Australian Space HQ officially opened today in Adelaide; Mission Control to follow in 2021
The PM has officially opened Adelaide’s Space HQ – revealing more talks with Korean investors about launches in SA. And the Premier says to expect further buildings on the ex-RAH site to go.
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The Australian Space Agency at Lot Fourteen was launched this morning – and Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the “sky is not the limit” at the new centre.
Mr Morrison, along with Premier Steven Marshall, Australian Space Agency head Dr Megan Clark and Space Minster Karen Andrews, opened Space HQ at the former McEwan building at the old Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Mr Morrison said he had conversations about further boosting space industry in Adelaide with investors last night.
“I was speaking to some of the Korean investors and they are talking about launcher capacities here in South Australia,” Mr Morrison said.
“With space, the sky is not the limit, it is bigger than that.”
Adelaide astronaut Andy Thomas was in the crowd as Mr Morrison launched the site.
Adelaide’s Mission Control and Space Discovery Centre will launch within a year, giving visitors live contact with the International Space Station.
At Mission Control, visitors will have a live link to the International Space Station, allowing the opportunity to interact with onboard astronauts.
They will also be able to witness future manned space missions, including NASA’s plan to land the first woman on the moon by 2024, while the Space Discovery Centre will be an interactive educational facility like Canberra’s Questacon.
Ms Clark said: “We depend on national and international partnerships to achieve our purpose of forming and growing the space industry.”
She dodged questions about the total number of jobs that would be based in South Australia.
Mr Marshall said the HQ is going to be of “global significance”.
He said the government was also “in the market” to demolish more buildings behind the centre.
“I can also say we are now in the market for a further 30,000-40,000sq m behind this building as we … demolish old buildings on this site,” Mr Marshall said.
“This is really going to become a great centre to attract various disciplines – space, defence, cyber, machine learning, blockchain, agtech, creative industries – all on this site.
“I think the spontaneous reaction across disciplines will create something very unique for Adelaide and, quite frankly, the world.”
Adelaide’s Mission Control and Space Discovery Centre will launch within a year, giving visitors live contact with the International Space Station.
Space Minister Karen Andrews says the hubs are set to major tourism drawcards.
PM Scott Morrison has officially opened the Australian Space Agency at Lot Fourteen @theTiser pic.twitter.com/YQQgmLBFj5
— Celeste Villani (@CelesteVillani) February 18, 2020
The minister, who this morning joined Mr Morrison in formally opening Space HQ at Lot Fourteen,the home of the Australian Space Agency, said it was time for “serious lift-off” for the industry.
“This is the first stage of Adelaide becoming the Houston of Australia,” she said.
“We’ll have a permanent home for the agency here. In about a year, we’ll have Mission Control in Adelaide, we’ll have the Space Discovery Centre – it’s all systems go.”
At Mission Control, visitors will have a live link to the International Space Station, allowing the opportunity to interact with astronauts on-board. They will also be able to witness future manned space missions, including NASA’s plan to land the first woman on the moon by 2024, while the Space Discovery Centre will be an interactive educational facility like Canberra’s Questacon.
“Given that SA has been hit hard with bushfires, (and there are) potentially coronavirus impacts on tourism, what we’re doing will go partway towards relieving some of those losses and we’ll be doing everything we can to make that happen here,” Ms Andrews said.
On Tuesday night she joined Mr Morrison at a dinner planned by Premier Steven Marshall.
Today they will attend the 9th Space Forum at the Convention Centre, along with Agency head Megan Clark.
Mr Morrison said the Agency was central to growing the space economy.
“Space captures the imagination and inspires us all,” he said. “It develops new technologies that improve life on Earth and it offers huge economic and job opportunities.
“That’s why we’re investing over $600 million into the space sector.”
Mr Marshall said that the three institutions along with the SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre made Adelaide “without a doubt … the space capital of the nation”.
“South Australia’s space odyssey continues to gather speed,” he said. “Young South Australians can look up at the stars and genuinely find opportunities right here in this state to pursue their dreams.”
On Tuesday the Federal Government also announced almost $3 million for new research positions at Flinders University to explore advanced technologies to help build the new fleet of Hunter Class frigates at Osborne.
