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South Australia To Be Home To Australia's New Space Agency (abc.net.au)
"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."
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
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."
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
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
https://spaceaustralia.com.au/
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.
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.
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.