First image released from the SKA-Low Observatory
From Space to Earth: adapting astronaut medical strategies for emergency and disaster management
60th Electron rocket launch more good news for Rocket Lab
The Indo-Pacific’s role in robotics and remote operations
ISRO demonstrates space docking capability
US Space Force to deepen international ties, opens door for Australia
SpAARC is Australia’s national hub for remote and autonomous mission operations – purpose-built to deliver intelligent control across space, maritime, and resource domains. Operated by Fugro with support from the Western Australian Government, SpAARC combines advanced robotics, AI-driven automation, and secure infrastructure to manage missions from Earth’s deepest oceans to the lunar surface and beyond.
As one of the few facilities globally designed for real-time command of uncrewed robotic systems at planetary scale, SpAARC enables seamless mission planning, testing, and live operations. Already supporting lunar landers, robotic vessels, and mining automation, SpAARC demonstrates Australia’s leadership in remote operations—and o ers a trusted, globally connected partner for complex missions anywhere.
We speak with Mr. Jonathan Hung, Executive Director at the Office for Space Technology & Industry (OSTIn), Singapore’s National Space Office.
Mr. Hung was formerly the Executive Chairman of Singapore Space and Technology Limited (SSTL), Asia Pacific’s leading organisation focused on developing the space technology industry. His international work experience includes senior management roles with CAE Inc., Rheinmetall, ST Engineering and Flex, where he’s credited for establishing and leading their successful Advanced Innovation Centre.
Mr. Hung currently serves on the Board of the World Robot Olympiad Association, chairs the Asia Pacific Sub-Committee at the International Astronautical Federation, and is an Honorary Board Member at the Space Generation Advisory Council.
We speak with Ms Géraldine Naja, Director of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness, European Space Agency (ESA).
A French national, Geraldine holds over 30 years of experience, expertise and knowledge within the European space sector, in programmatic, managerial and strategy development positions.
She is responsible for elaborating and implementing ESA’s industrial and procurement policies, conducting negotiations with industry, and managing procurement for all the Agency’s activities and programmes. Furthermore, Geraldine is responsible for enabling and boosting European space commercialisation and business development ambitions through innovative programmes, tools and partnerships.
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Welcome to this special edition for the 40th Space Symposium, Colorado Springs, USA and announcing our inaugural Indo-Pacific Robotics, Autonomy, AI and Cyber (IPRAAC) Conference and Exhibition, an official adjacent event to the International Astronautical Congress, Sydney 2025.
This edition recognises our National Sponsors, Curtin University, Fugro SpAARC and our strategic partnerships with the International Astronautical Federation, SIA – India, Space Faculty, International Optical Technologies Association and the Andy Thomas Space Foundation.
To propel the Indo-Pacific region’s robotics and remote operations capabilities to orbital heights, writes Dharshun Sridharan, there is an opportunity to leverage Australia’s unique strengths – its harsh environments, vast distances, and now its space infrastructure. The next generation of rovers, drones, and autonomous systems that will explore the Moon, Mars and beyond could very well be a joint Indo-Pacific effort, assembled from many sources but proven on Australian soil.
This edition highlights the Indo-Pacific as a unique region for the global space industry. With successful moon missions from India, China and a world leading number of launch missions from New Zealand, there is aspiring space activities from Japan, Korea, Australia and regionally with Southeast Asia. Singapore recently doubled down to be a regional industry hub, announcing an additional USD45 million over two years and signing letters of intent with the European Space Agency (ESA) and launching an Earth Observation Initiative.
ESA and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have extended their cooperation to 2027 on using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites in Earth science and applications. This reflects the extension of the operational life of the ALOS-2 mission, and the agencies signed a new ten-year framework agreement for a strategic partnership to develop cooperative activities in Earth observation that contribute to climate action.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense has awarded space servicing company Astroscale Japan a USD48 million contract to develop a responsive space system demonstration satellite prototype. The project, running to March 2028, includes the development and testing of a proto-flight model for a small geostationary demonstration satellite. A future on-orbit demonstration aims to improve autonomous and agile satellite operations and space environment monitoring capabilities while bolstering space operations.
Korea’s Aerospace Administration (KASA) has established a Mars task force in response to the election of US President Donald Trump and the influence of Elon Musk. John Lee, the head of Korea’s state space agency, thinks exploration of Mars will supersede exploration of the Moon as a priority during Trump’s term in the White House and that there is an opportunity for Korea to leap-frog other nation’s space sectors.
Aside from building space ties with the US, Lee has said Korea was on track to have its own reusable space launch vehicle by 2032 and plans to conduct up to six next generation launch vehicle missions by 2035, spending around USD1.38 billion in development.
China’s Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology Ltd (SSST) sent
another 18 communication satellites into low-Earth orbit in March 2025. The deployments marked a small step in a far bigger plan to have up to 15,000 satellites in orbit. The satellites hitched a ride into space atop a Long March 8 rocket. The mission, named G60 Polar Group 05, lifted off from the Wenchang Commercial Space Port in Hainan Province. The Ku, Q and V band satellite payload was the fifth batch making up the Spacesail Constellation.
SSST aims to have around 600 satellites in the constellation by the end of 2025. But it wants to more than double that number by the end of 2027. SSST’s longer-term plan is to have 15,000 satellites in orbit and compete with US entities like SpaceX’s Starlink.
China this year also made a satellite to ground station transmission speed breakthrough after successfully conducting its first 100Gbps ultrahigh-speed satellite-to-ground laser transmission test for high-resolution remote sensing imagery.
India’s first Gaganyaan mission, scheduled for 2026, intends to demonstrate its sovereign human spaceflight capability by sending three astronauts to an orbit of 400 kilometres for three days before bringing them back and splashing down in Indian waters. The orbital module will piggyback into space on a domestically developed LVM3 rocket, the workhorse of the India Space Research Organisation (ISRO) space program.
Australian communications networks were used to monitor ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 Moon rover in August 2023. The two countries will now work together in supporting the Gaganyaan mission, as well as other space programs. Australia is looking at contributing an earth observation payload to India’s G20 satellite and has invested USD11.2 to support satellite projects developed by three Australian companies with Indian partners.
The Australian Space Agency has written, and re-written rules making launch and returns both safe and commercially sustainable and in 2024 ratified the Australia-US Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA). Recent successes include the Varda W-2 mission returning to Southern Launch’s Koonibba test range in South Australia and Gilmour Space Technologies is scheduling their maiden launch of Eris, the first Australian-designed and built rocket intended for orbit from Queensland.
Highlighting the launch opportunities for Australia, Rocket Lab successfully conducted its 60th Electron rocket launch earlier this year from New Zealand’s North Island, its second launch of the year at the time. The ‘Fasten Your Space Belts’ mission lifted off from Rocket Lab’s Mahia Launch Complex on February 19. Onboard was a Gen-3 satellite for BlackSky’s Earth-imaging satellite constellation. It is the first of multiple Gen-3 launches Rocket Lab will undertake for BlackSky. The NASDAQ-listed company has its origins in Auckland and is intended to beat the sixteen launches in 2024, which will include three launches for the Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space (iQPS), a Japan-based Earth imaging company.
In this addition we also have interviews with agency leaders from the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia alongside Australia and Singapore. As always, we cover the full diversity of the space industry and there is so much more to touch on, including live, embedded content in the digital edition. Enjoy the reading, watching and listening.
The National Resilience and Security (NRAS) Program o ce is facilitating world-class industry partnerships. We’re advancing new technologies and talent pipelines to contribute to Indo-Pacific regional security and prosperity.
To explore new ideas and learn more about partnering with Curtin University, please contact NRAS@curtin.edu.au
Curtin University researchers have gained an unprecedented glimpse into the early history of our solar system through some of the most wellpreserved asteroid samples ever collected, potentially transforming our understanding of planetary formation and the origins of life.
www.spaceanddefense.io
Experts from Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences were selected to be amongst the first in the world to inspect samples collected during NASA’s seven-year OSIRIS-REx mission to the ancient asteroid Bennu.
Asteroid Bennu is thought to be made of rubble fragments from a 4.5-billion-year-old parent body, containing materials that originated beyond Saturn, which was destroyed long ago in a collision with another object.
The OSIRIS-REx sample analysis team identified a variety of salts, including sodium carbonates, phosphates, sulphates, and chlorides. Associate Professor Nick Timms said the discovery of these salts was a breakthrough in space research
“We were surprised to identify the mineral halite, which is sodium chloride, exactly the same salt that you might put on your chips,” Associate Professor Timms said. “The minerals we found form from evaporation of brines, a bit like salt deposits forming in the salt lakes that we have in Australia and around the world.”
“By comparing with mineral sequences from salt lakes on Earth, we can start to envisage what it was like on the parent body of asteroid Bennu, providing insight into ancient cosmic water activity,” he added.
Evaporite minerals and brines are known to help organic molecules develop on Earth.
“A briny, carbon-rich environment on Bennu’s parent body was probably suitable for assembling the building blocks of life,” Timms said.
The key to the new discovery was the pristine condition of the samples. Many of the salts present degrade quickly when exposed to the atmosphere,
however the samples collected on the OSIRIS-REx mission were sealed and purged with nitrogen once on Earth to prevent contamination.
NASA chose Curtin to perform early analysis on the samples, the largest ever retrieved from a world beyond the Moon, due to the globally renowned John de Laeter Centre’s world-leading expertise and facilities.
Centre Director Associate Professor Will Rickard said the facility houses more than AUD50 million in advanced analytical instruments.
“The Centre is one of the few places in the world which could verify if the salts were in fact extraterrestrial in origin or if they had been contaminated by elements from Earth,” he said.
“Our specialised facilities at Curtin allowed us to maintain the pristine condition of the samples, which meant when we discovered the salts were extraterrestrial and unaltered, we knew it was an important finding because these samples preserve evidence of some of the earliest phenomena of the solar system.”
The findings from returned samples of asteroid Bennu may provide researchers insight into what happens on distant icy bodies in our solar system, such as Saturn’s moon Enceladus and the dwarf planet Ceres in the asteroid belt.
“Both Enceladus and Ceres have subsurface brine oceans,” Timms said. “Even though asteroid Bennu has no life, the question is, could other icy bodies harbour life?”
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provided overall mission management, systems engineering, and the safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx. Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona, Tucson, is the principal investigator. The university leads the science team and the mission’s science observation planning and data processing. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, built the spacecraft and provided flight operations.
An Evaporite Sequence From Ancient Brine Recorded in Bennu Samples, was published in Nature.
Courtesy of Space and Defense News
The first image from the international SKA Observatory’s telescope in Australia, SKA-Low, has been released, a milestone in its quest to reveal an unparalleled view of the Universe.
www.spaceanddefense.io
It is the first image from an early working version of the SKA-Low telescope, using just 1,024 of the planned 131,072 antennas and is an exciting indication of the scientific revelations that will be possible with the world’s most powerful radio observatory. SKA-Low is one of two telescopes under construction by the SKA Observatory (SKAO), co-hosted in Australia and South Africa on behalf of its member states and the global community.
The image shows an area of sky of about 25 square degrees, equivalent to approximately 100 full Moons. In it are around 85 of the brightest known galaxies in that region, all of which contain supermassive black holes. When complete, the same area of sky will reveal much more. Scientists calculate the telescope will be sensitive enough to show more than 600,000 galaxies in the same frame.
The image was produced using data collected from the first four connected SKA-Low stations, which together comprise the first 1,024 of SKA-Low’s twometre-tall metal antennas. They were installed over the past year at Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory on Wajarri Yamaji Country, and account for less than one percent of the full telescope.
SKA-Low Lead Commissioning Scientist Dr George Heald said he was delighted to see how well the first four stations were working together.
“The quality of this image was even beyond what we hoped for using such an early version of the telescope,” he said.
“The bright galaxies we can see in this image are just the tip of iceberg. With the full telescope we will have the sensitivity to reveal the faintest and most distant galaxies, back to the early Universe when the first stars and galaxies started to form. This is technically difficult work and the first step to unlocking the awesome science that will be possible.”
SKA-Low Telescope Director Dr Sarah Pearce said the team had achieved stellar results.
“This is the culmination of effort from many talented and committed people across teams, organisations and continents,” she said. “Getting to this point has taken engineers, astronomers and computer scientists from all over the world, working for decades.”
“It’s amazing to see all this work come together to give our first glimpse of the brilliant images that will come from SKA-Low, promising us a view of the Universe we’ve never seen before,” added Pearce.
The SKA telescopes – SKA-Low in remote Western Australia and its counterpart SKA-Mid in South Africa’s Northern Cape, are arrays that combine the data captured by individual antennas spread over large distances, working together as one big telescope.
SKAO Director-General Professor Philip Diamond said the image illustrated the dawn of the Observatory as a science facility.
“With this image we see the promise of the SKA Observatory as it opens its eyes to the Universe,” he said. ”This first image is a critical step for the Observatory, and for the astronomy community; we are demonstrating that the system as a whole is working. As the telescopes grow, and more stations and dishes come online, we’ll see the images improve in leaps and bounds and start to realise the full power of the SKAO.”
The SKA telescopes are being constructed in stages, with components coming from SKAO member countries around the world.
In Australia, SKA-Low is being built in collaboration with Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO. It will scale significantly to become the world’s largest low-frequency radio telescope within the next two years, part-way through construction.
The observatory site has been established with the support of the Australian and Western Australian governments.
This Australia-India webinar explores and highlights opportunities for collaboration between Australia and India across space and adjacent industries. Includes pitch sessions from the following companies: LatConnect 60, Space Machine Company QL Space Skyserve Logic Fruit Technologies, and Agnikul Kosmos
Nashid Chowdhury Investment and Trade Commissioner, India-Gulf
GOVERNMENT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
James Yuen
Executive Director – Innovation and Emerging Sectors
WA DEPARTMENT OF JOBS, TOURISM, SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
Sudheer Kumar N.
Former Director, CBPO ISRO-HQ
Dr Tony Robinson Director International Partnerships
AUSTRALIAN SPACE AGENCY
Prakash
Securing our seas: innovations and challenges
This session explored gaining insights in the latest developments and capabilities for establishing and maintaining situational awareness across the maritime domain, with a focus on security, sustainability and space-earth observation.
PANELISTS
Contributed by Dr.
The same medical innovations that keep astronauts alive in space are revolutionizing emergency medicine, telemedicine, trauma care, and psychological resilience on Earth. In space, survival hinges on adaptability, resourcefulness, and advanced technology, qualities just as crucial in disaster zones, remote areas, and conflict regions. Space Medicine for Earthlings, a virtual series by Australia in Space, convened top experts to discuss how these breakthroughs are shaping crisis and disaster response on our planet.
Dr. Josef Schmid: Telemedicine, Holoportation, and AI for Crisis Response
NASA Flight Surgeon and Orion Medical Operations Lead Dr. Schmid emphasized how telemedicine and AI-assisted diagnostics are transforming both space and terrestrial medicine. Astronauts must function autonomously with limited medical support, mirroring the constraints in remote or conflict settings where immediate healthcare is scarce.
Communication delays present a major obstacle in space medicine, making real-time specialist consultations difficult. This challenge parallels field hospitals in war zones or isolated disaster sites, where connectivity may be limited. To overcome these barriers, AI-driven decision support systems can guide non-medical personnel through complex procedures when experts are unreachable. Originally designed for deep-space missions, AI-assisted triage can also speed up data processing to prioritize patient care in mass casualty events. Building on telemedicine, holoportation using augmented reality can place medical experts virtually in crisis situations. Specialists could offer real-time guidance to field medics as though physically present, extending high-level care into challenging environments.
Dr. Ekaterina Kostioukhina: Human Hibernation for Trauma and Survival
Physician and human hibernation researcher Dr. Kostioukhina explored how inducing hypometabolic states could transform trauma care. Though once the domain of science fiction, hibernation research is rapidly advancing with potential for disaster response and survival in extreme scenarios.
One promising approach is extending the “golden hour,” the brief period after severe injury that can determine survival. By lowering metabolic demands, teams buy time for transport and definitive care, even when oxygen or advanced treatment is delayed by environmental challenges. Another emerging application is “suspended animation” for organ failure or severe infections, allowing patients to remain stable until higher-level care is available and reducing mortality in large-scale emergencies. In parallel, emerging organ preservation techniques employ similar methods to keep donor organs viable longer, boosting transplant success rates when supply is limited and time is critical.
Dr. Shawna Pandya: Women’s Health and Space Medicine in Disaster Response
Commercial astronaut candidate and Space Medicine Group Director Dr. Pandya highlighted the importance of gender-specific research. Historically, space medicine data has focused on male astronauts, leaving knowledge gaps in how female physiology reacts to radiation, microgravity, and prolonged isolation, gaps mirrored in many disaster protocols.
Menstrual health is a key concern. Female astronauts often choose menstrual suppression during missions, but more research is needed to understand how hormonal changes affect resilience and medication efficacy in stressful, isolated conditions. Pharmacological stability is another issue: on extended space missions, 60–98% of medications could degrade due to radiation and microgravity. These findings are directly relevant to disaster medicine, where disrupted supply chains and extreme temperatures can compromise drug quality.
Dr. Vladimir Ivkovic: Physiological Monitoring and Psychological Resilience
Dr. Ivkovic from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School focused on space-developed physiological monitoring, originally for astronauts, now aiding high-risk professionals like firefighters, soldiers, and first responders. Wearable brain imaging and physiological monitors track stress, cognitive function, and autonomic responses in real time, helping teams maintain optimal performance under extreme pressure.
By detecting early signs of cognitive fatigue or psychological distress, these tools enable timely interventions that improve decision-making. Beyond emergency operations, such monitoring can benefit disaster survivors with limited access to mental health services. Adapted from astronaut well-being programs, portable systems can measure stress levels in displaced individuals, informing targeted support and aiding long-term recovery.
In space, the hostile environment itself demands crisis management. Every aspect of care must account for isolation, limited resources, and delayed support. This expertise is now reshaping emergency response on Earth, with experts highlighting these priorities:
• Expand Telemedicine Networks: AI-enhanced diagnostics and holoportation can bring expert guidance to disaster teams wherever needed.
• Develop Hypometabolic Protocols for Trauma: Research on metabolic suspension could extend survival during transport and in resource-scarce zones.
• Implement Physiological Monitoring for First Responders: Wearable devices tracking cognitive and stress indicators help optimize performance and safety.
• Improve Medication Storage and Stability: Insights on drug degradation in space can inform best practices for crisis settings with harsh conditions.
• Enhance Psychological Resilience: Mental health protocols for astronaut isolation can be adapted for survivors and frontline workers in disasters.
Space medicine is no longer confined to orbit, it is shaping the future of crisis response on Earth. The lessons learned from safeguarding astronauts are fueling innovations that improve survival, healthcare access, and overall crisis management in some of the most challenging places on our planet.
Disclaimer: Each panelist's views are their own and do not represent the institutions or organizations they are affiliated with.
By Dharshun Sridharan
Robotics and remote operations are increasingly two sides of the same coin, with autonomous machines allowing humans to project their reach across vast distances. Historically, however, these fields have had high barriers to entry – requiring significant expertise, capital, and infrastructure that only a few nations or industries could afford. Today, advances in intelligence and autonomy are lowering these barriers, enabling a broader range of players to innovate. Why? Robots are becoming easier to program, more versatile, and more cost-effective, therefore making robots a more practical investment.
This means even smaller countries and companies can participate, creating a democratised access to robots that fuels a growing ecosystem. The result is a landscape that is competitive yet collaborative –competitive in that many Indo-Pacific nations are racing to develop cutting-edge robotics and remote systems, yet inherently collaborative because sharing technology and expertise accelerates progress for everyone.
The convergence of artificial intelligence with robotics is a key factor shrinking the hurdles to
adoption. Smarter, more autonomous robots reduce the need for constant human supervision, making remote operations more feasible and cost-efficient. AI-driven solutions are providing tools and resources that bridge the automation divide, ensuring organisations of all sizes can benefit. In other words, a robot that can think and adapt on its own – navigating obstacles, adjusting to new tasks – and doesn’t require the highly specialised, hands-on control that older systems did.
Crucially, collaboration has become a hallmark of this new era. Not only are collaborative robots working safely alongside humans, but companies and nations are collaborating to leverage each other’s strengths. The Indo-Pacific region exemplifies this trend, where shared challenges and opportunities are bringing countries together in the pursuit of advanced robotics.
Nearly every Indo-Pacific nation recognises the strategic and economic importance of robotics and remote operations, especially for space applications – whether it’s explicitly mentioned or not. From satellite servicing
to lunar exploration, autonomous systems will be the workhorses of the new space age. Most Indo-Pacific countries are eager to mature and deploy these technologies, seeing them as keys to national innovation and security. Indeed, major regional powers like Japan, China, India, and emerging players like Indonesia, have all developed space capabilities. Nations such as South Korea are global leaders in Earth-based robotics – South Korea leads the world in robot density with over 1,000 robots per 10,000 workers – and are investing heavily in AI and autonomous systems. Even smaller states are contributing unexpectedly, including little known entities such as Sri Lanka.
Yet, there is a clear gap when it comes to spacerated robotics. Many regional players have strong capabilities in Earth-based robotics and remote operations, but “space hardening” – the process of preparing technology to withstand the harsh radiation, vacuum, and temperature extremes of space – remains a major hurdle. Building electronics and machines that can survive cosmic radiation and extreme temperatures is no trivial task.
To put it simply, a robot that works fine in a lab or factory on Earth might fail within minutes in orbit or on the lunar surface. This is where many Indo-Pacific nations face economic, geopolitical, and resource constraints. Developing, testing, and space-hardening robotics requires facilities and budgets often beyond the reach of any single country (especially smaller economies). Even larger nations find it costly and resource-intensive to go it alone in space. Geopolitics plays a role as well –trust and technology-sharing between neighbours can be delicate, and not everyone has access to the same partnerships or supply chains. All these factors beg the question: What should be the Indo-Pacific Operating Model for robotics and remote operations?
A “Competitive yet Collaborative” Operating Model for the Indo-Pacific
The answer lies in forging a “competitive yet collaborative” operating model, where nations leverage their individual strengths as part of a regional ecosystem. In such a model, competition spurs innovation – each country strives to advance
its robotics and autonomous capabilities – but collaboration ensures that successes are shared and multiplied. We can imagine a framework in which design and development of robotic systems happens across various countries (for instance, South Korea’s world-class robotics firms develop hardware and AI, while talented engineers in India or Singapore work on software and algorithms).
These components and ideas could then be brought together through joint projects or consortia, rather than isolated national efforts. Crucially, the final stages of delivery – systems integration, simulation, and spacehardening – could take place in a regional hub where the environment and infrastructure best support it. This is where Australia emerges as a key player.
Australia may not yet boast the most advanced home-grown space robotics programs, but it offers something unique: an ideal testbed and proving
ground for robotics and remote operations. The country’s geographical and environmental advantages are unparalleled in the Indo-Pacific. Australia's vast, unpopulated landscapes and extreme climates—from the scorching red deserts of the Outback to the frigid expanses of its Antarctic territories—and its remote interior spanning enormous distances collectively mirror the harsh conditions that robots might face in space. For example, Rio Tinto’s Remote Operations Centre in Western Australia, controls automated trucks and trains at mines “from thousands of kilometres away”, a feat of logistics and technology. This expertise in managing robots over long distances can directly translate to operating rovers on the Moon or teleoperated systems in orbit.
Furthermore, Australia’s proximity to Antarctica gives it access to one of the most Mars-like environments on Earth. Australian-led teams have been testing robots in Antarctica’s icy, remote conditions as analogues for space missions. In one instance, NASA partnered with the Australian Antarctic Program to trial an under-ice rover beneath Antarctic sea ice – technology that may someday search for life on icy moons. Australian researchers note the parallels between maintaining Antarctic research stations and future lunar bases. In both cases, humans are operating in isolated, hazardous conditions where robots can shoulder much of the routine work.
By serving as a testbed for such extreme-condition robotics, Australia helps develop machines and procedures that are space-hardened – or at least a big step closer to it.
Australia’s role as a proving ground is being further enhanced by its growing launch capabilities. After a long hiatus, Australia is re-entering the space launch arena thanks to new commercial spaceports and international partnerships. In June 2022, NASA conducted the firstever commercial space launch from Australia, flying a rocket from the remote Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. The location proved advantageous: The “dry Australian landscape and its closeness to the equator offer optimal conditions for space launches”, providing stable air and a near-equatorial boost that even some U.S. sites lack.
But what does this mean for robotics and remote operations? It means Australia can take a prototype robot, developed and perhaps first fielded in South Korea or elsewhere, and be the place where it’s pushed to its limits before heading to space. Think
of a sophisticated lunar rover or orbital repair drone built through a pan-Indo-Pacific effort – Australia could host the systems integration phase (bringing together subsystems from different countries), run the simulation and field trials in its deserts or coastal waters, and then conduct the final space-hardening tests. Some of these tests might involve actual launches – for instance, sending the robot on a suborbital flight or to the International Space Station via an Australian launch vehicle – to see how it performs beyond Earth. By doing so, Australia would provide something most of its regional neighbours lack: A one-stop shop to find out if a technology that works on Earth is truly ready for the space environment.
International collaborations are already tapping into Australia’s testing grounds. NASA, for example, has sent its Valkyrie humanoid robot to Western Australia to develop remote operations for offshore facilities, an initiative that serves dual purposes: Improving safety in oil and gas sites while preparing robots for lunar base maintenance. By operating Valkyrie in Western Australia, NASA hopes to learn how to better design robots for work in dirty and hazardous conditions, like those found on the Moon. In other words, Australia’s challenging environments are directly helping space agencies harden their robots for extraterrestrial duty. By positioning itself at the final stages of delivery for robotics and remote systems – the integration, testing, and space-hardening phase – Australia could be the key to unlocking the Indo-Pacific’s collective potential in space. Countries like South Korea, Japan, India, and others can continue to advance robotics for factories, hospitals, and military uses on Earth, knowing that when it comes time to take the leap into space, they have a partner equipped to validate and toughen their creations for the cosmos. Meanwhile, Australia gains access to the latest technologies and know-how, boosting its own capabilities. It’s a symbiotic relationship: As Indo-Pacific nations mature their Earth-based robotics, Australia provides the launchpad (literally and figuratively) to turn those into space-rated assets. This cooperative pipeline means no single nation has to bear the full burden or expense alone.
An Indo-Pacific Operating Model starts to take shape – one where, for example, South Korea’s advanced manufacturing of robots, Sri Lanka’s burgeoning tech talent, and Australia’s testing and launch infrastructure are all pieces of a larger puzzle. Each nation remains competitive in its niche, but they come together in a collaborative ecosystem to achieve what none could accomplish in isolation.
Software
Systems integration
Multiple providers (including Australia)
Environmental testing and durability enhancement
Multiple providers (including Australia)
The Indo-Pacific has an opportunity to truly leverage Australia’s unique strengths – its harsh environments, vast distances, and now its space infrastructure – to propel the Indo-Pacific’s robotics and remote operations capabilities to orbital heights. The next generation of rovers, drones, and autonomous systems that will explore the Moon and beyond could very well be a joint Indo-Pacific effort, assembled from many sources but proven on Australian soil.
Such collaboration would unlock tremendous value: Indo-Pacific nations would overcome economic and technical constraints by sharing the load, and Australia would solidify its role as a regional leader and innovator. The challenges of space are too great for lone actors, but together a “competitive yet collaborative” Indo-Pacific can turn ambition into achievement. By embracing a regional Operating Model with Australia as the final proving ground, the region can accelerate the maturation of robotics into space-rated capabilities, ensuring that when humanity’s robots do reach for the stars, the Indo-Pacific is leading the charge.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully docked two SPADEX satellites in space, approximately 475 kilometres above sea level. ISRO said the mission demonstrated India’s ability to dock craft in space. It becomes the fourth country to do so, after the US, China, and Russia.
“Congratulations to our scientists at ISRO and the entire space fraternity for the successful demonstration of space docking of satellites,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “It is a significant stepping stone for India’s ambitious space missions in the years to come.”
The SpaDeX mission launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on December 30, 2024. The two spacecraft, launched via an ISRO-developed Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), separated in space. The docking of the two satellites on January 16 came after four postponements.
After the two 220-kilogram satellites completed the docking process, they transferred electrical power before separating and activating their payloads.
India is quickly making its mark in the space sector. The Indian Space Research Organisation says having the capacity to dock craft in space is vital for the upcoming Indian Space Station and Chandrayaan-4 missions.
The Chandrayaan-4 mission is a lunar landing, sampling, and return mission. It will demonstrate India’s ability to land a crew on the Moon and safely return them to Earth. The mission is expected to launch around 2027–2028 and ISRO is targeting 2040 to put its people on the Moon.
Further down the track, the mission will help India establish a long-term presence beyond Earth’s orbit.
ISRO also hopes its planned Bharatiya Antariksha Space Station will be operational by the middle of next
decade. The modular space station will maintain an orbit of approximately 400 kilometres. ISRO says its astronauts could stay there for three to six months.
ISRO demonstrates longer Vikas liquid engine restart
Meanwhile, ISRO also successfully demonstrated restarting its Vikas liquid engine at its propulsion complex in Mahendragiri on January 17. The Vikas engine powers the liquid stages of its launch vehicles.
“In this test, the engine was fired for 60 seconds after which it was shut-off for a period of 120 seconds followed by restart and firing for seven seconds duration,” an ISRO statement reads. “All engine parameters during the test were normal and as expected.”
A shorter duration restart was successfully carried out last month with a shut-off time of 42 seconds and firing duration of seven seconds each.
“This stage is the tenth L110 liquid stage integrated at the ISRO Propulsion Complex and is earmarked for the LVM3 mission under a commercial agreement between NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) and AST SpaceMobile & Science to launch their BlueBird Block 2 satellite,” the statement added.
ISRO plans further tests in the coming days to refine the engine’s performance under restart conditions.
Separately, in the wake of the SpaDeX launch, the Indian Government has approved the establishment of a third launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. It will take four years to build and cost INR39.85 billion rupees (AUD743.3 million). ISRO says it will support next-generation launch vehicles, future human spaceflight missions and augment existing launches.
The US Space Force wants to work more closely with international partners, including Australia. It is preparing to lay down the blueprint for doing so in the coming months through a new international partnership strategy.
RAF Air Marshal Paul Godfrey, currently serving in an exchange role as Assistant Chief of Space Operations for Future Concepts and Partnerships at US Space Force, revealed the plan last week while speaking at National Security Space Association’s Defense and Intelligence Space Conference in Virginia.
Godfrey said his job involves “driving the Space Force to think about allied, commercial, and partner in every capability, every operation, and every mission.”
He said the Space Force wanted to deepen links with its closest allies.
“We are focused on incorporating allies and partners at every stage,” Godfrey told the audience. “We’re not just building the United States Space Force, we are shaping a coalition force that must work together seamlessly in space to be successful.”
Space Force is a branch of the US Department of Defense. Its role is to defend against space and counter space threats. It also undertakes space missions and maintains space access. Godfrey said his role involved determining the Space Force’s future needs and ensuring plans were in place to meet those needs. He acknowledges it will be a team effort.
Australia has an entrée card through its longstanding relationship with the US and its membership of the Combined Space Operations Initiative. The ten member countries, which include all the Five Eyes members, plus France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Norway, use the Initiative to generate and
improve cooperation and coordination of national security space activities.
Speaking in Sydney last year, Brigadier General Anthony Mastalir, US Space Forces Indo-Pacific commander, highlighted collaboration as a critical component of the US-Australian partnership.
“The space domain has always been a strong part of the US – Australian military-to-military relationship and our alliance,” he said. “One thing that struck me over the past six months is just how much it’s deepened and broadened over that time.”
International partnership strategy will focus on processes rather than targets
As a non-US citizen, Godfrey may have a heightened awareness of how Allies and partner nations can integrate with the US Space Force. He is the first foreign officer to join the service’s leadership. Godfrey says he is looking for “touch points” with allies and partners.
He says upcoming strategy will focus on three elements, namely, securing the collective national interest in, from, and to space; improving the interoperability of space assets and maximising information sharing with allies across classification levels; and integrating allies and partners across every aspect of force design, force development, and force employment.
Godfrey says achieving this may involve overcoming traditional barriers to cooperation. He cites data overclassification as one problem. It prevents the sharing of relevant information internally and with external partners.
Godfrey says the strategy wants to set in place processes for working with allies like Australia, rather than outright goals. He says that when the US Space Force identifies a problem and allies like Australia have the solution, it should be able to tap that capability “seamlessly.”
We speak with Dr. Siriluk Prukpitikul, Deputy Executive Director of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA).
GISTDA is a Thai space agency and space research organisation within the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, and is responsible for remote sensing and technology development satellites.
Dr Prukpitikul highlights the THEOS-2 small satellite, which a team of more than 20 Thai satellite engineers has designed and developed in the UK since 2019, and is planned to be assembled and tested in Thailand. GISTDA will collaborate with partners from educational institutions and entrepreneurs in Thailand from May this year at the National Satellite Testing and Assembly Center within GISTDA Space Innovation Park, Chonburi.
We sit down with Venkat Pillay, CEO and Founder of LatConnect 60 at their offices in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
In the lead up to the Indo-Pacific Space and Earth Conference 2024, we visit our key sponsor, LatConnect 60 at their offices in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to sit down with CEO and Founder Venkat Pillay, who provides insights into the company's delivery of high resolution multispectral and hyperspectral imagery to the resources and agriculture sectors.
LatConnect 60 is an Australian company founded in Perth, Western Australia that provides vital insights for our world. LatConnect 60 is launching its own Low Earth Orbit (LEO) smart satellite constellation which will have a global service reach.
We speak with Dr Joel S. Marciano, Jr., Director General, Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA).
As the global space industry rapidly expands, ASEAN countries like the Philippines are uniquely positioned to leverage space technologies as drivers of sustainable economic growth and regional development.
Dr. Marciano is the Director General (DG) of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), a position that holds the rank of a Cabinet Secretary and serves as Presidential Adviser on Space Matters. He is also a Full Professor at the University of the Philippines and was the UP-Dado Banatao Fellow at the University of California Berkeley and UC San Diego. From 2014-2020, he led the development of the Philippines’ Diwata microsatellites and Maya nanosatellites, ground infrastructure and data operations. In 2023, Dr. Marciano was conferred an Honorary Doctorate by Hokkaido University for distinguished contributions to education and research via international exchanges.
Ms Aarti Holla-Maini, Director and Lóránt Czárán, Scientific Affairs Officer, Chief Vienna Branch, UN-SPIDER with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).
Singapore will focus on programs where space technologies can make a real-world difference. Space technology presents opportunities for Singapore to strengthen its position as a hub for aviation, maritime, connectivity, and sustainability. Under this initiative, OSTIn has launched an Earth observation initiative, which will use remote sensing satellite technology to analyse and solve sustainability and humanitarian challenges across the region, such as food and water quality, disaster and disease monitoring and forestry and land management.
Singapore is taking a step towards revolutionising space communications technology with the prototyping of Transcelestial’s laser communication terminals to enable high-speed low-latency inter-satellite communications link. The initiative is supported by Singapore’s Office for Space Technology and Industry (OSTIn).
Intersatellite laser communications address certain data exchange limitations between satellites through traditional radio frequency means. Laser communication terminals enable faster, interferencefree data transfer and significantly improve scalability and bandwidth, unlocking possibilities across telecommunications, and beyond.
With this project, Singapore is poised to lead the wave of data-hungry, proliferated constellations and lead in next-generation space communications. With OSTIn’s support, Transcelestial is partnering ST Engineering Satellite Systems to integrate and demonstrate Transcelestial’s in-space inter-satellite laser link capabilities with ST Engineering’s satellite bus products.
As the main contractor for this project, ST Engineering Satellite Systems will take the lead in satellite design and manufacturing, while Transcelestial’s laser terminals will form the core of this project. The project is scheduled to be tested in orbit by 2026. It aims to demonstrate data exchange via the laser communication inter-satellite terminals demonstrating various use cases and configurations in low Earth orbit between the satellites.
“Establishing a scalable high bandwidth space network, which extends Terabits of capabilities not only worldwide instantly but also to humanity’s march into
deep space has been the core mission for the team from day one,” said Transcelestial CEO Rohit Jha. “After years of testing behind the scenes, this is the first of many steps which takes us to that vision.”
“Singapore is home to Transcelestial and an important partner to nations worldwide,” he added. “It has been a data and comms hub for the region for decades, and now that role is expected to expand beyond the region.”
“Transcelestial’s efforts to advance inter-satellite laser communications will strengthen Singapore’s growing space ecosystem and push boundaries for in-space connectivity,” said OSTIn Executive Director Jonathan Hung. “With Transcelestial’s expertise in advanced components and ST Engineering’s capabilities in satellite systems, this partnership will boost Singapore’s position as a connectivity hub across aviation, maritime and infocomm sectors.”
“We continue to welcome like-minded companies like Transcelestial to tap on the deep pools of talent and developed infrastructure available in Singapore to advance space communication technologies,” he said.
Transcelestial says it sees a future where Singapore continues to push the boundaries of space technology and innovation. In the near term, Transcelestial is opening up to provide a full range of laser communication services to space and telecom customers – space to ground terminals, space to space terminals, worldwide optical ground station network, and various cloud and data centre capabilities to store, compute and analyse data and decisions directly in space or at low-latency worldwide secure cloud points.
We speak with Enrico Palermo, head of the Australian Space Agency following his appointment to Vice President of the IAF Bureau.
The IAF Bureau is one of the main organs of the International Astronautical Federation, generally meeting five times a year – twice in March during the IAF Spring Meetings held in Paris and three times during the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in September/ October. The President and Vice Presidents are elected for three years.
We speak with Director General Gs. Tuan Haji Azlikamil Napiah of the Malaysia Space Agency (MYSA)
We get an introduction to the MYSA and space agency government framework, starting with the National Space Policy 2030 and Malaysian Digital Economy.
Tuan Haji provides an overview of the current programmes and priorities, Open Data Initiative, Research and Development (R&D) programme, Space Operations Complex (SOC) and remote sensing satellite data received by SOC is transferred to MYSA Headquarters and GNSS capabilities in Malaysia, including the prospect of Malaysia becoming a space launch country in the next five years.
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Japan’s Ministry of Defense has awarded space servicing company Astroscale Japan an AUD77.9 million contract to develop a responsive space system demonstration satellite prototype.
The project, running from March 2025 to March 2028, includes the development and testing of a proto-flight model for a small geostationary demonstration satellite.
In the launch and operations phases, which will be managed under a separate contract, the satellite will demonstrate technologies to advance space domain awareness, space surveillance, intelligence gathering, and space operations capabilities.
“This contract marks a significant milestone as Astroscale Japan expands into the security and defence sector,” said Astroscale Managing Director Eddie Kato. “Alongside our existing government and commercial business, we have established a third pillar of our operations. By leveraging our heritage in rendezvous and proximity operations technologies, we will adapt our capabilities to the unique requirements of this sector.”
This project represents Astroscale Japan’s entry into the security and defence sector, as nations seek to monitor threats and deter adversaries in space. Defence sectors worldwide are increasingly recognising the value of on-orbit servicing and rendezvous and proximity operations in securing satellite operations.
By developing a responsive space system
prototype, Astroscale Japan will contribute to strengthening the space domain awareness capabilities of the Ministry of Defense and the Japan Air SelfDefense Force. A future on-orbit demonstration aims to improve autonomous and agile satellite operations and space environment monitoring capabilities while bolstering the safety and sustainability of Japan’s space operations.
“This contract underscores the world-leading technologies we have developed in on-orbit servicing” said Kato. “We remain committed to advancing our technologies across all sectors to ensure the safety and sustainability of space.”
Designed specifically for rendezvous and proximity operations and observation in geostationary orbit, this project will leverage Astroscale Japan’s heritage rendezvous and proximity operations technologies to develop a highly maneuverable and compact satellite compared to the traditionally large space domain awareness satellites. Optical communication technology will serve as the on-orbit infrastructure, enabling precise remote operations, high-speed data transmission and stable communications.
This demonstration is part of the Ministry of Defense’s broader initiative to establish optical communication links between geostationary satellites through an optical data relay satellite.
Australia’s foremost event for exploring the ideas, opportunities, challenges and technology shaping the future of the global space ecosystem.
Hosted by The Andy Thomas Space Foundation, the 18th Australian Space Forum (#18ASF) will catalyse new ideas, new approaches and new opportunities to build and capitalise on the rapid growth trajectory currently underway in Australia’s national space industry.
Join us in Adelaide, South Australia as leaders from Industry, Government and Academia converge to explore the the critical role spaceenabled technologies play in national security, biosecurity, intelligence, disaster recovery, global supply chains and the management of essential infrastructure.
Register now, and join us for Australia’s premier national space industry event:
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Bringing together leaders from across the Indo-Pacific and beyond for opportunities in robotics, autonomy, AI and cyber technologies.
Courtesy of Space and Defense News
Rwww.spaceanddefense.io
ocket Lab has successfully conducted its 60th Electron rocket launch this week from New Zealand’s North Island. The ‘Fasten Your Space Belts’ mission lifted off from Rocket Lab’s Mahia Launch Complex just after midday on February 19. Onboard was a Gen-3 satellite for BlackSky’s Earth-imaging satellite constellation. It is the first of multiple Gen-3 launches Rocket Lab will undertake for BlackSky.
The launch was Rocket Lab’s second this year. The NASDAQ-listed company has its origins in Auckland. It has not said how many launches they plan this year beyond saying it will be more than 2024’s sixteen launches.
This week’s launch was the ninth time BlackSky has used Rocket Labs to get its assets into orbit. The first time was in 2019. BlackSky describes itself as a “space-based intelligence company.” Among other things, the company sells imagery from its low-Earth satellite constellation.
The Fasten Your Space Belts mission was the first time BlackSky sent one of its Gen-3 satellites into orbit. It plans to launch at least 12. BlackSky says its Gen-3 satellites will add high-resolution 35-centimetre imaging capabilities to its high-cadence, low-latency data and AI-enabled analytics products.
“The successful launch of our first Gen-3 satellite represents a major step forward in delivering transformative, next-generation space-based intelligence capabilities to our customers,” said BlackSky CEO Brian O’Toole. “We look forward to commissioning this new satellite and delivering very high-resolution imagery and AI-enabled analytics at industry leading speeds.”
BlackSky doesn’t exclusively rely on Rocket Lab for launch capability. It also uses SpaceX and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). However, BlueSky did purchase another five rocket launches from Rocket
Lab in 2023. Each launch is reportedly worth USD7.5 million to Rocket Lab.
During the webcast for the 60th Electron rocket launch, Rocket Lab said that the next launch was planned from New Zealand in “a few short weeks.” While dates remain unconfirmed, its 2025 launch manifest includes Electron missions for other commercial and government customers. It is also planning sub-orbital HASTE missions from Launch Complex 2.
Just days before this week’s launch, Rocket Lab has signed launch contracts with the Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space (iQPS), a Japan-based Earth imaging company. The contract calls for three launches from Mahia this year and one in 2026. Each mission will carry a single satellite to form part of iQPS’ planned constellation of 36 synthetic aperture radar satellites.
Rocket Lab is also increasing its engagement with US agencies. The company also has a US launch pad in Virginia. The Electron rockets are the second most launched annually in the US, behind only SpaceX.
In early January, NASA said it would use the company’s still under development Neutron rocket for launch services through Rocket Lab’s existing VADR (Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare) contract.
Rocket Lab says its Neutron rocket is ideally placed to be on-ramped on to the US Government’s National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Lane 1 program, a contract valued at USD5.6 billion over a five-year period.
Rocket Lab is also involved in developing hypersonic weapons for the Pentagon, cementing its status as a lead defence contractor in the US.
Sin ce 2007, the International Spa ce Challenge ( ISC ) , organ i ze d by Spac e Fa c ulty in Sin ce 2007, the International Spa ce Challenge ( ISC ), organ i ze d by Space F ac ulty in Singapore, h as d istinguished itself as a pi v otal pr ov ing gro und for ov er 10, 00 0 futu re Singapore, h as d istinguished itself as a pi v otal prov ing gro u nd for over 10,000 f utu re spa c e lea d ers from more than 50 nationalities, na vi gating th e comp l ex iti es of space. spa c e lea d ers from more than 50 na vi gating th e comp l ex iti es of space .
By Anthony Weymouth, Head of Technology, Defence and Space – Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade)
The economic benefits are endless, as Australia becomes a testbed for new space vehicles and the first commercial return to a commercial site in February 2025, with the return of the W-2 Varda space capsule, housing in-space manufactured pharmaceuticals.
Over the past 20 years the transformation to NEW Space has occurred seeing a shift to commercial activity in LEO, (Low Earth Orbit), the concept of pointto-point travel and commercial returns.
With a total of 873 space craft launched globally over Q4, 2024 according to Bryce Tech, and 44 orbital launches from the US mostly by commercial companies, the space sector and launch activity will proliferate into the future.
As the airline industry saw rapid growth in the 1930’s expanding (*airandspace.si.edu) from 6000 passengers to 1.2 million passengers in just eight years and historically control over ports such as Sydney or Fremantle, conferred economic dominance, channelling trade, wealth, and innovation. Spaceports will assume this role in the future, serving as gateways that determine the flow of resources and influence in an interconnected world.
Australia is uniquely positioned to pioneer this transition, and this shift is happening now.
From curing diseases, manufacturing new materials, reducing flight times across the Atlantic to a couple of hours and the movement of cargo in reduced timeframes, Australia is positioned to be a leader in orbital returns representing the future of logistics.
Launching payloads into orbit then returning with precision to designated sites, akin to aircraft landing on runways. It promises unparalleled speed and global reach—delivering cargo, data, or critical supplies anywhere within hours, far surpassing the limitations of terrestrial transport systems. Reusability reduces costs significantly, establishing space as a viable and efficient logistics conduit. A new era of modern manufacturing, enabling creation and delivery of precision materials or biological medications with improved efficacy. Though initially modest in scope, its scalability is evident: a few successful operations will expand into a robust network supporting advanced industrial ecosystems. Australia must recognise and seize this opportunity.
At the same time, SpaceX launched the eighth test flight of its Super Heavy booster and Starship vehicles, with the booster being caught again by the launch tower as they progress towards rapid reuse. Both the Super Heavy booster and Starship are designed to be fully re-usable. Starship could carry tons of cargo to any point on the globe in about 60 minutes: back to Starbase in Texas, a remote Pacific Island, or Australia.
While private companies have driven each of these advances, governments, including the Australian government, have also played an indispensable role in commercialising space. In Australia, the Space Agency has written and re-written rules making launch and returns both safe and commercially sustainable. Together with Austrade and DFAT, it drove negotiation of the Australia-US Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA). Simultaneously, Austrade has attracted global space companies to Australia and helped Australian space companies find global customers and investors.
Austrade seeks to construct a global space industry in Australia. It recognises, first, that space is now a leading economic sector that plays a role in the world’s economy that is similar (and related) to the role of semiconductors over the past 50 years. Second, it recognises that, by limiting air, marine and radio frequency traffic that can compete with space operations, Australia’s sparse population and continental geography make it humanity’s best place to get to and from space.
Recent successes with Varda returning to Southern Launch’s Koonibba test range and as Gilmour Space Technologies approaches their maiden orbital launch, spotlight developments that have been gathering momentum in the two decades since SpaceX launched the first commercial rocket to orbit. Spaceports will become another piece of the critical infrastructure that links production in one place to consumers in another.
Our expansive, sparsely populated interior provides ideal landing zones, minimising risk to infrastructure or populations. Coupled with a stable political environment and established technological expertise, the nation possesses a rare combination of assets. The southern hemisphere’s uncluttered airspace further enhances its suitability, offering a competitive advantage unavailable to most global counterparts in the near term.
Australia must harness the opportunity to realise launch originating from and subsequent return of commercial spacecraft to the same continent. After all we’ve boundless plains to share.
The Indo-Pacific Space and Earth Conference (IPSEC), held in November 2024 at Crown Perth, brought together global experts, industry leaders, and policymakers to discuss the latest advancements in space exploration, satellite technology, Earth observation, and critical industry challenges. This year’s conference reinforced Australia’s growing role in the Indo-Pacific’s space sector, fostering collaboration between government agencies, defense organizations, commercial space enterprises, and research institutions.
The event featured a dynamic lineup of keynote addresses, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, focusing on space technology, sustainability, national security, and Earth observation applications. One of the major highlights was the astronaut panel, featuring four distinguished astronauts who shared insights on human spaceflight, the future of lunar and Mars missions, and the role of international partnerships in space exploration.
Other key sessions explored:
Satellite technology and earth observation: The growing importance of satellites in climate monitoring, disaster management, and resource tracking.
Defense and security in space: How space-based technologies are reshaping national security and defense strategies in the Indo-Pacific.
Commercial space industry growth: The role of private enterprises in accelerating technological advancements and deepening regional partnerships.
Sustainable space practices: Addressing the challenge of space debris and ensuring long-term sustainability in space operations.
Several partnerships and initiatives were unveiled, emphasizing the importance of regional cooperation. Representatives from the Australian Space Agency, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and various IndoPacific nations discussed joint missions, technologysharing agreements, and collaborative projects.
A key takeaway from the conference was the increasing intersection of space and Earth-based industries, particularly in sectors like agriculture, mining, and environmental monitoring, where satellite data is proving to be a game-changer.
We are proud to announce that IPSEC will be returning in 2026 – to register interest for IPSEC 2026, please visit: www.spaceandearthconference.com
