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South Australia To Be Home To Australia's New Space Agency (abc.net.au)

Posted by BeauHD on from the home-sweet-home dept.

"South Australia, which has a history with space events long ago, is set to become the base for the Australian space industry," writes Slashdot reader Badooleoo. ABC News reports: Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced Adelaide will be the home of Australia's new space agency. South Australia beat strong competition from other states to secure the headquarters, after enlisting homegrown NASA astronaut Andy Thomas to help with its campaign. The agency will be based at Lot Fourteen, the former Royal Adelaide Hospital site, which is being transformed into an innovation precinct. The Prime Minister said South Australia was an ideal home for the new agency and was already a key hub for the space and technology industry. "This agency is going to open doors for local businesses and Australian access to the $US345 billion global space industry," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. "Our Government's $41 million investment into the agency will act as a launching pad to triple Australia's space economy to $12 billion and create up to 20,000 jobs by 2030."

71 comments

  1. Space agency launching what? by melted · · Score: 1

    Kangaroos?

    1. Re:Space agency launching what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Rolf Harris always sang that he wanted his Kangaroos tied down, not launched into space.

    2. Re:Space agency launching what? by Richard_at_work · · Score: 1

      After the recent anti-encryption bill that was enacted into law, I wouldn't trust any range safety officers self destruct signal, that's for sure...

    3. Re:Space agency launching what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Money down the drain. You know this to be true as the business case is secret.
      Australia could not even keep a car industry going - we have zero manufacturing capability. No fridges or whitegoods either. I wonder if Canada is doing something similar.
      I don't believe Japan will ever make a buck out of space. They did it because the USA refused to sell them high tech.

      We are not on the equator - so no advantage there. Costs of doing business in .au are too high. Singapore is, and tax free and security wise trusted. Booking and buying other peoples stuff is not high tech. Australia can only compete if we allow the North Koreans to
      build stuff and do the launch in SA.

      What is Australia launching then? A giant Ponzi scheme and letting well connected mates skim off locally diverted purchase orders. 41 Million should launch few toy micro satellites that go beep to impress the accountants(Monty Python sketch).

    4. Re:Space agency launching what? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      Australia goes all the way to about 10 degrees south of the equator. Kourou is at about 5 degrees north. Why do you say that there is no advantage there? In terms of, say, moving a launch site from Canaveral to Kourou, you're basically 90% there in terms of getting Kourou's equatorial advantages.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    5. Re: Space agency launching what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Avoid dealing with shitty smelly parasites hindu-chimps. They will suck out all your money and secrets, leaving you pointing a finger at yourself for being such a dumbass.
      Just observe NASA lately.

      At this point, the Australians would do well to hire as many Indian rocket scientists as they can get, given how they have already launched several successful missions of their own.

    6. Re:Space agency launching what? by JohnboyHolmes · · Score: 1

      But South Australia won and it's closest equatorial point is 26 degrees south, a similar distance to the equator as Cape Canaveral's 28 degrees north. Having driven through outback South Australia I can personally attest to how remote and rugged a lot of that area is. It isn't ideal for launching rockets because it is a long way to transport equipment and for folks working out there it is boring and a long way to travel back to family/friends.

      --
      I stopped thinking I was unique when I found out everyone else was to. So does that make me the average user???
    7. Re:Space agency launching what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It isn't ideal for launching rockets

      And yet it's home to the Woomera launch complex. It was used for orbital rocket launches back in the 1970s. It's only been used for sounding rockets since then, but it's still got plenty of infrastructure in its capacity as an air force base.

    8. Re:Space agency launching what? by Rei · · Score: 2

      I don't understand why they chose South Australia and gave up the advantages of a site closer to the equator. I mean, it's not like there's no decent roads to the northeast. And then the population density drops way off after Cairns. You've got open sea to the east-northeast. Etc.

      Going with South Australia makes me think that they're mainly looking at polar launches. Otherwise, they're launching over land - and while it's sparsely populated land, there will still by cities and roads downrange. And even ignoring accidents, what about expended stages? Unless they're going the SpaceX route... Well, at least if a failed launch or expended stage were to land on Coober Pedy, a lot of people would be underground ;)

      --
      Seen on a Japanese food processor: "Not to be used for the other use."
    9. Re:Space agency launching what? by skegg · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I don't understand why they chose South Australia and gave up the advantages of a site closer to the equator.

      Also, why we spend billions upon billions BUILDING submarines in South Australia when we could just buy them from an ally for a fraction of the price.

      Oh, that's right: pork barrelling

    10. Re:Space agency launching what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, that's right: pork barrelling

      DING! DING! DING! We have a winner!

    11. Re:Space agency launching what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Which way does the money spin as it goes down that drain?

    12. Re: Space agency launching what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Avoid dealing with shitty smelly parasites hindu-chimps. They will suck out all your money and secrets, leaving you pointing a finger at yourself for being such a dumbass.
      Just observe NASA lately.

      At this point, the Australians would do well to hire as many Indian rocket scientists as they can get, given how they have already launched several successful missions of their own.

      That will come in handy when the first Kangaroo gets a ticket to mars!

    13. Re:Space agency launching what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Roo Barrelling?

    14. Re: Space agency launching what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pork barrelling is a minor component. They might be friendly now, what about the 30-40 year service life? There's a big defence interest in having a domestic industry capable of maintaining and repairing them. Having them built here is the cost you pay to have this industry survive and maintain skills and capabilities.

    15. Re: Space agency launching what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      South Australia has an existing range that has had orbital launches in the past.

    16. Re:Space agency launching what? by nnappe · · Score: 1

      Well, not necessarily.
      South Australia vs somewhere else in the country but to the north means the things are still done in Australia.
      Importing a submarine from another country means that you missed on the research and development capabilities generated by building it yourself. Now, theres the question of whether those capabilities are worth the price. But then the two cases are different, and you'll find that those allies probably do not buy a lot of their equipment and instead make sure that they can build their own, regardless of cost

    17. Re:Space agency launching what? by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 0

      I don't understand why they chose South Australia and gave up the advantages of a site closer to the equator.

      2 thoughts:

      1 - Russia seems to do okay with Baikonur at almost 46 degrees north.

      2 - Not all orbits are served by being close to the equator.

      Yes, in an ideal situation, a launch site should be at the equator, near the ocean but also near supply lines and also not near population areas. But there are plenty of other considerations.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    18. Re: Space agency launching what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's an outage! You should take it up with the prime minister. Here's how that process works:

      https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HV_O3BA5e28

    19. Re:Space agency launching what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's a polar launch? (what is the benefit?)

    20. Re:Space agency launching what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Only if they were underage though.

    21. Re:Space agency launching what? by Pseudonym · · Score: 1

      I don't understand why they chose South Australia and gave up the advantages of a site closer to the equator.

      Same reason that Pawsey isn't anywhere near the Murchison radio quiet zone. Where would you rather build an office whose main job it is to coordinate with industry and academia, Adelaide or Jabiru?

      --
      sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
    22. Re:Space agency launching what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      'Cos if they built it in the NT the rockets would get stolen and burnt

    23. Re:Space agency launching what? by Rei · · Score: 1

      The lowest-energy way to get to orbit is to launch as close to the equator as possible. You *can* get to orbit from anywhere, in any direction, but it makes it a lot harder (higher energy requirements = smaller payloads).

      With polar orbits you basically say, "Screw it, we're doing it the hard way because we want a non-equatorial orbit". There's a number of advantages for certain types of missions. One is that you can fly over every part of the world (if you launch at a given latitude heading east, your orbit will only be between that latitude north and south). Another advantage is that you can do sun-synchronous low-earth orbits.

      --
      Seen on a Japanese food processor: "Not to be used for the other use."
    24. Re: Space agency launching what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      By that logic Australia should build its own defence aircraft as well.

      Also, you should know that the Australian-built submarines (Collins-class) have been described as an "underwater rock concert". Not worried about an ally turning nasty in 30 years if my current submersibles are useless against anyone but a 3rd world country.

    25. Re:Space agency launching what? by stepho-wrs · · Score: 1

      So you think out sourcing national security is a better idea?

      Hopefully the Australian industry retains the ability to design and make advanced stuff (or at least the opportunity to learn).
      Better than being a nation of consumers that simply sells our iron ore to buy what other countries make.
      Well on our way to being a 3rd world country :(

    26. Re:Space agency launching what? by stepho-wrs · · Score: 1

      South Australia has enough desert to make the occasional off-coarse rocket less of a problem - instead of landing on someone's head.
      It is "close enough" to the equator .
      It has nearby industrial infrastructure.

      Northern territory doesn't have that last one.

      Personally I think WA also has all those advantages but our pollies didn't shout as loud as SA did.

  2. Doesn't mean much. by wolfheart111 · · Score: 1

    when some random dude can launch a very successful space agency himself... just saying.

    --
    [($)]
    1. Re:Doesn't mean much. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Booool shet

    2. Re:Doesn't mean much. by sheramil · · Score: 2

      Only a Seppo would consider the Australian Prime Minister to be "some random dude".

      Next time you need help with your space program, let us know.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dish

    3. Re:Doesn't mean much. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He's talking about Elon Musk you muggins.

    4. Re:Doesn't mean much. by skegg · · Score: 1

      Apparently even Angela Merkel thinks of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison as some random dude

    5. Re:Doesn't mean much. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apparently even Angela Merkel thinks of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison as some random dude

      That's because he is and no one voted for him.

    6. Re:Doesn't mean much. by quenda · · Score: 2

      But Prime Minister Scott Morrison could be the first PM with plans to ascend physically into space himself,
      - as a Pentecostalist in the Rapture.

      I'm sure in the US you are quite accustomed to religious fundamentalists in power, but this is a new one for us.
      Fortunately, he will be gone in a few months.

    7. Re:Doesn't mean much. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He's talking about Elon Musk you muggins.

      how is he by any definition ... some random dude?

    8. Re:Doesn't mean much. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The people of his electoral division voted for him, well some of them. Believe it was about 53,321 people before preferances though 4,983 people either were to stupid to fill out their ballot properly, or just didn't want to actualy vote. (I know traitorous scum spitting in the face of democracy the ANZACs didn't die at Gallipoli so they could draw dicks on their ballot pappers or draw a box and write Adolf Hitler next to it and write a 1 in it) ...

      Here in Australia during a federal election we only get vote for a Representative in our electoral division and a Senator for our state. The Prime Minister is the leader of the winning party or the larger party of a coalition but is also an elected representative of their local electoral division. And BTW I'm not going to explain preferances.

      Don't worry most Australians don't know how voting works because BORING! "the Project well tell me who to vote for or somebody else will I just want a democracy sausage" Well alctual most Australians born here don't know how voting works, anyone who's applied for citizinship has a basic understanding of how voting works and that they do not directly vote for the prime minister. Well when they did their citizenship test they did.

    9. Re:Doesn't mean much. by sd4f · · Score: 1

      Only to have an even bigger wet noodle as a replacement, in Bill Shorten...

      I'm starting to think that if China were to invade Australia and end democracy, they'd be doing us a favour...

    10. Re:Doesn't mean much. by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      As we learned from the Stargate documentary, if you want to Ascend, your physical body does have to die.

    11. Re:Doesn't mean much. by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      You don't have Democracy, that's why you don't get to vote on which wet noodle leads your country.

      As is true in every other Representative Parliamentary system, none of your leaders would have actually won a national election.

    12. Re:Doesn't mean much. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We don’t want to end up with a useless cunt like Trump, I would never want the fucked up joke that is the US electoral system here.

    13. Re:Doesn't mean much. by sd4f · · Score: 1

      Yea got me there, I understand well that we don't have 'democracy' as is so often flippantly used. Best description I can find is that we have an electocracy. While the description for 'totalitarian democracy' more or less describes what we have, it still uses democracy, which infers that people have the power. We only sort of have the power to chose who lords over us, but you already know that.

  3. Education by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There is IAS coaching in Jaipur where teaching faculty is very experienced and professional and guide students how to crack IAS exam easily.

  4. Aussie agency by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1. If the universe is resonant electric, then it has a resonant center to it. (Think of ripples in a pond spreading out).

    2. And the most energy efficient path is along those ripples, toward to away from the center.

    3. To cross ripples, you still get F resonance, but lots of phase differences, i.e. energy in and out and in and out...

    4. So, (speculative) over time matter will orient its velocity more towards or away from the center of the universe. i.e. everything will appear to have come from or be collapsing towards a central point.

    5. So there must be effects (other than entanglement) that prove the resonant field, and those effects must relate to the direction of the center of the universe.

    6. That scintillation effect in lasers (the pattern of dancing light lasers produce), that will be interference from these ripples, which in turn will be F field related. If you point a laser towards the center of the universe is the scintillation in lasers less than if you point it normal to that direction?

    Ligo guys, this is your field, I ask the same question to you. (Also congrats those gravity waves were beautiful the other day, but isn't there a right side to that wave, a mirror image, but with much smaller magnitude?).

  5. Which is really stuuupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Closer to the equator is better. So Far north QLD or the Norther Territory makes sense technically.

    1. Re:Which is really stuuupid by aevan · · Score: 3, Insightful

      For equatorial orbits, sure.If you want polar, then south wins. Maybe they want to capitalise on a niche. Or it could just be that the HQ is in one spot, and they launch from elsewhere...since the story is about who won the HQ. Article even points to it being political

    2. Re:Which is really stuuupid by Micah+NC · · Score: 1

      I thought you would want something closer to the equator (than just south) so you get the rotational velocity of the earth in launches. The equator is where you have the most rotational velocity.

    3. Re:Which is really stuuupid by aevan · · Score: 1

      Ah, my bad, was using relative references. "If you want a polar orbit, you want to launch closer to the poles, so as to not have as much rotational velocity to negate. For those types of launches, south australia (c.40 degrees south) wins. If you want equatorial orbits, the most northern parts of australia (c. 13degress south) is far superior since you that extra speed."
      I'd rule out Tasmania as you'd need to include a sea crossing, unless you had built the rockets there.

    4. Re:Which is really stuuupid by sd4f · · Score: 1

      It is, we have a government which is on the nose and highly unlikely to win an upcoming election, which if I recall is going to be held in may. A few influential politicians are pushing for money to be spent in their states/electorates so that they at least win their own seats.

    5. Re:Which is really stuuupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Big rockets need sea-transport anyway, so that isn't a reason.

      Tasmania is a really good idea - except for the high-winds prevalent to any island sitting in the Southern Ocean [ which makes the Electron rocket an interesting study ].

  6. If I buy a screwdriver... by mapkinase · · Score: 0

    ... that does not make me an owner of my "own" screwdriver industry. It's satellite industry. Not space industry.

    Space industry is the industry of building and launching rockets. It's the industry of breaking the first cosmic velocity.

    And it will stay that for a while. Unless you are building and flying your own rockets, stop yapping about space industry.

    --
    I do not believe in karma. "Funny"=-6. Do good and forbid evil. Yours, Oft-Offtopic Flamebaiting Troll.
    1. Re:If I buy a screwdriver... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Clearly if you buy a screw driver your a terrorist building bombs.

  7. Why SA ? by Kuruk · · Score: 1

    May as well put it in Tasmania ? It's even further from the equator.

    1. Re:Why SA ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Came to say this. I thought the United States had located it's stuff in Florida and Texas because it was near the equator. (Excluding politics, etc....)

  8. Time for the T-shirts by scdeimos · · Score: 3, Funny

    https://spaceaustralia.com.au/

  9. The NBN of space :) by captbollocks · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It could be the equivalent of the National Broadband Network, which cost billions to lay down a third national data network and ended up being so slow that most 3rd world countries I have visited have much higher internet speeds in the countryside than my mother who lives in a major city.

    1. Re:The NBN of space :) by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Oh? Are we going to vote for a different political party next election who out of spite will decide that any spaceship launched from Australia must not be capable of withstanding a vacuum?

  10. Australians in space by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    what could possibly go wrong?

  11. The history of space in Australia isn't flattering by Myself · · Score: 2

    https://quokkaspace.wordpress....

    It's a long read but full of ire at mismanagement and dashed hopes. Here's hoping they turn a corner someday.

  12. Might be hard for them to get off the ground by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Are they going to hire based on discrimination? Australia seems to be a leading force in racism and sexism these days. This move could be a massive waste of money if this ideology continues

  13. Re:A thought experiment, 7+6+2 sentence sniff tes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Witches burn.
    Wood also burns.
    Wood floats.
    Ducks float.
    Therefore, if a woman weighs as much as a duck, she must be a witch.

  14. Wouldn't Northern Australia be better by Chrisq · · Score: 1

    Wouldn't Northern Australia be better, as it's closer to the equator?

    1. Re:Wouldn't Northern Australia be better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But South Australia has more unemployed people..

      This is the new "Multifunction Polis":

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multifunction_Polis.

    2. Re:Wouldn't Northern Australia be better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good ideas like this crap out because they get turned into a political agenda to drive a wedge with - e.g. win the next election by playing on everyone's fears.

      Exactly how Mr T got elected in a land not too far away. Hows that working out for the coal miners afraid of immigration and technology? Still got no jobs I see.

  15. Ah yes, the new Aussie space bureau: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Australian Research & Space Exploration.

    Or "ARSE" for short.

  16. Northern Austrailia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wouldn't Northern Australia make more sense since it is closer to the equator and thus would require less fuel, aka money, to launch rockets?

    1. Re:Northern Austrailia by sd4f · · Score: 1

      If its purpose is to launch rockets, then it would make sense. I think its purpose is more along the lines of cronyism for some mates before they lose the next election and won't be able to for at least 3 years.

  17. Big steps by nospam007 · · Score: 1

    "Our Government's $41 million investment into the agency "

    It's Australia, they are taking giant leaps with an empty pouch, even the animals there are doing it that way.

  18. Re:The history of space in Australia isn't flatter by sd4f · · Score: 1

    Without knowing a whole lot detail on the topic, being an Australian, I would hazard a guess that where there's public money, someone's mates get a good gig and get jobs where they do very little, have no appreciation of the subject, and achieve absolutely nothing, while getting a decent paying job in the process.

    So the problem is, I don't think anything will change. The set up of this agency is already an endeavour in pork barrelling, so I doubt anything will come of it.