The Australian Government will dedicate $50mn in “seed funding” in next Tuesday’s Budget to establish an Australian space agency, the ABC is reporting.
Former CSIRO head Megan Clarke, who has just finished a government review of the space sector, will front the new agency in its first year.
A senior Coalition source said the government expected the private sector would eventually fund the “lion’s share” of Australia’s space industry.
Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and the ACT have all reportedly expressed interest in homing the agency.