68th annual International Astronautical Congress kicks off in Adelaide, as NASA congratulates Australia for space industry announcement
THE planet’s pre-eminent space agency NASA is just one of the international bodies that have welcomed Australia to the space family.
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THE planet’s pre-eminent space agency NASA is just one of the international bodies that have welcomed Australia to the space family.
Acting NASA administrator Robert Lightfoot declared it “awesome” news.
“This is an excellent opportunity to increase our collaboration and co-operation,” he said. “This is a global endeavour. For Australia not to be a part of that (before having an agency) is a little bit strange.”
Russian head Igor Komarov said Russia welcomed Australia to “the club of space”, describing the two aspects of having an agency.
“One is the national development … a voice internally. At the same, time you have a voice to the outer world. Not outer space, that’s later. But the outer world,” he said.
Speaking at the International Astronautical Congress, the European, Canadian and Japanese heads all joined the chorus.
On Tuesday, Acting Science Minister Michaelia Cash will talk to a crowd expected to include legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
“Space — and all that it conjures in our minds and hearts — from preschoolers to astronautical superstars — holds special sway with us beyond any other human pursuit,” she plans to say.
“It has an inimitable power to engage, inspire and transform us.”
Announcing the agency’s creation on Monday, SA Senator Simon Birmingham — on behalf of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Science Minister Arthur Sinodinos, who is on extended leave — said all the fine details of the plan would be worked out by the review that will be finished early next year.
Funding for the body will be detailed in next year’s Federal Budget.
Senator Birmingham said the agency was not about a “1960s” idea of Government paying to put a man on the moon but about developing the multi-billion dollar industry and creating jobs.
“It’s not NASA. It will be an Australian space agency,” he said.
Federal Labor also announced they would create an agency if they win power.
Adelaide-born astronaut Andy Thomas said it should have happened sooner, but that now SA was in a good position to take advantage of the growing industry.
The Space Industry Association of Australia, CSIRO, and a range of academic experts from across the country also welcomed the decision.
The Advertiser spoke to Megan Clarke, the former CSIRO chief who is heading up the Government’s review of Australia’s space capabilities.
She described the mood at the announcement, where more than 3000 of the world’s top space experts wildly cheered.
“There are some very big smiles here today,” she said, and talked about the need for co-ordination across all sectors.
“You cannot leave out the aspect of inspiration for the future for generations,” she said, adding that it was unusual that all aspects of Australian society were united on the need for a national agency.
Big deal will see tiny satellites stay safely on track
ADELAIDE’S own satellite start-up, Fleet, has signed a deal with the French space agency to send tiny satellites into orbit to connect the world.
Fleet will launch the first two of a planned 100 nano-satellites next year, after which the French agency, CNES, will track and support them.
Chief executive Flavia Tata Nardini hopes to eventually create a “digital nervous system” for Earth by giving “free, global connectivity” to more than 75 billion devices. But these shoebox-sized machines can get lost in space.
“These are little satellites in a very big space — you have to track them properly,” she said.
Fleet sealed the deal at the International Astronautical Congress at the Convention Centre on Monday, overseen by Premier Jay Weatherill.
Prof Nardini said there had “never been a more exciting time in the Australian space industry”.
“Our businesses are thriving, and are entering the world stage,” she said.
“We have quickly growing start-ups like Fleet … playing in the same league as NASA and other major space organisations. It’s a testament to the burgeoning Australian space industry that the IAC is here.”
The aerospace engineer is also on the Expert Reference Group assessing Australia’s space capabilities.
“I was as happy as a little child in front of a very big ice cream,” she said on hearing the Federal Government planned to start a national agency.
CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall, who is also the Chair of the Congress, said it was “natural” France would sign up with the Adelaide start-up to use ground antennas to keep an eye on the nanosatellites.
“Today, the international space arena is experiencing a seismic shift. Private players are proving economically viable where formerly only governments ruled the roost,” Dr Le Gall said.
Some of the exhibitions at the International Astronautical Congress
Crowdsource a moon village
Space Cooperative, a social collaboration platform, is seeking to grow its team so it can work together on shared dreams — including a village on the moon. What would be needed for first robots and then people to develop a permanent residence there?
Find out more at the North Tce side of the exhibitor’s hall. There you’ll also find research about all aspects of space including “methods of implementing virtual reality for space mental health and areas of future research” by the Ohio State University.
Look around Mars
Airbus might be known for its aeroplanes but its work on technology for outer space is where it is really reaching new heights.
Don a virtual reality headset and choose your adventure, including an opportunity to take a trip to Mars. Look around at the red, dusty earth below your feet as you stand in a desert-like valley and initiate the drilling features of the ExoMars rover — which in 2020 will collect soil samples, part of the search for signs of past or present life on Mars.
The data will then help to evaluate the risks for future manned missions.
Radiation vests
One of the biggest challenges which has prevented people from going to Mars is the harsh radiation beyond the low Earth orbit.
However, a collaboration between leading space agencies and Israeli-based company StemRad will see their radiation protection device AstroRad be tested on a female dummy — because they are more prone to radiation — during the Orion EM-1 orbit of the moon in 2019.
Made from hydrogen-rich materials, the advanced prototype vest on display in Adelaide is designed to be thicker over the most radiation prone organs, such as the bone marrow and lungs.
Affordable space experiments
The space dream and the desire to conduct demonstrations in search of revelations about the unknown is at the heart of SPACETY’s technology.
It’s creating a constellation of 24 cubesats — miniaturised satellites for space research — for scientists and research institutes at the lowest cost and highest efficiency.
It hopes to build a “demonstration activation market” for space and plans to launch four cubesats this year.
Tuesday’s highlights
■ Astronaut trainer Brienna Henwood will moderate a discussion on the impending opportunities for the public to travel into space — and what they should expect.
■ Adelaide astronaut Andy Thomas at the Space Industry Association of Australia’s breakfast (invitation only).
■ NASA executive Kira Blackwell will speak as part of a session on space entrepreneurship.
■ Adelaide-based Flavia Tata Nardini will discuss how “new space” countries such as Australia are disrupting traditional business models.
■ Learn how medical care is administered in space.
■ Young professionals networking event.