Space capabilities
Canberra: Australia's Space Gateway
Canberra has had a long and direct involvement with some of the biggest events in international space exploration, providing critical support from the first moon landing to the Artemis mission currently underway.
Canberra is home to commercially successful space companies, award-winning researchers, academics and a professional community in international policy, legal, regulatory and ethical aspects of space activities.
Our knowledge-based economy, space governance leadership, enabling space infrastructure and innovative networks are internationally renowned.
Consistently, Canberra space companies are recognised nationally and internationally for their exceptional solutions.
These attributes combine to form a natural commercial and intellectual space hub: a gateway for the space sector between Australia and the world.
ACT Space Update 2023
On 22 September 2023, the ACT Government launched the ACT Space Update 2023.
The Update was developed in consultation with the space sector and is focused on achieving the ambition for Canberra to be recognised as Australia’s gateway to space.
It builds on CBR Switched On: ACT’s Economic Development Priorities 2022-2025 and includes a plan to develop a Canberra Space Hub, which will act as a connection point between research, industry and government.
Read the ACT Space Update 2023 (PDF 4.5MB)
Industry and innovation
Canberra’s space industry is an ecosystem of innovative participants from across government, industry, education institutions and the research community.
The Canberra Region Space Industry Capability Directory showcases local space companies.
Innovation precincts continue to attract talent and create opportunities for collaboration while driving skills development in key industries.
This culture of innovation, coupled with extensive business ecosystems and the Canberra Innovation Network, feeds the growth of SME entrepreneurship in the ACT.
Research and tertiary institutions
The research and innovation needed to underpin Australia's growing space industry is being actively provided by Canberra's educational and research institutions.
In space-related disciplines, The Australian National University and UNSW Canberra are Australia's most active higher education institutions.
Both UNSW Canberra and ANU have strong links with local industry and provide access to worldclass research and development facilities, providing critical capability for the design, manufacture and testing of Australian satellites and space missions.
Key government customers
Canberra’s size and scale, and co-location with national government institutions creates the right environment for meaningful partnerships to thrive, helping established businesses to grow and export, and new companies to identify and understand the problems that need solving.
The Australian Space Agency has a significant presence, co-located with the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources in Canberra.
Other government departments and agencies located in Canberra include:
- The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade facilitate Australia's international relationships and treaties.
- The Department of Defence has responsibility for the implementation of the development of Australia’s space defence capabilities as set out in the Defence White Paper.
- CSIRO has significant interest in space activities and manages the Deep Space Communications Centre at Tidbinbilla in Canberra under contract to NASA.
- Geoscience Australia is responsible for Australia’s position, navigation and timing, and Earth observation capabilities.
- The Australian Communications and Media Authority is responsible for spectrum management.
- The Attorney-General’s Department is responsible for space law and international treaty law.
- The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts has responsibility for satellite communications and spectrum management.
- The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has responsibility for agriculture production through Earth observation technologies.
- National security agencies such as the Australian Signals Directorate, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Cyber Security Centre are located in Canberra.
Resources
Contact us
Space Canberra Team
Email: spaceCBR@act.gov.au