The University of South Australia is to collaborate more closely with existing partner; the French International Space University (chancellor, Buzz Aldrin). The ISU has run a summer school at UniSA since 2004 (systems engineering, life sciences and the law, economics and comms of space industry) and the partnership will now extend to nurturing student start-ups.

ANU has signed-on with the German space agency to pursue “potential cooperation opportunities in space related fields,” including optics, lasers, hyperspectral imaging payloads and personnel exchanges, presumably not in space.

UNSW Canberra will share $9.96m with the RAAF on small satellites. Defence Industry Minister Chris Pyne emphasises education, saying the programme will create and launch three miniature satellites, to “develop elements of a space flight mission.” UNSW adds the partners will use the three cubesats to develop skills in maritime in maritime surveillance.

CSIRO, the Defence Materials Technology Centre and six (unspecified universities) will develop sensor and on-board data processing technology for unmanned aerial systems and small-satellite platforms.

As the ever-energetic Defence Industry Minister Chris Pyne puts it; “the sky is certainly not the limit”