The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has unveiled plans to establish a new Space Weather Hub in Adelaide.
Announcing the plan, BOM said the Hub, planned to open in 2022, would result in the Bureau’s space weather scientists, researchers and customer engagement specialists being located alongside the Australian Space Agency, Microsoft Azure Space and other space, defence and commercial customers.
The Bureau said it would add four new positions to its Space Weather Service, bringing a total of 18 positions to the new Hub.
Premier, Steven Marshall said South Australia was home to more than 90 space-related organisations, making it the undisputed national centre of Australia’s space industry.
“There is something special about the space sector,” Mr Marshall said, “the enthusiasm and passion the industry seems impossible to dampen, and the addition of the Bureau to the mix here is going to be huge for the sector.”
Federal Minister for Finance and Senator for South Australia, Simon Birmingham said the move would bring jobs to the State and expertise to the rapidly growing space sector.
“South Australia is the centre of space research and technology in Australia, already employing around 1,400 people, and with the Government’s commitment to investing in space, it is only fitting that the Bureau’s space weather team joins the ranks in Adelaide,” Senator Birmingham said.
“The Bureau’s Space Weather Service will open at Adelaide’s Lot Fourteen precinct in 2022 and will include a dedicated Space Weather Forecasting Centre, a customer engagement team and Space Weather Research team,” he said.
The Space Weather Hub will join other major space companies, Departments and institutions already calling Adelaide’s Lot Fourteen home such as the Australian Space Agency; SmartSat CRC; the Space Discovery Centre; Microsoft Azure Space; the South Australian Space Industry Centre; Inovor Technologies; and Myriota.
