Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

Earlier this month, the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science announced that Australia will host the world's largest space conference, in 2020, with thousands of international experts set to join local scientists and astronomers to explore future space missions and investigate trade, research and development opportunities. This is known as the Scientific Assembly of the Committee on Space Research and Associated Events, and this is only the second time this conference has been hosted in the Southern Hemisphere since 1974. It is a ringing endorsement of our people, our infrastructure and the high regard in which we are held in the global space community.

This week, it was announced that Australia will have a role in the $100 million Breakthrough Listen initiative funded by the US based entrepreneur Yuri Milner, which has yielded its first results, achieving observations of an Earth sized planet orbiting the nearest star to our sun, Proxima Centauri. Australia is also taking a lead role in the development of the Square Kilometre Array, the world's largest and most sensitive radio telescope. (Time expired)