The Australian Space Agency celebrates its first anniversary today, in the same month we commemorate the 50th anniversary of Australia’s involvement in the moon landing.

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the milestones were a great time to reflect on our past space achievements and share plans for the future.

“Australia has a long affinity with space, playing a key role in broadcasting the moon landing on 21 July 1969 to an audience of 600 million people around the world, as well as supporting communications with the lunar capsule throughout its mission,” Minister Andrews said.

“We now draw on this heritage as we continue to transform and grow Australia’s space industry.

“The Liberal National Government established the Australian Space Agency, with a goal of tripling the size of the industry to $12 billion by 2030 and creating up to 20,000 new jobs.”

Dr Megan Clark AC, Head of the Australian Space Agency said that in its first year, the Agency had achieved some significant outcomes in working towards this goal.

“We’ve had an incredible response from the community, industry and our researchers as we reinvigorate Australia’s efforts in space,” Dr Clark said.

“The Agency has signed international partnerships to open the door for our industry and researchers, has modernised our legislation to better balance entrepreneurship while ensuring safety, and set a new long-term strategy for Australia’s civil space sector.

Minister Andrews said the anniversaries also highlight the importance of space technologies and the significant impact they will have on our lives in the future.

“Space technologies boost a variety of industries including farmers who use space capabilities to monitor the health of their crops, marine pilots guiding cruise liners, emergency workers tracking the progress of bushfires, and scientists who study the effects and impact of droughts,” Minister Andrews said.

Some of the public events to mark the 50th anniversary of the moon landing include:

• CSIRO Parkes radio telescope open days on 20 and 21 July
• Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, One Small Step Open Day 21 July
• Apollo 11 – 50th Anniversary Exhibition at Questacon (1 July to 30 November)
• Tracking Apollo at the National Museum of Australia (1 July to 18 August)

The Morrison Government is investing $73.2 million into the Space Agency and its programs, as part of our broader plan to boost the economy and help create a further 1.25 million jobs in the next five years.

Media contact: Minister Andrews' office 02 6277 7070