By AROSE CEO, Leanne Cunnold
It’s World Space Week and the Moon is currently the must visit off-Earth celestial body.
Recently India successfully landed a semi-autonomous rover near the lunar south pole. A few days before that, Russia crashed on its first attempt to land on the Moon since 1976. Not an uncommon failure by any means, underlining the fact that space exploration is still an extremely difficult thing to do.
The USA is also returning to the Moon. NASA’s Artemis program will pick up pace over the next decade, with the goal of establishing a human presence on the lunar surface, as a stepping stone to Mars and beyond.
A future NASA mission to the Moon will include a lunar rover designed and built by Australia. NASA asked Australia to build the semi-autonomous rover because of our expertise in remote operations developed through our world-leading mining industry.
The Trailblazer lunar rover mission being managed through the Australian Space Agency is a once in a generation opportunity for many Australian businesses, researchers and space professionals to participate in a truly extraordinary human endeavour.
However it is timely to ask ourselves the fundamental question – why? Why should we expend so much of our precious resources getting off Earth when there are so many pressing issues to deal with at home, not least of all global warming and the increasing impacts of climate change?
We all like a good mystery and space is the biggest mystery there is. But the innate human drive to explore and discover is not the only valid reason to venture far from home.
“When we explore we solve mystery,” Australia’s astronaut in training Katherine Bennell-Pegg has said. “We see things we don’t yet understand. In solving mysteries we create new technologies and we build new knowledge that can be used in ways we cannot even imagine.”1
Space exploration has already created many technologies that help improve life on Earth. NASA’s Spinoff website details hundreds of innovations created or accelerated via space application including GPS, cordless power tools, wireless headphones, the computer mouse, phone cameras and solar panels.2
Life-saving inventions abound, such as improved cancer detection, fire resistant clothing, cardiac defibrillator implants, heat resistant materials, buoy life rafts, and search and rescue tracking.
Space innovations are also helping on-Earth industries decarbonise and fight the impacts of climate change. Data and imagery from Earth orbiting satellites help us observe and manage our environment, from flood and fire identification to better water and mineral resource management.
Companies are increasingly turning to near real time remote sensing data from satellites to inform business decisions. Whether it’s tracking the number of cars parked at shopping malls, detecting gas pipeline leaks, optimising airline flight paths and fuel consumption, or assessing soil type and moisture content to maximise crop yields.
Australia’s fire agencies are using artificial intelligence to analyse satellite generated data and images to help plan for bushfire seasons. By analysing historical bushfire data, vegetation growth and moisture, they can identify where fires are most at risk of outbreak. This helps them decide when and where to backburn and deploy resources. They can combine this with analysis of social media data, using AI to track key words and images, such as pictures of smoke.3
Investment in the space industry is a massive stimulator of economic activity. Every dollar invested in space exploration is spent on Earth delivering innovation, research, and creating job and business opportunities. This helps make our economy more diversified and resilient.
NASA estimates that for every $1 it spends on space exploration $7 to $14 are returned to the US economy.4
The Western Australian Government recognises the importance of a growing local space sector. Its initiatives include financial support for AROSE’s successful Trailblazer bid, Curtin University’s Binar satellite program, and Fugro’s new remote operations centre in Perth, which has been designed specifically to accommodate future space missions.
Our world-leading resources companies are also getting involved. Both Woodside and Rio Tinto are members of AROSE, as are many of the industry’s service companies. They know space enabled technologies, particularly through enhanced remote operations, can boost productivity, create a more diversified workforce, and help keep people safer in the workplace.
Like the Apollo generation of the 1960s and ‘70s, today’s students will be inspired by the Artemis program and want to pursue careers in the space sector. Australia’s first person to walk on the Moon or Mars is probably sitting somewhere in a classroom today. A strong sovereign space sector also means meaningful careers can be found at home.
Western Australia has a long history supporting space missions. From 1961 to 1972, our ground stations played key roles in NASA’s Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions to the Moon. Our geographic location, dry environment, radio quiet zones, clear skies and technical expertise make Western Australia an attractive location for major space projects.
Today we host a large variety of space infrastructure, including the European Space Agency’s New Norcia Deep Space Ground Station. More than 100 international and Australian companies operating in space and space-related services are based in Perth.
When the Australian-made rover rolls out across the Moon’s surface for the first time you can bet the nation will be watching. It may seem like a small contribution to a big mission, but its impact will be felt far beyond the companies and technicians directly involved. It will inspire a new wave of interest in our space sector and help bring the many benefits of space exploration home.
* AROSE (Australian Remote Operations for Space and Earth) is an industry-led not-for-profit organisation dedicated to ensuring Australia is the trusted leader in Remote Operations science, technology and services for Earth and Space.
References
- ‘In conversation with Katherine Bennell-Pegg, Australia’s astronaut-in-training’, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f47_jJ0at8&t=2334s
- https://www.greatbusinessschools.org/nasa/ see also https://spinoff.nasa.gov/
- ‘Firestory start-up uses AI to tackle bushfires’, Australian Financial Review, 1 December 2022, p.10.
- https://www.greatbusinessschools.org/nasa/
