UniSA leads Aus into orbit

Uni SA will be space-base for the Smart Sat CRC, to create a sovereign satellite capability

The new cooperative research centre was announced yesterday, with Industry Minister Karen Andrews doing the announcing, presumably because funding was approved before caretaker conventions kicked in.

The University of South Australia is founding co-partner of the CRC, with SA consultancy, Nova Systems. They are joined by a galaxy of industry and university core-partners, including ANU, Curtin, Deakin U, La Trobe U, CSIRO and the unis of Queensland, Adelaide, UNSW and Sydney.

Apparently, Australia can create smart satellites that will; “deliver the nation real-time connectivity, surveillance and sensing capability over land and sea, earth observation data to monitor climate and development, and,” (pause for admiring breath) “the power to drive industry innovation and the growth of the Internet of Things.”

The feds are kicking in $55m over the ten-year life of the CRC, with 84 partners contributing $190m in cash and kind.

This goes a way to making Adelaide the launch-pad for the Australian space industry. The city also hosts the federal government’s Australian Space Agency, created last year.

Now if there was only a way to put submarines in space the Liberals might win Mayo.


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