Keep looking up: Australia’s next steps in space surveillance

Summary

This article by Malcolm Davis, writing for ASPI, makes the following points:

• Australia has long provided suitable land as part of Five Eyes intelligence-sharing and the 2014 Combined Space Operations initiative.
• The continent lies directly beneath launch trajectories from Chinese launch sites and can monitor activities out to geosynchronous equatorial orbit—35,786 kilometres from earth.
• Australia’s sparsely populated inland offers skies, essentially free from light pollution.
• SDA is part of the ADF’s Operation Dyurra, which integrates space capabilities, services and effects into broader operations.
• Defence is seeking to expand sovereign SDA capabilities with a significant project. The first tranche will include the introduction of a telescope.
• SDA also provides opportunities for Australian companies to contribute to ADF capability.

References

Recent Runway Posts related to this topic:

• 'SPACE' (Operating in and use of) 01: COLLECTION | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
• Alternative Link: 'SPACE' (Operating in and use of) 01: COLLECTION

References from the Web:

• APR 2021 From Five Eyes to Six? Japan’s push to join the West’s intelligence alliance—The Conversation
• MAY 2021 What is Australia's space division, and why is it in the military?—ABC Australia
• MAY 2021 ADF space command is the right next step for Australian space power—ASPI
• OCT 2021 Could India join the Five Eyes?—Lowy Institute

Source: Strategist (ASPI)

• Link to Source: The Strategist | ASPI's analysis and commentary site (aspi.au)
• Media Check: About Us | Australian Strategic Policy Institute | ASPI
• LEARNING OUTCOMES—RUNWAY | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)