Barely six months since the Australian Space Agency launched it has landed on the serious business of cost recovery. A draft statement sets out goverment charges for activities ranging from $5979 for assessing an overseas payload permit to $257 000 for looking at a launch facility licence. The agency accepts that some charges may be too much for small businesses and academics and is asking for feedback. Still, the feds are not going to need a starship to transport the cash, this year’s fee income is $20 100 – all up.

Sound familiar to you? Sounds to CMM like the feds plan to bill higher education providers for the costs of government admin of loan schemes, (CMM November 15).