Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am delighted to speak about the Australian space sector, which is an incredibly fast-growing sector of our economy. The global space industry is currently worth at least $366 billion, but it's forecast to reach as much as $1 trillion in value by 2040. I'd be very surprised if it doesn't reach that target well before that time. The Australian Space Agency has the goal of tripling our space industry here, capturing a $12 billion market share—up from $5.2 billion in 2018-19—and creating 30,000 jobs by 2030. The Albanese government recognises that the space sector can make a very valuable contribution to Australia's modern economy. Whether this is in deploying technology to track bushfires from orbit or developing autonomous space systems with applications in mining and agriculture, the space industry is delivering and will continue to deliver for Australians. That's why our government is backing the industry in.

The $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund will provide future funding opportunities for the space industry. Space sector projects are explicitly included in the enabling capabilities priority area. I welcome this private motion, but the fact that the opposition is today raising the National Reconstruction Fund and what it should do is quite frankly astounding. I simply remind those opposite that they voted against the National Reconstruction Fund. I'm happy to be bipartisan on these issues, as these private members' bills often are, but the fact is that they did vote against. I think it's worth noting. They're saying one thing and voting the other way. But this $392 million industry growth program that our government has announced in the budget will also provide opportunities for space companies. Across government, there is $10 billion available to support the space sector over the forward estimates and beyond, so, for those opposite to suggest that there's an underinvestment in the Australian space industry, those opposite must seriously be on another planet. Maybe that's what they're trying to do—get back home, hoping they'll get picked up!

We are working closely with our international partners to develop our space industry. It's incredibly exciting, as the previous speaker said, that Katherine Bennell-Pegg, an employee of the Australian Space Agency, became the first Australian to train as an astronaut with the European Space Agency. Additionally, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pamela Melroy visited Australia in March, which was the first such visit since 2014. I had a good yarn with them up at the US ambassador's house. During the visit, Administrator Nelson called for an Australian astronaut to fly with NASA. Australia has a long history of collaboration in space with the US, dating back to the 1950s, including by helping to broadcast the Apollo 11 moon landing to the world and tracking the most recent Artemis mission. It makes me very proud that Australia joined the United States Moon to Mars exploration program. Just last month, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden announced the technology safeguards agreement, or TSA, on the sidelines of the G7 in Japan. The TSA will allow for the transfer of US space technology, including rockets and satellites, to be launched from Australia. Honourable members will probably know and understand that there have been NASA rockets fired from the Northern Territory. Out near the Garma site in Arnhem Land, not far from Nhulunbuy, we saw those rockets launch into space. The territory's geographic location provides a host of benefits for launch facilities and for ground stations because we're close to the equator, we have a low population in the Southern Hemisphere and we have clear skies with low-light pollution. For all your rocket launching needs, just come up to the Northern Territory. (Time expired)

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