Adelaide astronaut Andy Thomas advises Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on space industry

ADELAIDE astronaut Andy Thomas has been asked by the Prime Minister to advise him on setting up an Australian space ­industry, which the former NASA leader says can help forge a lucrative new economic direction for the nation.

ADELAIDE astronaut Andy Thomas has been asked by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to advise him on setting up an Australian space ­industry, which the former NASA leader says can help forge a lucrative new economic direction for the nation.

The pair met in Adelaide in March and Dr Thomas, at Mr Turnbull’s request, later prepared him a four-page brief.

Dr Thomas’s proposal, which he has supplied to The Advertiser, says Australia can tap into a $455 billion worldwide market, supporting innovation, defence, telecommunications, the environment and hi-tech jobs.

The Adelaide University-educated veteran of four space flights, now retired in Texas , told The Advertiser the space industry was rapidly changing.

Small satellites are being developed cheaply and in large numbers, overtaking once large and costly operations.

“Things like these are major paradigm changes in the space sector and I suggested it was time for Australia to decide if it wants to be involved,” said Dr Thomas, a former deputy director of NASA’s astronaut office.

“To that end, I proposed to him that a small but high-level group of specialists be convened to address the question of Australia’s involvement in the emerging space sector and, in particular, to define where Australia should be in the space sector 10 years from now.”

The meeting was organised by state Liberal leader Steven Marshall, who says SA is ideally positioned to capitalise and ­create hi-tech jobs of the future.

Mr Marshall said SA had significant infrastructure that supported the $1.2 billion to $2 billion spent annually in Australia in the space industry.

“Our aim should be to capture the majority of space spending and jobs for South Australia and make our state the undisputed champion of this emerging industry,” he said.

A spokesman for Mr Turnbull said Dr Thomas’s proposal would be considered under a review of the Space Activities Act.

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