Swinburne welcomes Federal Government’s new Statement on Space

Swinburne University of Technology has welcomed the Australian Government’s new Statement on Space, describing it as an important step towards strengthening Australia’s sovereign space capability, accelerating innovation and supporting a globally competitive space industry.

Swinburne’s researchers, industry partners and students are already contributing to Australia’s growing space sector through world-leading astronomy and astrophysics, aerospace engineering, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, robotics and space technology research.

Swinburne Chief Scientist Professor Virginia Kilborn said the Statement provides an important national framework to translate Australia’s research strengths into economic and societal impact.

“Australia has an exceptional foundation of scientific capability in space and astronomy. The Statement on Space provides a clear vision for how we can build on those strengths, grow sovereign capability and create new opportunities for research, industry and the next generation of innovators.

“At Swinburne, we see enormous potential in bringing together fundamental science, emerging technologies and industry collaboration to help Australia play a leading role in the global space economy.”

Swinburne Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Karen Hapgood said the Statement recognised the importance of deeper collaboration between universities, industry and government.

“Australia’s universities are central to building the knowledge, technologies and skilled workforce that will underpin future growth in the space sector.

“The Statement on Space sends a strong signal that coordinated investment, innovation and commercialisation are critical to Australia’s prosperity, resilience and international competitiveness. We look forward to working with government and industry partners to help deliver on that vision.”

Swinburne Pro Vice-Chancellor (Flagship Initiatives) Professor Alan Duffy said the Statement’s focus areas aligned strongly with capabilities already being developed across the university and the broader innovation ecosystem.

“The global space economy is expanding rapidly, and the Statement provides our nation clarity on where we should focus our efforts in our areas of comparative advantage and strengths.

“Swinburne is working with Australian space companies to create new manufacturing processes for rockets, advanced flight-proven composite for satellites, as well as surface coatings to improve the performance of space vehicles, all while training the next-generation of space tradies and other high-value jobs that will contribute to Australia’s future in space.”

Building on Swinburne's space strength

Swinburne is internationally recognised for its strengths in astronomy and space science, including leadership roles in major global observatories and research collaborations. The university is home to internationally acclaimed researchers working across astrophysics, gravitational wave science, aerospace systems, digital engineering and advanced technologies.

Partnering with industry, Swinburne’s activities include surface coatings for extreme environments such as space and hypersonics, improving the radiation performance of satellites as they become ever more capable, and providing advanced components as part the Australian Moon Rover national mission (called Roo-ver) with NASA’s return to the Moon.

Earlier this year, Swinburne launched the Swinburne Virtual Universe, an immersive 3D environment that combines supercomputer simulations, deep-space imagery and advanced visualisation technologies to connect the public with cutting-edge space science research. The facility builds on the university’s established strengths in space science and technology, including its OzSTAR and Ngarrgu Tindebeek supercomputing capabilities and partnership with the W. M. Keck Observatory.

Swinburne is also home to Australia’s longest-running International Space Station microgravity experimental and educational programs, SHINE and the Swinburne Youth Space Innovation Challenge.

The Federal Government’s Statement on Space highlights the significant economic opportunity presented by the sector, noting the global space economy is expected to reach US$1.8 trillion by 2035 and that Australian capabilities span satellites, launch technologies, navigation systems, robotics and advanced manufacturing.

The Statement sets out the Federal Government’s vision for the sector, with a focus on growing local industrial capability, expanding participation in global markets and supporting national resilience. It identifies five priority areas for growth: trusted space services, the spaceflight ecosystem, space platforms, the microgravity ecosystem and exploration technologies.

Swinburne looks forward to contributing to the consultation process led by the Australian Space Agency as detailed actions are developed to support the continued growth of Australia’s space sector.