Australian Space Office

The Australian Space Office (ASO) was an agency formed by the Hawke Government in 1987 to oversee the National Space Program. The office worked on the initiative along with the Australian Space Board, later the Australian Space Council. As part of the larger National Space Program, the ASO was established specifically to act as the secretariat and day-to-day manager of the advisory decisions made by the ASB/ASC. The office was abolished in 1996 by the Howard Government after a review by the Bureau of Industry Economics.

This article is about the Keating space agency. For the modern space agency, see Australian Space Agency.

Australian Space Office
Agency overview
Formed1987 (1987)[1]
Dissolved1996 (1996)[2]
Superseding agency
JurisdictionCommonwealth of Australia
HeadquartersBarton, Canberra
Employees20 (1992)[3]:p. 2
Annual budgetA$4 million
Minister responsible
Parent departmentDepartment of Industry, Technology and Commerce[5]

Development

The ASO's primary defined function was to oversee development of an export-oriented commercial space industry within Australia, focusing on five main sectors:[6]:p. 168

  1. Space Projects, overseeing the development and launch of NSP funded space programs,
  2. Launch Services, responsible for overseeing the numerous private space launch facility proposals that arose in the 1980s and 90s,
  3. Space Policy, responsible for developing space policy aside the ASB/ASC
  4. NASA Administration, which handled all Australian collaboration with NASA
  5. and the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, a major tracking and communication satellite complex located in Tidbinbilla, Canberra.

During the years it existed, the ASO oversaw the development of a satellite[7] and a proposed spaceport.[8] The spaceport was an initiative to develop a commercial rocket launchpad in Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, however it ultimately never came to fruition.[9]

See also

References
  1. corporateName=Commonwealth Parliament; address=Parliament House, Canberra. "Australia in Orbit: Space Policy and Programs". www.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 19 July 2019.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. "Australian Space Office". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  3. "Research Report 43; An Economic Evaluation of the National Space Program". Bureau of Industry Economics RPTS. 41–46. Australian Government Publishing Service. 1992.
  4. McGauran, Peter (8 August 1996). "Australian%20Space%20Office%20media%20pressrel%201990s" "Australia's Role in the Quest to find Life on Mars". ParlInfo. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  5. "Industry, Technology and Commerce DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY, TECHNOLOGY AND COMMERCE". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Public Service (National : 1977 - 2007). 22 December 1988. p. 5044. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  6. Dougherty, Kerrie Anne (2017). Australia in space : a history of a nation's involvement. Hindmarsh, S. Aust. ISBN 9781925309645. OCLC 999399923.
  7. "Satellite nears completion". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 13 May 1988. p. 6. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  8. "Spaceport: vision splendid or Green nightmare?". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 18 July 1990. p. 9. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  9. Horn, Allyson; staff (6 September 2018). "Rockets could launch from Queensland as push to become space hub takes off". ABC News. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
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