Australia prepares for war in space

This week, the Defence Minister announced the launch of Australia’s Defence Space Command, which we need because China and Russia are apparently a military threat both in and out-of-this-world.

This week, the Defence Minister announced the launch of Australia’s Defence Space Command, which we need because China and Russia are apparently a military threat both in and out-of-this-world.

Australia is "far behind" in the military capabilities required to “fry” or “blind” enemy advances in space.

Two of the biggest aggressors on Earth right now are also the nation's biggest concern out there in the galaxy, according to Australia's first Space Commander Catherine Roberts.

“What scares me the most? I think the activities of China and Russia – which have been fairly well documented in the public domain – scare me.

“Our lack of capability at the moment against those threats, that is concerning. We have a great ally (in the US) but we need to accelerate the capability so we can deal with the threats.”

Australia's first space commander Catherine Roberts.

Roberts aired these concerns after Defence Minister Peter Dutton on Tuesday announced the launch of Australia’s Defence Space Command in response to the growing militarisation of space.

The Space Command's job is to develop Australia's military space capabilities to protect intelligence, surveillance and exploration assets including satellites.

Roberts said Australia had no way to counter potential Chinese or Russian attacks on vital satellites without US help, leaving the ­nation exposed to devastating ­attacks on civilian systems.

And there are a number of ways this could happen, she says.

A satellite could be jammed, dazzled with lasers to blind it, hit with electronic ­attacks thereby disabling it, or it could be “fried”.

Although no one actually owns space - unlike how a few countries own geopolitically tense parts of Antarctica- Mr Dutton thinks Australia needs to hold our own out there.

“By developing our sovereign space capabilities, we will not only become more self-reliant, but also be a better ally and partner through the combined effects of our capabilities,” Mr Dutton said on announcing the new space command.

The appointment of Australia's first space commander in January largely flew under the radar. 

Catherine Roberts is a trained engineer who served in the RAAF for 35 years and was awarded a Conspicuous Service Cross for outstanding achievement in aviation.

Our space commander's childhood hero was Neil Armstrong, the first person to land on the moon and the first person to have "a material impact on my ambition," Roberts said.