Establishing Moon base key opportunity for Australian space agency: CSIRO

CANBERRA, Sept. 24 — Australia’s space agency has the capability to help establish a human base on the Moon, according to the nation’s peak scientific body.
In its industry roadmap for the space exploration sector released on Monday, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) said that Australia’s domestic space industry could be worth 12 billion Australian dollars (8.7 billion U.S. dollars) by 2030.
“Our space roadmap charts a course for economic growth using space, and champions a new era of space exploration to inspire our children with the power of science to make the ‘impossible’ possible,” CSIRO chief executive Larry Marshall said in a media release.
“Our existing space industry is built on a foundation of trust earned 50 years ago when we enabled the world to see mankind touch the Moon.
“That kind of inspiration is a key ingredient in supercharging growth in new industries, new jobs, new science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) talent and developing a dynamic nation where the sky is no longer the limit.”
The report, “Space: A Roadmap for unlocking future growth opportunities for Australia,” found that Australia’s “unique strengths and geographic advantages” would “increase Australia’s share of the international space sector.”
It said that “Australian space sector support for the lunar challenge would be an opportunity to grow our existing relationships with global partners, including international space agencies.”
The CSIRO identified three key opportunities for developing the domestic space industry such as building capabilities to observe Earth from space, working with international agencies to track objects in space and supporting space exploration.
“CSIRO’s unique position creates a bridge between research and industry to deliver breakthrough innovation to Australian SMEs and start-ups across the space value chain,” Marshall said. – XINHUA