Specialist warns focus on space could lead to science brain drain from other industries

Scott Morrison’s promise to commit $150m to assist the US moonshot has been cautiously welcomed by space science experts.

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the NASA headquarters in Washington DC, United States. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

Scott Morrison’s promise to commit $150m to assist the US to return astronauts to the moon has been cautiously welcomed by space science experts. The Australian Space Agency would make the funds available to Australian companies to develop technologies that would assist the US NASA mission to return astronauts to the moon by 2024.

But enthusiasm for the fund ­announcement, made in Washington by the Prime Minister, is ­accompanied by warnings that it could result in a hi-tech brain drain from other key Australian security and defence projects.

Australian astronaut and former NASA space shuttle expert Andy Thomas has said industry in Australia could be transformed by investment in new technologies and new scientific enterprises.

But Brett Biddington, adjunct professor from the Security Research Institute at Edith Cowan University, said Australian companies seeking to access funds would find themselves drawing down on an already small hi-tech workforce.

Dr Biddington said qualified personnel were already in high demand, notably to support major defence programs including the Joint Strike Fighter and ship building programs. “Although the government’s commitment to support NASA is small, it can be expected to add pressure,” he said.

“The workforce cannot be thought of as a cut-and-come-again magic pudding. The challenge rests with our schools, universities and TAFEs to produce enough scientists, engineers and innovators to meet the increasing demands of modern industry.”

He warned Australia could also face barriers in exchanging space technologies between nations, due to the “dual use” environment of outer space in which military and non-military payloads shared ­orbits and technologies.

“Civil and military or security activities are conducted concurrently by space-faring nations. The dual use nature of space will present challenges to Australian industry because many technologies are protected by export controls that may restrict the flow of relevant information to Australia from the United States,” Dr Biddington said.

“It may also limit the export of Australian space technologies to potential customers overseas.”

He said the Australian Space Agency, mandated to develop the Australian space sector, was aware of these issues. “But negotiations even between close allies may be exceptionally difficult as the exact nature of Australia’s contribution to NASA’s return-to-the-moon plans are hammered out.”

Space scientists at the University of Western Australia said they were optimistic about Mr Morrison’s announcement. As a partner in the Square Kilometre Array telescope project, UWA’s research team is part of the worldwide hunt for gravitational waves.

UWA vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater said: “We are looking forward to more details about the Prime Minister’s investment in Australian space science and research.”

She pointed to UWA graduate Enrico Palermo as an example of the university’s commitment to space: Mr Palermo has been chosen to lead Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space fleet.

Richard Price, chief executive of the South Australian Space Industry Centre, says Australia’s participation in NASA’s moon endeavour “presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Aus­tralian companies and researchers to get involved in the global space sector. There are so many passionate and energetic young Australians who want to be involved in space. Their dreams will be further encouraged by this investment as it will inspire more of them to study science and mathematics at school, which can only benefit Australia’s hi-tech industries.”

Head of the Australian Space Agency Megan Clark hinted earlier this year the mining industry could help the space industry in using remote equipment controlled from vast distances.

Ms Clark sits on the board of Rio Tinto and the company is collaborating with the space industry to see how mining technology could be used in space.

Additional reporting: Paige Taylor