Prime Minister lands in Darwin to sign off on Top End NASA launch

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has flagged a new space centre in the NT could drive more people to study in key fields, during a rapid visit to the Top End.

PRIME Minister Anthony Albanese wants the Top End’s fledgling space industry to drive innovation and new jobs in science, technology, engineering and medicine (STEM).

At a press conference in Darwin at Parliament House on Wednesday, Mr Albanese appeared beside Chief Minister Natasha Fyles and Territory Labor’s federal parliamentarians to announce new details about suborbital launches from a new space centre in remote Northern Australia.

Three NASA rockets will be launched between June 26 and July 12 and will study the stars closest to our solar system, interstellar space and rays of light from distant suns.

However, Equatorial Launch Australia hopes the new Arnhem Space Centre could one day support up to 50 launches a year.

“This is about not just the rocket launches itself but it’s about sending a message to younger Australians and indeed, Australians of any age who might be looking at retraining for future careers, of how important science is,” Mr Albanese said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaking on Wednesday with Chief Minister Natasha Fyles (right). Picture: Glenn Campbell/NCANEWSWIRE

“We want the next generation to really look at STEM as part of Australia’s future. And that’s why this is an important project.”

He said NASA’s involvement in the launches “should be something of pride for all Australians”.

Ms Fyles, who has been in the top job for two weeks longer than Mr Albanese, said the three launches later this month and into next month were “an exciting project”.

“We have backed it since its inception, and it is showing that the Northern Territory is a key part of the future, particularly for investors in this new frontier,” she said.

“The Northern Territory government is committed to developing and diversifying the Territory economy.”

While appearing together, both Mr Albanese and Ms Fyles were asked about another major Territory project: the $30bn Suncable project that will link solar panels in the Top End with Singapore.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles. Picture: Glenn Campbell/NCANEWSWIRE

The Prime Minister described it as “by a long way, overwhelmingly the largest solar project in the world, on the planet” and said the project would also drive domestic manufacturing of solar panel components.

Ms Fyles, seizing on the unusual national exposure of a press conference with Mr Albanese, urged Australians to “google (Suncable) after they watch the news tonight”.

“We have natural resources, we have solar, we have NASA,” she said.

Prime Minister lands in Darwin to sign off on Top End NASA launch

AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will make a stop in Darwin this week to sign off the first ever rocket launches from the Arnhem Space Centre.

Three scientific suborbital sounding rockets will be launched between June 26 and July 12 from the space centre, owned by Equatorial Launch Australia.

The occasion will mark the first time NASA launches rockets from a commercial facility outside of the United States, and the first time NASA has launched any rockets from Australia since 1995.

“We can trace Australia’s celebrated connection to the space industry back to the 1950s,” Mr Albanese said. “As a nation we have to build on that legacy. This project will bring together global and local industry to take Australia’s space sector into a new era.”

Around 75 NASA personnel will be in Australia for the launches, with the missions investigating heliophysics, astrophysics and planetary science phenomena only observable from the southern hemisphere.

The Arnhem Space Centre is located on the Dhupuma Plateau near Nhulunbuy, on the lands of the Gumatj people.

Anthony Albanese will land in Darwin this week to sign off on the first set of launches at the Arnhem Space Centre.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles called it a “landmark occasion” for the Top End.

“We have backed this project from inception and now we’re less than a month away from seeing the launch of NASA’s first sounding rocket from the Arnhem Space Centre,” Ms Fyles said.

“NASA is adding capacity and rocketing East Arnhem Land into the global spotlight for investors — this will help our industry grow, create more jobs for locals and more opportunities for businesses.”