AwaitingLaunch_1397728623369

147. In 2012/13 the Gillard/Rudd Labor Government
proposed a to establish a series of “Precincts” to
assist various elements of the Australian
manufacturing sector. One Precinct chosen for
support was the space and geo-spatial services
sector. The program is in abeyance whilst it is
reviewed by the new Abbott Government. Should
the program proceed, probably under a new name,
the Australian Government will inject funds to
support a range of industry and export
development functions that the industry is
presently too small and too fragmented to
undertake on its own initiative.
148. One such critic is Professor Andrew Dempster from
the University of New South Wales (UNSW). See for
example, Dorminey B, Does Australia have a space
future? , Forbes Magazine, 6 Dec 2013,
http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucedorminey/2013/
12/06/does-australia-have-a-space-future/
149. For a summary of Australian space science
capabilities see National Committee for Space
Science, Australian Academy of Science, Decadal
Plan for Australian Space Science 2010-2019,
Canberra, 2010, Chapter 2.
150. The Australian astronomy community is well
organised and well disciplined. It produces, behind
closed doors a decadal investment plan which, once
agreed, provides guidance to government about
proposed astronomy investments in the coming
decade. Most recently, the Australian government
has made a major investment in radio astronomy
through the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope
project, much of which will be located in Australia.
The Government is also seeking to become a 10%
stakeholder in the 27 metre Giant Magellan
Telescope (GMT), which is an optical telescope,
proposed for construction in Chile in the next five or
so years. These new investments complement
existing telescopes notably at Parkes, Siding Spring
and Narrabri.
151. A case in point is the Advanced Instrumentation and
Technology Centre (IATC) that has been constructed
by the Australian National University at Mt Stromlo,
near Canberra. The AITC has world leading
expertise in adaptive optics that is being used today
to build better optical telescopes and also to assist
with SSA.
152. The radar from Antigua is being re-furbished and
brought to Australia for installation at North West
Cape under a formal Australian defence project –
JP3029. See Department of Defence, Defence
Capability Plan: Public Version, Canberra, 2012,
pp166-7.
153. AUSMIN 2010 Joint Communiqué, Melbourne, 8
November 2010.
154. Department of Defence, Defence White Paper 2013,
Canberra, 2014.
155. AUSMIN 2013 Joint Communiqué, Washington, 20
November 2013
file:///C:/Users/Brett/Desktop/PhD/Australia/AS_US/
AUSMIN%202013%20Joint%20Communiqu%C3%A
9,%2020%20November%202013,%20Australian%20
Minister%20for%20Foreign%20Affairs.htm accessed
6 Jan 2014.
156. See http://www.eos-aus.com/ for more information
about this company.
157. Including the Zadko telescope operated by the
University of Western Australia, the High Accuracy
Network Determination System (HANDS) located at
Learmonth in Western Australia, operated by Curtin
University and forthcoming acquisitions by the
University of New South Wales in Canberra.
158. The results of the 2013 Cooperative Research Centre
round are expected to be announced in February
2014.
159. Abiodun A, monograph about Nigeria's space
programme, publication forthcoming.
160. The major function of about one quarter of all
satellites in orbit is to support defense systems for
countries around the world. Some satellites help to
connect people in remote regions and others help
to navigate ships, aircraft, and land vehicles.
Satellites also help to advance scientific studies by
providing data critical for Earth, marine and
atmospheric science research.Most space
programmes are designed to get satellites into
Earth's orbit for the sake of better communications,
mapping, weather observation or military capacity
at home with direct benefits to ordinary people.
161. Dual-use space technology means value to both
civil and military communities, which allow
countries to have growing military space
capabilities. Another characteristic of dual-use
technology is difficulty determining whether
military capabilities are of a defensive or offensive
nature.
162. Advanced military space programs; Weapons in
outer space; Rising levels of space debris;
Proliferation of small satellites; Spectrum allocation
and radio frequency interference; Cyber-enabled
space threats.
163. The views presented in this essay are those of the
authors and does not represent those of the
National Space Research and Development Agency
of Nigeria.
164. “Position Paper on Space Debris Mitigation:
Implementing Zero Debris Creation Zone”,
International Academy of Astronautics, 2006,
available
Endnotes | www.orfonline.org 239