According to her, NASA would be a facilitator that would provide funding, strike partnerships, open doors and nurture private players to go forward in the exploration of deep space. “NASA is an engine to drive commercial development and space exploration is the fuel for this engine… Pushing ourselves to do something super challenging is the fuel.” Says the former NASA Astronaut. He also made a mention of Australia’s communication and tracking support being offered to India’s Gaganyaan Human Spaceflight programme and NASA’s Artemis, Manned Lunar exploration programme. Elaborating on Australia’s geographic advantages, open ranges, experience in space medicine and life sciences, deep space communication networks, he said that, Australia would end up in a position to have an Astronaut programme. “We are looking to nurture and foster industry, by investing in R&D, by offering grants, special programmes, working with other space agencies and instilling confidence about there being a market” says Enrico Palermo, Head, Australian Space Agency.Īsked about Australia having its own human spaceflight programme, Palermo expressed optimism and said that they would have a shot eventually, considering the increasing easy accessibility to space and rapid miniaturization of technological, aerospace components.
However, the Australian Space Agency wants to grow big and grow quick. It is noteworthy that, unlike the other three Quad countries, Australia doesn’t yet have a standalone, independent space-faring programme and that they work with other agencies and countries to jointly perform missions. The Japanese Space agency head emphasized the need for Multi-national missions to Mars that would be led by Quad countries, owing to the high costs of manned missions.ĭespite being a recent entrant, the Australian Space Agency hopes to build upon its long legacy of having performed and facilitated deep space communications, remote operations and space medicine, life sciences, to further their Spacefaring ambitions. On the need for greater collaboration between Quad countries, he added that the Future Lunar exploration has to be a joint effort, as there exists the possibility of having a manned space station in the vicinity of the moon, which can enable sustained exploration in the region and also on the Lunar surface. Hiroshi Yamakawa, President, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA). Increasing access to space can create new services on earth and improve life here” agrees Dr.
In the midst of this, ordinary people and astronauts are going to space. “Traditionally government agencies carried out space activities, but there has been increased activity in low earth orbit(LEO) in the last decade. “Climate change is an existential crisis, the best place to monitor earth, is from space… There are a lot of problems to solve… We go to space to benefit life on earth and those who spend their effort on it, see a direct line of sight.” The top American official was in discussion with heads of space agencies from the Quad countries(Japan, Australia, India, US), hosted as part of the Sydney Dialogue, by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. There’s great benefits here on earth, as a result of space exploration activities and continued human presence in Low Earth Orbit says Colonel Pam Melroy, a former NASA Astronaut, who’s is currently NASA’s Deputy Administrator.