ASICC Newsletter #1 - December 2009

Welcome to the first ASICC Newsletter and ASICC update

Recent significant changes in the Australian Space Landscape

An overview of the Australian Strategic Plan for Earth Observations from Space

Australian leadership in Forest Carbon Tracking

An update on the recent launch of JAXA's GOSAT

The latest news on Australia's bid to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA)

Introduction

Brett Biddington

ASICC Chair

Welcome to this the first, of what we hope will be a continuing series of newsletters produced by the Australian Space Industry Chamber of Commerce (ASICC). Since ASICC was formed in the early 1990s it has strived to be an advocate for companies and others keen to establish a robust space industry in Australia. ASICC has represented its views routinely to governments and to the wider community as well. This has been a lonely and, at times, daunting task.

This year has seen a considerable change by the Australian Government in its approach to space. It has realised that Australia, as do all nations, has enormous dependence on space-based services (for timing and navigation, communications and earth observations) but only the most limited capacity to participate in the international political and diplomatic discussions about space which seek to make access to such services assured and secure. Australia, is seeking to quickly establish space credentials in order to have its voice heard as a respected middle power. How Australia plans to build these credentials is discussed elsewhere in the Newsletter. Suffice to say in this introduction that ASICC has been proud to have been a contributor to the process which has led to renewed interest by the Australian Government in space.

ASICC Update

In February this year, a new executive team was elected to take ASICC forward. The members of the executive possess wide experience which includes defence and national security, satellite engineering, space law, satellite communications and earth observation. The members of the Executive have wide contacts nationally and internationally and ASICC as a whole is committed to strengthening relationships with governments, companies and relevant agencies around the world.

This year, the new executive is giving priority to the following three objectives:

• To improve communications with ASICC members and to provide demonstrable value for money;
• To attract new members to ASICC, notably a number of larger companies which have important space capabilities; and
• To become a trusted adviser to the Commonwealth Government.

I am happy to report positive progress on all fronts. However, ASICC remains a small and fragile organisation. Recipients of this newsletter, the first of many we hope, are encouraged to join ASICC to build the Chamber’s influence and legitimacy as a truly representative organisation for those seeking to strengthen Australia’s role in space in the future.

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Ongoing Space Policy Deliberations in Australia

Michael Davis

ASICC Secretary

The Senate Economics Committee's report 'Lost in Space? Setting a new direction for Australia's space science and industry sector' was tabled in the Senate in November 2008.

The Australian Space Industry Chamber of Commerce (ASICC), the country's peak space industry representative body, welcomed the report and enthusiastically endorsed its recommendations. The Committee has produced a blueprint for Australia to participate in a global space industry that has revenues of US$250 billion per annum.

The report highlights Australia's capabilities and experience in niche areas of space science and space technologies and notes the public benefits that would result from a greater national investment in space-related activities that would support meteorology and climate change monitoring, mining and farming, defence, coastal surveillance and transport.

ASICC has long argued that Australia would benefit from a greater government commitment to a long term space program. We welcome the Committee's recommendation that there should be a partnership of Government, industry, Defence and academic stakeholders to develop a strategic plan for the establishment of a national space agency.

We firmly believe that active and broad participation by industry, and we look forward to continuing to work actively with the Government on the development of Australia's space activities.

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Brett Biddington

ASICC Chair

2009 may well prove to be a turning point for space activity in Australia. The Australian Government has moved from a passive to an active position on space matters and has shown a willingness to invest not previously seen. This switch did not just happen, as if by magic. Over the past five years a series of papers and reports were written and reviews held which, together with rapidly changing world circumstances provided both context and triggers for change. In 2008, in particular, there was a Senate Inquiry in Australia’s involvement in space which recommended a more active stance in future. Also, the review of the national innovation system, conducted by Professor Terry Cutler, called out “astronomy and space science” as one of six areas which warranted specific new investment for research. Recently the Government released its formal response to the Senate report – accepting all of the recommendations and pointing to action already underway to overcome the deficiencies noted by the Senate.

Two other documents are important, the statement on national security made to the Parliament on 4 December 2008 by the Prime Minister and the Defence White Paper released early in May 2009. The former is the first systematic review of Australian national security ever and the latter makes clear that the defence of Australia depends on assured and secure access to space and that the Australian Government is seeking to become relatively more self-reliant in space capabilities. The White Paper foreshadows that Defence may seek within the next 10-15 years to acquire a surveillance satellite and, more importantly, to develop a dedicated cadre of space professionals within Defence.

In terms of science, a draft Space Science Decadal Plan (SSDP) was released in 2008. The Australian Academy of Science has recently advised that the plan has been accepted by its Executive Committee and will be formally launched early next year. The SSDP precipitated the production of an Australian Strategic Plan for Earth Observations from Space, which was released in August of 2009. In December the timing and navigation community hosted a very successful conference on the Gold Coast – GNSS 2009. All sectors of the space community would seem to be awakening.

Above all, the Australian Government, in the May Budget, announced that it was going to establish a grants program to fund space science research and education. An initial sum of $40m has been allocated to be spent over four years, however the intent would seem to be to make this an enduring program. Of equal, if not greater importance, a further $8.6m has been allocated to establish a Space Policy Unit within the Department of Innovation, Industry and Resources. This unit is charged, in addition to administering the grants program, with producing a national space policy within the next 12 months to comprehend national security, civil, commercial, educational, research and international relationship matters.

What is the Government Seeking to Achieve?

The view of your writer is that the Australian Government is taking a “3C’s” approach to space activity in Australia. Through national and international collaboration, the Government is seeking to build space capacity in Australia in order to substantially strengthen Australia’s international credibility in space. The Government is seeking to move swiftly on all fronts which presents all involved in space activities in Australia with an unprecedented opportunity to bring together previously disparate elements into a coherent space sector with educational, research and industry elements. The entire effort is underpinned by a comprehensive communications strategy.

What is Different from Past Attempts to Establish a Space Industry?

The key distinction is that the initiative, this time, has come “top down” from Government. Government has recognised that Australia’s national interests are not capable of being realised whilst the nation continues to under-perform in space and this is what it is seeking to redress. Previous attempts have been “bottom up” and have tended to assert that Australia needed a space industry without providing a compelling business case. This time, there is a clear champion, something lacking in the past and there is strategic purpose and intent.

Conclusion

Providing the projects which are funded through the grant process deliver quickly and compellingly, there is every reason to be confident that Government will continue to support the systematic development of national capacity in space in support of national objectives. Our challenge is to work quickly and collectively to ensure that the opportunity presented by Government is seized and brought to fruition.

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Stephen Ward

Symbios Communications

The Working Group assembled by the Australian Academy of Science (AAS) and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) recently concluded its intensive efforts to prepare an Australian Strategic Plan for Earth Observations from Space. The purpose of the plan is to contribute to consensus on, and implementation of, a comprehensive strategy for strengthening Australia’s role in space-based observation of the Earth to meet our rapidly expanding national need for Earth observation data over the next 10-15 years.

The preparation of the Plan was supported by the major national Earth observation provider and user agencies which were represented on a high-level Steering Committee that provided advice to the Working Group but which did not determine the content of its report.

The Plan identifies Australia’s current activities, needs, capabilities and future opportunities in Earth Observations from Space (EOS) and sets out an overall strategy for the future. It provides nine specific recommendations for follow-up action but it does not address detailed organisational or budgetary issues which are the proper business of the various relevant agencies of government.

The Plan notes that the implications of EOS for Australia are so enormous and so widespread that we cannot afford to postpone the actions now urgently needed to deliver the additional multi-billion dollar benefits potentially available from EOS over the next decade or risk the degradation or loss of widely used community services by assuming long-term sustainability of the EOS status quo. The Working Group encouraged urgent and vigorous follow-up action by governments, industry, the research community, and other stakeholders in the national EOS enterprise.

The 9 recommendations of the Strategic Plan are as follows:

1. National EOS Policy: Australian Government policy on space science and industry development should include an explicit national policy on Earth Observations from Space (EOS) based on strengthening, broadening and coordination of existing EOS activities and strategic commitment to full Australian participation in the international EOS system by 2025.
2. EOS Priority Setting: A high level, cross-portfolio EOS Advisory Council should be established with the active involvement of the national EOS provider agencies, the learned academies and the EOS user community to advise on national priorities for EOS operations, research, education, and applications across all sectors and all levels of government.
3. National EOS Infrastructure: The main operational EOS agencies and ground station consortia should jointly establish a coordinated approach to strengthening and optimising the national investment in the EOS data acquisition, processing, archival, distribution and applications infrastructure that will be needed to handle the massive increase in EOS availability and user needs over the next decade.
4. EOS Research and Education: A national plan and funding framework should be developed to establish and maintain a critical mass of strategic research and education expertise in Australian universities to underpin the operational EOS systems, services and applications in industry and government agencies.
5. EOS Industry Capability: In order to support a strengthened Australian role in the global Earth observation satellite community, the Space Science & Innovation Project Grants scheme should be enhanced within the framework of the National EOS Policy to promote local industry capabilities in EOS systems development and applications.
6. Radio Spectrum for EOS: Given the enormous social, economic and environmental benefits to Australia from use of EOS data, those parts of the radio spectrum that are uniquely required for satellite remote sensing of atmospheric and Earth characteristics should be permanently protected from interference, in the public interest. Means should also be found for meeting the costs of commercial sharing of those parts of the radio spectrum that are used for public good transmission of EOS data from satellites.
7. International Engagement in EOS: Australia should strengthen its role and influence in international EOS through development of bilateral and multilateral (including regional) partnerships in EOS provision, greater involvement in the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), and enhanced contribution to the implementation of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).
8. EOS National Office: An EOS National Office should be established as part of the Australian Space Science Program, to support the EOS Advisory Council, to maintain links with the operational EOS agencies, and to serve as the national focal point for Australian EOS activities.
9. EOS Mission Agencies: The EOS operational and research mandates of the Bureau of Meteorology, Geoscience Australia and CSIRO should be reaffirmed and strengthened, and they should collaborate with the Department of Defence, other Commonwealth and State EOS agencies, and universities in the progressive development of a more integrated national EOS service and research framework for Australia.

The full report can be downloaded here. For further information contact the Australian Academy of Science.

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Hot Topics

Michael Davis

ASICC Secretary

Over 50 space industry enthusiasts attended a Space Industry Forum on 'The Politics of Space in Australia' at the University of South Australia in Adelaide on the evening of 4th May 2009. The panellists were Senator Annette Hurley, Chair of the Senate Economics Committee, Mr Grant Chapman, former parliamentarian and author of 'Space: A Priority for Australia' and Mr Chris Schacht, former Minister in the Hawke and Keating Governments. The facilitator was ASICC Chair, Brett Biddington.

The audience participated in a lively debate about the future directions of space policy in Australia, the importance of political support for a whole of government approach to space and was entertained by the recollections of Chris Schacht and Grant Chapman in relation to previous attempts to garner government support for space activities.

The participants were left to ponder a critical question - should space policy in Australia be driven by arguments that highlight the economic and social benefits of investing in space related projects or should the emphasis be on the utility and benefits of applications such as remote sensing, surveillance, geo-positioning, environmental monitoring etc without drawing attention to the fact that they may depend on space technologies?

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Stephen Ward

Symbios Communications

Global deforestation of about 13 million hectares per year results in approximately 20 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Momentum has been building for increased international action on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (known as REDD). At the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations in Bali in December 2007, countries agreed to work toward including REDD in a post-2012 global climate change agreement. REDD is one of the most cost-effective opportunities for reducing emissions in the short-term. While financing from developed countries will play a role, ultimately carbon markets are the only mechanism capable of mobilising investment on the scale needed to support and provide incentives for REDD.

The international community agreed in Bali that action must be taken now on REDD and to establish the necessary systems and financial mechanisms to ensure long term emission reductions. The International Forest Carbon Initiative is Australia’s contribution to this global effort.

Australia’s $200 million International Forest Carbon Initiative is a key part of Australia’s international leadership on REDD. The Initiative supports international efforts on REDD through the UNFCCC. It is jointly administered by the Australian Department of Climate Change and AusAID.

The Initiative aims to demonstrate that REDD can be part of an equitable and effective post-2012 global climate change agreement. A central element of the Initiative is taking practical action on REDD through collaborative Forest Carbon Partnerships with Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. These partnerships demonstrate how the technical and policy hurdles to REDD might be addressed and provide lessons learned for input to REDD negotiations under the UNFCCC.

Through the International Forest Carbon Initiative, Australia is increasing international forest carbon monitoring and accounting capacity - by demonstrating that forests can be monitored effectively through advanced remote sensing, and showing that there can be certainty in measuring emission reductions from REDD activities. Australia is also undertaking practical demonstration activities to show how REDD can be included in a post 2012 global climate change agreement. This includes trialling a range of approaches, particularly in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, to demonstrate how investment in REDD can achieve emission reductions while providing forest-dependent communities with livelihoods.

Australia's National Carbon Accounting System (NCAS) is widely recognised as a world-leading system to account for greenhouse gas emissions from land-based sectors, and as a candidate platform for developing a global carbon monitoring system. A partnership established between the Australian Government and the Clinton Climate Initiative seeks to extend the NCAS into the international arena for global monitoring of carbon emissions. NCAS makes extensive use of remotely sensed imagery supplied by satellites.

The Dept of Climate Change has also actively supported the establishment of a new Forest Carbon Tracking task under the auspices of the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO), and has encouraged the civil space agencies of the world (through CEOS) to undertake the co-ordination of imagery acquisitions necessary to establish routine and accessible coverage of the world's forested regions - using all available radar and optical Earth observing satellites to compliment traditional forest inventories and in-situ data. This data is needed to establish that the technical and organisational means exist and can co-operate effectively enough as the basis of the monitoring, reporting and verification systems that will be required to support the implementation of future climate treaties. Without the 'eyes in the sky' provided by satellites and the systematic and global coverage that they can potentially provide, these treaties would likely not be feasible - since they would have no practical means of verification. Project management of this activity is being undertaken by CSIRO and Symbios Communications under contract to the Dept of Climate Change.

For more information visit the Department of Climate Change or the GEO Forest Carbon Tracking portal.

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George Dyke

Symbios Communications

JAXA’s Greenhouse Gas Observing Satellite (GOSAT) was launched in January 2009, and for most of the year has been undergoing checkout and calibration activities. The mission carries two thermal and near infrared sensors – TANSO-CAI and TANSO-FTS – who’s observations are combined to generate global observations of important greenhouse gasses such as CO2 and Methane. While the calibration and validation process for GOSAT results is expected to run well into next year, Level 1 products were released to the public as of the 30th October 2009.

For more information on GOSAT click here.

For more information on GOSAT Level 1 products click here.

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Brett Biddington

ASICC Chair

Through the Budget, the Australian Government, made a very clear statement of its commitment to hosting the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope in Australia. It allocated $80m in the May budget to establish an Australian National Centre of Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Science in Perth. At the core will be a very large supercomputer which should have substantial modelling and simulation capabilities capable of being used to inform decisions about systems design, operations and maintenance.

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Subscription Information

The ASICC newsletter is compiled by Symbios Communications and is be distributed by email and online three times annually covering the most recent happenings within ASICC and the broader Australian Space Industry.

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To join ASICC or renew your membership, please download the PDF version of the membership form and return it with your membership fee to:

The Treasurer
ASICC
PO Box R898
Royal Exchange NSW 1225
Australia

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Contact Information

About ASICC

The Australian Space Industry Chamber of Commerce (ASICC) is a nationwide organisation formed to promote the growth of the Australian space sector. By formulating national policies and strategies, ASICC speaks with authority and credibility on behalf of its members on issues connected with the development of the Australian space industry.

More information on ASICC is available at http://www.asicc.com.au or by email at contactus@asicc.com.au.

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