A Western Australian senator and the leader of the state opposition party announced their support for an Australian space agency.
Member for Riverton Mike Nahan and senator Linda Reynolds said Western Australia could benefit economically and technologically from a federal space program if Australia were to commit to it.
Mr Nahan said Western Australia was one of Australia’s top employers in the space industry in Australia and the opportunity existed to develop that industry further.
“WA’s advanced manufacturing and fabrication industries also have the potential to contribute to a growing national space industry,” he said.
“Much of WA possesses the perfect combination of low population density, minimal electromagnetic interference and high air quality, which creates ideal conditions for radio antennae, telescopes and other sensitive electronic measuring devices necessary for both civilian and defence space projects.”
Ms Reynolds said space-related research at Curtin University and the University of Western Australia could play an important role in future technologies.
She also said the Square Kilometre Array joint Australian and New Zealand Project, which is a program to develop the largest radio telescope in inland Australia, more than 300 kilometres northeast of Geraldton, will make the state a space industry global leader.
Outback Western Australia is an ideal location for radio astronomy because of its sky visibility due to little or no light pollution in areas, lack of radio interference, favourable weather and climate and upper atmosphere stability.
Australia is one of the few countries in the world without a space agency, with neighbour nations Indonesia, Singapore and New Zealand all having space programs to some degree.
