sky Muster satellites, launched in 2015-16, cover rural and remote areas without access to terrestrial technologies, representing more than 200 000 potential subscribers (Joint Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network, 2017[3]).
Space-related official development assistance projects in the period 2000-16 have mainly focussed on telecommunications and disaster risk management, with the majority of the recipients located in the Pacific region.
