NEWS BRIEFING: Aussie reliance on foreign satellites a risk, Science Academy to launch 10 year space science plan

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-01-20 00:01

Australia; New Zealand; NSW; QLD

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*BRIEFING RECORDING AVAILABLE* Australia must build its own network of Earth Observation satellites because, at present, all the satellite data used here comes from foreign sources, according to some of the country’s top scientists. This poses a significant sovereign risk as growing environmental, commercial and geopolitical stresses mean Australia’s future access to this data is far from guaranteed. The recommendation is among several in a new national 10-year plan for Australian space science, launched today by the Australian Academy of Science (AAS). The plan also recommends establishing a national program of space weather research. Based on our current capacity, the experts warn, we would only receive about one hours’ warning of a major space weather event that could potentially knock out global aviation, satellites, power grids and radio communication. The plan’s other recommendations include: establishing a Lead Scientist in the Australian Space Agency; establishing space science as a national research priority, and committing to and investing in an ongoing national space program. Join us for this online briefing, when three experts from AAS will discuss the plan and its implications.