The Morrison Government is upgrading Tasmania’s space tracking facilities with $1.2 million in funding, as part of the Space Infrastructure Fund.
Improving Tasmanian space facilities will further cement Australia’s place in the global space industry, along with Europe, North and South America and Asia.
Strengthening our international connections and upgrading Tasmania’s facilities to a commercial standard will boost our share of the US$350 billion global space market, fuelling investment in our regions, and creating new jobs for skilled workers.
The upgraded University of Tasmania facilities will allow precision tracking of satellites and spacecraft.
Not only will this improve our technological prowess, it will have a positive flow on effect for local researchers, education facilities and the next generation of space enthusiasts.
This project is part of the $19.5 million Space Infrastructure Fund announced in the 2019-20 Budget, which will build Australia’s space capabilities by supporting infrastructure investment across the country.
In addition, this direct investment in Tasmania’s tracking facilities will increase the opportunity for international connections across industry partners within the US and UK.
The Coalition’s plan for Australia’s space economy includes an aim to triple the size of the space sector to $12 billion and create up to 20,000 new jobs by 2030, and this will be aided by expansion of space industries in the states and territories. This is part of our greater plan to boost national economic growth and create an additional 1.25 million jobs over the next five years.