Western Australia Space Industry Strategy 2024-30

The global space economy is forecast to reach US$1.8 trillion by 2035, up from US$630 billion in 2023 and growing at an average of 9% per annum^[1]. Reshaping the future of the space sector are advances in technology, reduced launch costs, the development of new space systems, increased private sector investment and rising demand for space data, services and technology.

Western Australia has more than 60 years’ experience in the space industry, benefiting from its geographic location, dry environmental conditions, radio quiet zones and clear skies. These advantages have made Western Australia an attractive location for major space projects since the 1950s. From 1961 to 1975, ground stations in the State played key roles in NASA’s Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions.

Western Australia has significant capabilities in the space industry sector including the following advantages and opportunities:

• Southern Hemisphere location and longitude ideal for launch, space situational awareness and global coverage of space assets.
• Ideal environmental conditions: geologically stable with clear skies, large arid areas with minimal radio interference and radio-quiet zones.
• Partnerships and extensive activity with international space agencies and private space companies.
• Substantial capabilities in space mission operations; space communications; space situational awareness; space systems and hardware; space enabled services and data analytics; technology transfer; and astronomy and planetary research.
• Strong economy with a significant demand for space data, satellite services, and technology transfer with Western Australia’s key industries (mining, energy, agriculture, defence and maritime).
• Vibrant R&D ecosystem: home to five universities and various research institutions with established expertise in space sciences and related fields.
• Diverse and highly skilled workforce, with a pipeline of skilled workers in space and space-related fields.
   

This Strategy provides a framework of how the Western Australian Government will support the growth of Western Australia’s space industry sector to enhance economic diversification and create jobs.  

The Western Australian Government’s Diversify WA framework identifies space industries as a key area where the State has competitive advantage with significant growth opportunities.

This is built on further in Future State: Accelerating Diversify WA (Future State), which highlights space and cross-sector technologies as a strategic investment opportunity to promote Western Australia’s economic diversification, create jobs, attract investment and foster innovation.

Vision and Mission

Vision - Western Australia is a globally recognised Indo-Pacific space hub.
Mission – To drive the growth of Western Australia’s space ecosystem.
 

The Strategy sets the following goals to realise its vision of Western Australia as a globally recognised Indo-Pacific space hub:

1. Western Australia has a growing, vibrant and sustainable space ecosystem – with research, government and industry organisations working together to maximise the benefit from the sector to the State. 
2. Western Australian space operations, exploration and technology transfer capability increases – with enhanced job opportunities in the sector for Western Australians. 
3. Western Australia attracts significant investment to support the space ecosystem – with local, national and international investment supporting sector growth.
4. Western Australian researchers, industries and government increase utilisation of local space services, data and technology – to enhance productivity, jobs growth, economic diversification and decarbonisation.
5. The Western Australia space ecosystem supports STEM education, promotion and training – enhancing the growth of a local skilled workforce to support space and terrestrial industry growth.
6. The Western Australian community’s awareness on the value of space is enhanced – with local space activities being supported and celebrated within the State.
    

To achieve the six Strategic Goals, the Western Australian Government is taking action in six priority areas.

Advocacy

Promote Western Australia’s space industry sector capability locally, nationally and internationally.

Investment

Support investment in Western Australia’s space ecosystem to enhance industry capability.

Opportunity facilitation

Assist local, national and international space industry establish in Western Australia.

Commercialisation and technology transfer

Assist commercialisation of local research outputs and facilitate technology transfer between industry sectors.

Coordination and policy

Coordinate nationally and internationally through establishing and maintaining strong relationships with space organisations. Develop and implement policies supporting the local space ecosystem.

Skilled workforce

Assist development of a local highly skilled workforce to enhance space and terrestrial industry capability.

The Strategy identifies six space industry strengths and opportunities that will guide the Western Australian Government’s activities to position the State as a globally recognised Indo-Pacific space hub. This includes leveraging space technology, data and services to improve environmental and community outcomes, boost economic productivity, and improve the lives of all Western Australians. 

Space mission operations and exploration

Western Australian is transferring its world leading remote operations capabilities to space mission operations and exploration.

Space ground infrastructure 

Western Australia is an ideal location for space communication, tracking and launch activities, offering a range of advantages and optimal environmental conditions.

Space systems and hardware

Western Australia has growing space systems and hardware capability.

Space enabled services and data analytics

Western Australia has significant infrastructure and capability in space data processing and analytics, with increasing demand for space-enabled services and data.

Technology transfer

Western Australia is at the forefront of technology transfer between space and terrestrial industries.

Research, training and education

Western Australia has significant space-related tertiary research, training, and education capabilities, supporting the growth of the space ecosystem.
 

Space technologies and activities offer a multitude of benefits for life on Earth. They drive innovation and provide critical services that support various industries such as agriculture, resources, manufacturing, policing and government services. Space exploration expands scientific knowledge, leading to discoveries with applications on Earth, including advancements in new materials, physics, and medicine. Additionally, the workforce skills and qualifications required for jobs in the space industry are highly transferrable to Western Australia’s key industries; such as resources and agriculture.

Many new technologies developed for space exploration have applications on Earth as commercial products and services. For example, NASA has identified more than 2,000 of its space technologies used in commercial products such as energy storage batteries, temperature-regulating clothing, scratch-resistant lenses, cordless power tools, and programmable implantable medication systems.

Western Australia is at the forefront of technology transfer between space and terrestrial industry sectors, leveraging space technology and systems engineering to solve challenges on Earth and transferring terrestrial technology for space applications. Key areas include remote operations, automation, AI, and robotics. The annual Indo-Pacific Space and Earth Conference in Perth encourages technology transfer between space and terrestrial industry sectors.
 

It is crucial that a robust framework for measuring success is established. This is to enable continuous improvement, as well as provide transparency and accountability around the actions developed to support this Strategy.

This Strategy will compliment a range of other Western Australian Government strategies and plans. As part of the contribution to the State’s economic development framework, Diversify WA and Future State’s efforts in relation to growing the space industry sector will be closely monitored.

Our approach centres around a program logic that connects inputs, actions, outputs, outcomes and impacts to deliver the Vision and support job creation, economic growth and diversification:

• Short-term progress will be assessed against Action Plan progress. The Action Plan will be released after Strategy publication.
• Strategy outcomes will be assessed against Goal progress.