Challenge The Cospas-Sarsat system has been operational for almost 40 years providing a global distress system to support and enhance search and rescue operations. The service is provided through a treaty-based, intergovernmental organisation with 45 signatories. Australian representation is through the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA)...
Challenge What is the potential benefits of a new class of service that provides low volume data connectivity at low cost (cost of terminal or cost of service, including IoT)? For decades Australia has pioneered the application of bandwidth and power efficient communications towards advanced satellite communications...
Challenge Virtually all of Australia’s EO capabilities are supplied by other nations or international companies. Australia’s dependence on these satellites, the data they provide and the services that they support is growing rapidly and covers a very broad range of needs, both civilian and defence. Australia...
Note this issue is covered in part within the ASA Communication Technologies and Services Roadmap 2021–2030. Challenge The ability to communicate with satellites and downlink data is vital to the growth of the Australian space sector. Without sufficient spectrum and the capacity to downlink large amounts of...
Challenge Space is rapidly becoming a contested domain. This raises higher levels of concern that the competition and congestion which largely arises from commercial interests. The US Defense Space Strategy released in June 2020 states “China and Russia have each weaponized space as a means to...
Challenge Over the last sixty years, humankind has launched thousands of objects into space and in the process has created large amounts of space debris in addition to defunct and operational satellites. The space debris ranges in size from rocket bodies the size of a bus...
Challenge Reliable access to space is critical to the growth of the Australian space sector – without sustainable and cost-effective avenues to launch Australian satellites the Australian space industry will be constrained. Australia needs to ensure that its companies and Government agencies have reliable and timely access...
Challenge Spacecraft launched to space require remote operation by their very nature. Simulation tools have been developed widely across the world over the past 50 years. These simulation tools can vary greatly and can present a computer aided design (CAD) of the spacecraft, simulated satellite models...
Challenge Australia’s capacity to manufacture critical elements of space systems is increasing but from a much lower base than countries with equivalent economies. Key issues for consideration include the focal areas for growth including sovereign capability, the balance of sourcing from domestic markets and international markets,...
ChallengeAustralia’s past educational space and spatial outcomes have been strong. Its industries, however have not been large enough to fully utilise those skills and consequently Australia has experienced a ‘brain-drain’ in this area. The current global disruption of the space and spatial industries has resulted...