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/australi...ng-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 .

[Redback]

Lucky I read the whole title

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

[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.