The Albanese government released Australia's first formal Statement on Space on Tuesday, tying nearly $200 million in National Reconstruction Fund equity into Australian companies to a broader push on sovereign launch capability, regulatory reform and a temporary tracking terminal supporting India's Gaganyaan human-spaceflight program.
A framework, not a shopping list
Minister for Industry and Innovation Tim Ayres unveiled the document at the 19th Australian Space Forum in Adelaide, placing space alongside clean energy, critical minerals and advanced manufacturing under the Future Made in Australia banner. Priority areas identified in the paper span trusted space services, spaceflight ecosystems, space platforms, microgravity capabilities and exploration technologies. Canberra also issued a new Statement of Expectations to the Australian Space Agency asking it to accelerate approvals and modernise licensing after years of industry complaints about pace.
Cash into Southern Launch and Gilmour
The government said its $200 million portfolio across six Australian space companies has leveraged more than $500 million in total capital and now supports around 600 jobs. Southern Launch received $10 million from the Reconstruction Fund - a cheque it used to close a $25 million round with Brindabella and Company on June 30 - and expects to add about 185 full-time roles as it builds out its Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex and Koonibba Test Range. Gilmour Space Technologies drew a $75 million ticket to scale Eris orbital-rocket production, the ElaraSat platform and its Bowen Orbital Spaceport in North Queensland, where it aims to attempt a second orbital launch this year after last July's short-lived maiden flight.
Gaganyaan tracking on Cocos, Artemis in the mix
Alongside the funding, Ayres confirmed a temporary space-tracking terminal on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands to support telemetry for India's crewed Gaganyaan flights, formalised through a new ISRO-Australian Space Agency agreement covering crew and crew-module recovery. The statement also flagged a treaty-level Space Framework Agreement tabled with the United States to widen NASA and US-industry collaboration, continued Australian contributions to NASA's Artemis program, and completed talks to associate with Horizon Europe. An extra $21.7 million in this year's federal budget goes to Australian Space Agency operating funding to underwrite the regulatory push.
Reporting based on coverage from Space & Defense, Australia in Space and the Australian Space Agency.