The federal government announced during the 2018-19 Budget that it would be committing AU$41 million[1] to the creation of the Australian Space Agency.
After officially launching the initiative with an initial AU$15 million in funding to "kick-start" its investment last month, the government announced the agency would be led by former head of the CSIRO Dr Megan Clark[2] for its establishment and first year of operation.
Although the Australian Space Agency will begin operation from July 1, 2018, it is yet to have a place to call home.
The boasting rights to the agency will be determined during a six-month bidding war between states and territories, with a decision expected by the end of the year.
Western Australia has the element of physical space on its side, and in a report commissioned by the state government, it was said WA's geographic advantages have been reinforced by investments in communications and computational infrastructure, and access to technical expertise.
"Western Australia's southern hemisphere location and latitude were ideal for space situational awareness and networks that required global coverage of space assets. They create significant opportunities for space situational awareness, optical communications, astronomy, space operations, and defence space applications," the state explained.
WA also has the $1 billion Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which is slated the largest and most capable radio telescope ever constructed[3].
Touted as the world's largest science project, involving 20 countries and covering over 1 million square metres of data collection area, the SKA has its central cores of operation in South Africa and Western Australia, with its central computer alone boasting the processing power of about 100 million PCs.
While the SKA is nothing to be scoffed at, South Australia has