One of the world’s biggest space companies is set to call Adelaide home

A GLOBAL satellite company will open in Adelaide on the same day the National Space Agency kicks off — and says SA is the ideal place to operate.

• Defence and space jobs targeted by Victoria and WA
• Opinion: SA has everything it needs to be key player

A GLOBAL satellite company will open in Adelaide on the same day the National Space Agency kicks off – and says SA is the ideal place to operate.

SITAEL is Italy’s biggest private space company and plans to develop satellites and payloads from 50kg up to 300kg, space missions and a range of other space technologies.

It will open its Australian headquarters here on July 1 at Mawson Lakes.

Premier Steven Marshall said SITAEL was leading the development of next-generation small satellites.

“SITAEL’s move into Adelaide will create hi-tech jobs for South Australians … and strengthen our state’s reputation as a leader in space innovation and technology development,” he said.

“We are focused on building our thriving space industry to make it a key contributor to the growth and diversification of SA’s economy.”

Mr Marshall, along with Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas, is pushing for SA to take a lead role in the new agency. The agency will officially begin as an administrative operation in Canberra while chief Megan Clark assesses the states’ space capabilities to decide on a permanent base or bases.

SA put its hand up for a headquarters last year, while NSW, Victoria and WA have all recently made a play.

SITAEL chief executive officer Nicola Zaccheo said Australia had a huge growth opportunity.

“SA in particular is an ideal environment to develop innovative new ideas,” he said.

The former Labor Government signed a “letter of intent” with the Italian Space Agency in 2016 and the ISA head Roberto Battiston said they intended to work closely with the Australian agency.

SITAEL is also set to work with SA satellite company Inovor Technologies.

That news comes as a major report into Australia’s role in space is launched on Wednesday by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute ahead of their space strategy conference, which begins tonight.

The report, by a range of experts and politicians including Space Minister Michaelia Cash, explains the need for Australia to have a bigger part in the $345 billion global industry. ASPI senior analyst Malcolm Davies warns that space is now a “warfighting domain” while our dependence on it has grown.