The Mid West has consolidated its potential as a future hub for the space industry, with the official opening of a $12 million satellite park east of Geraldton.
The region, with its advantageous location for space-inspired projects, is also in contention for the $2.5 billion multinational Square Kilometre Array project that would catapult Australia’s capabilities into a higher orbit.
The Western Australian Space Centre, 90 kilometres east of Geraldton, was developed by SSC Australia, a subsidiary of Swedish Space Corporation and wholly owned by the Swedish government.
The company spent $12 million constructing two satellite ground stations to communicate with satellites and to track rockets.
The Australian footprint complements SSC’s Priornet ground station network, which encircles the globe.
“The WASC is an attractive site for the location of earth space tracking and communications facilities, with SSC Australia in discussions with several countries – including China, Japan, the US and several European countries – looking to locate facilities at the site,” Science and Innovation Minister John Day said.
He said the WASC was adding to WA’s growing portfolio of world-class science and technology facilities.
“The Mid West region is already a hotspot for innovation in radio astronomy, with the Australian Communications and Media Authority establishing a Mid West Radio Quiet Zone to protect the Murchison Radio-Astronomy Observatory,” Mr Day said.
By supporting facilities in WA, the state government was fostering the emerging space industry, he said.
SSC Australia president Brian Mann said the satellite park was built over two years and was completed in October.
“Over the next couple of years, we are going to double the investment in the area,” Mr Mann told WA Business News.
The geographical location of the Mid West is advantageous for tracking low-flying satellites in the southern hemisphere. It has very little rainfall and virtually no radio background noise.
Construction is also under way of the $30 million Murchison Widefield Array, which is designed to discover low-frequency radio phenomena. The MWA is a project of a group of international universities, including Curtin and UWA.
The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder, consisting of 36 dishes each with a diameter of 12 metres and worth $152 million, is being built by CSIRO.
Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2013.
The state government has put in another $15.5 million to provide a power plant for the ASKAP.
Researchers hope the build up of infrastructure will boost WA’s bid to host the Square Kilometre Array project. South Africa has also been shortlisted.
SKA will consist of thousands of antennas intended to simulate a giant radio telescope.
The decision on the location of the SKA site will be made later this year.
