The Australian National University (ANU) has announced it is ready to support plans for an Australian Space Agency.
Vice-Chancellor of ANU, Professor Brian Schmidt said the University was home to key national space resources and had vast capacity and capability to support a new space agency with broad expertise from science through to law and policy.
“The investment in a new national space agency is an exciting development in Australia’s space story and, as the nation’s university, we look forward to playing a leading role in its establishment,” Professor Schmidt said.
“We have long supported efforts to bring a national focus to space and have worked alongside our industry and business partners for many years to advance the nation’s space capabilities.”
He said ANU had important national facilities, including the space test facility at Mount Stromlo and the Siding Spring Observatory in NSW, and had built collaborative international partnerships with Agencies including the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency.
“We look forward to bringing our extensive cross-disciplinary capability to support the space agency and its initiatives and its activities,” Professor Schmidt said.
Director of the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Professor Matthew Colless said Government funding for an Australian Space Agency was good news for the country and for the national space industry.
“It is a positive first step towards developing a capacity that Australia will certainly need in the twenty-first century,” Professor Colless said.
“The ANU looks forward to the opportunity of working with the new space agency in providing research and policy advice.”
He said Mount Stromlo offers key facilities for Australian companies and universities that are looking to develop space capabilities.
