Australia Announces New Space Agency for its Domestic Space Agency

Australia will establish a national space agency as part of long-term plan to develop the country’s domestic space industry. Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham made the announcement at the International Astronautical Congress.

The global space industry sector has been growing at a compound annual growth rate of 9.52 percent from 1998 to 2015.

Globally, revenue from space-related activities in 2015 was about US$323 and the five-day Congress is expected to draw more than 4,000 space professionals, including astronauts, engineers, scientists, and innovators, from all over the world.

"We have longstanding ties with NASA, exploring space together and generating all of these jobs. And that's the key point of both the Government's and Labor's plans, it is a jobs industry-first agency," Astrophysicist Alan Duffy told ABC News Breakfast.

Read more Australia Announces New Space Agency to Develop Domestic Space Industry