Morrison joins Trump’s $350bn space race

Australian companies to be part of Trump’s 2024 plan to use the moon as a ‘launch pad’ to Mars.

Scott Morrison is investing $150m for Australian companies to be part of Donald Trump’s 2024 plan to use the moon as a “launching pad” to Mars.

As part of his ten-day trip to the United States the Prime Minister formally announced at the NASA headquarters in Washington DC that the government will provide a fund to help Australian business develop new technology as part of the grand new $350 billion US space plan.

US President Trump welcomed Australia’s participation in the five-year plan for man to return to the moon and ultimately establish a colony on Mars when Mr Morrison was in the Oval Office as part of his state visit.

Jenny Morrison and First Lady Melania Trump share a laugh during Saturday’s state dinner. Picture: Adam Taylor

The day after visiting the White House Mr Morrison said the $150m fund was to help Australian Space Agency and business partners develop new technologies as part of NASA’s “inspirational campaign to return to the Moon and travel to Mars”.

“The five-year investment will see the Australian Space Agency foster the new ideas and hi-tech skilled jobs that will make Australian businesses a partner of choice to fit out NASA missions,” Mr Morrison said in Washington.

“Australian businesses and researchers will have the opportunity to showcase their immense knowledge and capabilities in projects that can support NASA’s Moon to Mars mission, such as Project Artemis and the Lunar Gateway.

Mr Morrison arrives at the Arlington Cemetery to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington DC on Sunday.

“It will also support Australian businesses to become more competitive in international space supply chains and to increase Australia’s share in a growing US$350 billion global space market.

“We’re backing Australian businesses to the moon, and even Mars, and back,” the Prime Minister said.

“We’re getting behind Australian businesses so they can take advantage of the pipeline of work NASA has committed to.

“There is enormous opportunity for Australia’s space sector which is why we want to triple its size to $12 billion to create around 20,000 extra jobs by 2030,” he said.

PM urges Trump to end to China trade dispute

Mr Morrison is still confident the US and China can bring about a timely end to their trade dispute.

President Trump said on Friday he wasn’t sure the issues could be resolved before the next presidential election, in November 2020. Mr Morrison said if a deal was delayed that long Australia would address the economic implications in thegovernment’s mid-year budget update and next May’s budget.

“We had a discussion about that yesterday and I’ve obviously urged that the sooner we can get to an outcome on that,” he told reporters in Washington on Sunday, Australian time.

While the Prime Minister has been feted at the highest levels in the American capital, he has yet to receive an invitation to Beijing.

But he insisted that was “not something that’s closely vexing us”, saying the relationship with China was on good enough terms.

KEY OUTCOMES FROM SCOTT MORRISON’S MEETING WITH DONALD TRUMP

* Australia confirmed its intent to join US-led patrols through the Strait of Hormuz, south of Iran.

* Agreement to develop a new mechanism to strengthen and align co-ordination of Indo-Pacific strategies.

* Trade departments to sign a memorandum of co-operation to support infrastructure development in the Indo-Pacific, with a focus on Pacific island nations.

* Australian Space Agency to sign a joint statement of intent in support of NASA’s plans to return to the moon by 2024 and onto Mars, and to expand collaboration in areas of mutual interest such as robotics, automation, and remote medicine.

* Agreement to hold high-level discussions in Washington, DC in November to develop a critical minerals action plan and increase trade in rare earths between the US and Australia.

* Enhance co-operation between the scientific communities through a joint senior- level dialogue on advancing frontier technologies.

* Agreement to work together on marine plastic debris and to support efforts on improved waste management, recycling, and innovation.

* CSIRO to join the US government-funded ReCell Center’s industrial advisory council to deepen collaboration on lithium-ion recycling.

* Australia will join the US Hydrogen Safety Centre and send emergency services personnel to work on developing best practices in hydrogen safety. * National Science Foundation will send a delegation of subject matter experts to Australia to work with scientific, engineering, and education communities on identifying research projects in areas of mutual and strategic interest.