is it time for a National Space Policy?

[Pedro_The_Swift]

This is your fault Simon;)

Three good articles on why Australia needs to become a "Player" in space,,

https://theconversation.com/australia-will-soon-have-a-national-space-policy-no-giggling-please-9917

[FFR]

Too late... or too expensive.

Defence did a big investment to use the WGS constellation, and I bet you that the satcom terminals to be installed in the Fleet for WGS will come from abroad. NBN is also buying technology and payload from foreign countries, I suppose that the cost of acquiring the knowledge and building the platform here in Aus is massive.

Mi view is: if something as "simple" as a satcom terminal has to be imported, building the satellite itself is an unrealistic dream

cheers,

Carlos

[Lotz-A-Landies]

It's O.K. we'll soon be able to purchase space on the Moon from the Chinese. In the not too distant future they'll probably give us a ride up to their inhabited Moonbase at around the same cost as a trip to the International Space Station from the Russians.

[workingonit]

More likely you will be fly in fly out miners, strip mining Helium 3...

[mools]

We already have a policy don't we? "can't afford it and don't need it".

With such a small population coupled with low productivity and GDP surely it would bankrupt us even to attempt to develop such technology?

I don't think it is in Australia's interests to be involved with what is traditionally and realistically the concern of super powers. Pretty soon we won't even be making cars let alone developing pioneering space vehicles.

Ian.

[Mr Rover]

I don't think it is in Australia's interests to be involved with what is traditionally and realistically the concern of super powers. Pretty soon we won't even be making cars let alone developing pioneering space vehicles.
Ian.

I strongly disagree. Space is the industry of the future, and at the moment we're standing on the sidelines. Not producing cars will pale into insignificance compared to sitting out of what will be the new industrial revolution - and watching as countries like India and China leave us behind.

[Mick_Marsh]

Space race!
We were one of the world leaders quite some years ago.
We dropped the ball. We've dropped so many balls.

[frantic]

Simple cost and logic show it's easier and cheaper to get an object into orbit , the closer you are to the equator. That's why FNQ would be an ideal site for a launch pad. Now getting a share in another countries space program and getting them to launch from here would require a genius of a negotiator, and I don't see any of those in Canberra . Maybe if we had said to NASA and the u.s we would contribute a certain amount of funding to be involved in development decades ago we would have the experience and skills, but as it is we will be subcontracting the job to china , India ,Russia or Iran .:D

[Redback]

Lucky I read the whole title:o

Thought I was going to have to say, don't mentio:angel:

[d2dave]

This could be a savior for Holden. They could diversify into space ships.

Get your 2013 plated rocket now. End of year clearance on all rocket ships and flying saucers.

Was 1.7 billion now 1.5 billion fly away.:)

[Mick_Marsh]

This could be a savior for Holden. They could diversify into space ships.

Get your 2013 plated rocket now. End of year clearance on all rocket ships and flying saucers.

Was 1.7 billion now 1.5 billion fly away.:)
No more to pay.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

I strongly disagree. Space is the industry of the future, and at the moment we're standing on the sidelines. Not producing cars will pale into insignificance compared to sitting out of what will be the new industrial revolution - and watching as countries like India and China leave us behind.We'll end up like Argentina, once one of the richest countries in the World, now a second or third class economy with massive numbers in poverty. Forget being able to afford medicare, NDIS, Paid parential leave, we'll be lucky if we leave our next generation an economy where they can feed themselves.

(Anyway, why do we want to save Holden? When they were profitable any profits went straight back to Flint Michegan. We would have been better saving Bonds, Victa Mowers, Blundstone boots, or another Australian Owned company to keepmaking products in Oz.)

[3toes]

Simple cost and logic show it's easier and cheaper to get an object into orbit , the closer you are to the equator. That's why FNQ would be an ideal site for a launch pad. Now getting a share in another countries space program and getting them to launch from here would require a genius of a negotiator, and I don't see any of those in Canberra . Maybe if we had said to NASA and the u.s we would contribute a certain amount of funding to be involved in development decades ago we would have the experience and skills, but as it is we will be subcontracting the job to china , India ,Russia or Iran .:D

Putting objects into space is moving on from being a play thing of countries with large budgets to a commodity with commercial operators already massively under cutting the current bloated show boat government programs.

Now if some body had the vision to realise that most of the countries on the equator had some what unstable political situations or other issues like infrastructure Australia could play on to its advantage as a perfect place to build a space port. Bring on board a number of operators just like your airport is run. Cape York could be a prime place for just such a venture.

The UK no longer has its own space program being a contractor to the French program. That has not stopped them from becoming a major manufacturer of satalites for all countries and companies. These are then launched by whoever the buyer wants. None of these launch sites are close to the UK so that is not a qualification for having such an industry. What the UK has done is over many years encourage the establishment of a cluster of companies that are located in a small area which gives the depth of skill required to keep them at the leading edge of this technology.

[workingonit]

In the not too distant past, the region around Darwin, Northern Territory, was examined as a potential for rocket launching. More infrastructure than Cape York...

[mools]

I strongly disagree. Space is the industry of the future, and at the moment we're standing on the sidelines. Not producing cars will pale into insignificance compared to sitting out of what will be the new industrial revolution - and watching as countries like India and China leave us behind.

IMO the industry of the future is the industry of the past - agricultuture. As for India and China leaving us behind - well that happened. Fact. To think otherwise is just plain daft - those country's are true global powers with mega economy's and technology to match,, we sadly are not.

Regarding launch sites in Northern Australia, that would be a good way to reap some reward but what are the chances? Recent developments have shown that we can't even get it together to bring gas on shore. And our labour costs would be in attractive. Imagine the hulobaloo that would occur if soneone even tried to table the idea of a space port on the Cape?

We should a least be realistic about our position.

Ian.

[UncleHo]

A couple of decades ago a space/satellites launching program was mooted by the then Queensland Premier, Joh Bejelke-Peterson and all in power laughed at him,and now that selfsame idea is brought up again,funny how slow some in power drag themselves into the 20th Century let alone the 21st Century :(

[BigJon]

Space is the industry of the future,

In what way? What are we missing out on?

[Chenz]

A couple of decades ago a space/satellites launching program was mooted by the then Queensland Premier, Joh Bejelke-Peterson and all in power laughed at him,and now that selfsame idea is brought up again,funny how slow some in power drag themselves into the 20th Century let alone the 21st Century :(

You would have to cut down half the trees on the north coast just to do the EIS and REF and SOEF to put in a launch facility. Then the Greens would have a heart attack because the Three Toed Toad or some such creature was thought to exist in any one of the 3 preferred locations.

I am all for checks and balances being done but it is getting all too hard to do anything in this country. Just to get a granny flat in is a logistical nightmare.

Len Beadell and Co will be turning in their graves knowing all the work they did setting up at Womerra and the other locations are now just rotting in the desert.

We used to be one of the great countries in the space race and lead the world, now we just sit back and watch it all go flying past us.

[VladTepes]

What are we missing out on?

Real Estate. After all....




“Space, is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mindbogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space!”

[UncleHo]

Aah! but we can't use the Cape, as it is all locked up under Indiginous Claims, and what isn't the Greenies have claim on.:o

[Lotz-A-Landies]

You would have to cut down half the trees on the north coast just to do the EIS and REF and SOEF to put in a launch facility. Then the Greens would have a heart attack because the Three Toed Toad or some such creature was thought to exist in any one of the 3 preferred locations.
....It won't matter much longer as the Bufo marinus encroaches on their habitat, all species of the Hylidae/Litoria families will be extinct.

[UncleHo]

Yup! the Bufo Marinus is a pretty hardy critter, and the only natives that are it's preditors are the Red Bellied Black snake and the Crow,the latter flips them over and eats the underbelly,the poor old Joe Blake eats them and dies as a result of their poison :(

And on the home front, a spray from a $2 squirt bottle full of Dettol and goodbye Bufo,just go around the next morning and put them in a used Woolworths bag and into the bin :D I frefer to hoy them onto the road and let the traffic finish the job :angel:

[Mr Rover]

In what way? What are we missing out on?

When America ran the Apollo program, the number of science and engineering graduates in the US doubled at High School, University and PhD levels. Their economy was the envy of the entire world, and it was driven by a generation of innovators who dreamed of pioneering space.

[Mr Rover]

To think otherwise is just plain daft - those country's are true global powers with mega economy's and technology to match,, we sadly are not.
That hasn't stopped Canada participating in NASA and ESA programmes, including producing components for the International Space Station.

Australia must do the same, contributing in small ways to large international programmes. It would sponsor much needed interest in science and engineering. Your alternative, to simply say "This game is too big for us" is completely unnaceptable.

If that is what we choose to do, then future generations of Australians will live in poverty because we stuck our heads in the sand.

[Mick_Marsh]

That hasn't stopped Canada participating in NASA and ESA programmes, including producing components for the International Space Station.

Don't forget the arm on the shuttle.


Australia must do the same, contributing in small ways to large international programmes. It would sponsor much needed interest in science and engineering. Your alternative, to simply say "This game is too big for us" is completely unnaceptable.
We do contribute to the research satellites in a big way. Some are even built here.

If that is what we choose to do, then future generations of Australians will live in poverty because we stuck our heads in the sand.
We are already going down that path. You'd be surprised how many Ausie R&D engineers are now overseas. The best and the brightest of us.
Australia has dropped the ball many years ago.

[digger]

Space race!
We were one of the world leaders quite some years ago.
We dropped the ball. We've dropped so many balls.

Look at it another way, normally if your balls drop you mature better...


as a country that is :)

[BigJon]

When America ran the Apollo program, the number of science and engineering graduates in the US doubled at High School, University and PhD levels. Their economy was the envy of the entire world, and it was driven by a generation of innovators who dreamed of pioneering space.

What was their population? I think there is way to much emphasis on university. You don't need a degree to get stuff done.

[BigJon]

That hasn't stopped Canada participating in NASA and ESA programmes, including producing components for the International Space Station.

.

Canada is a bit closer to the USA than we are, just an observation.

[VladTepes]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/12/352.jpg

[VladTepes]

Seriously though there are sound technical reasons that space launches from Australia are a good option....

http://cdn.themetapicture.com/media/funny-Australia-rocket-launch.jpg

and we have a proud history of rocket design here...

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/12/350.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/12/351.jpg

Rocket ship design sent to scientists at Woomera Rocket Range by Victorian schoolboy Denis Cox, 1957.

[FFR]

Len Beadell and Co will be turning in their graves knowing all the work they did setting up at Womerra and the other locations are now just rotting in the desert.


Hi,

JP 3024 is Woomera Range Remediation, the RFT (Request For Tender) has been released some weeks ago. I'm working in that right now :)

[SuperMono]

We can use all of our advanced manufacturing ........
Hang on, we stopped most of the manufacturing.
OK we can use our research capability to......
Oh, CSIRO has just about closed up shop.....
Well at least one of our big Australian owned companies with long term planning.........

Bugger.

[mools]

I think there is way to much emphasis on university. You don't need a degree to get stuff done.

Year, I'm with Jon. You don't have to be a rocket scientists.....

Oh, hang on a minute!