August 13, 2019
The Go8 Space Summit which was held at the Australian National University in Canberra, was an invitation only day which brought together some 115 representatives from Government, the Space Industry, including the Australian Space Agency, and Go8 universities and their researchers.
The International “Space Race” and Australia’s position and part in this, was to the fore and the day drilled down to workforce and skills, technology capability and industry needs to meet both national requirements and aspirational targets. This was to be especially relevant given Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s later commitment of $150 million to space technology announced in the US in late September.
The Summit got underway with a keynote address from Nobel Prize Winner Professor Brian Schmidt AC, Vice Chancellor of ANU, and there was a second keynote to begin the afternoon session from Peter Jennings PSM Executive Director Australian Strategic policy Institute “The International Space Race – Implications for Australia”.
The Summit panels, each with robust discussion, comprised strong representation, including His Excellency Dr Michael Pulch Ambassador of the European Union to Australia. Industry was represented by Andy Keough CSC, MD of Saab Australia, Valentin Merino Villeneuve Head, Airbus Defence and Space, Adam Gilmour CE of Gilmour Space Technologies and James Prior MD of SkyKraft.
The Summit concluded with a presentation on their ‘journey to success’ from members of the University of Sydney Rocketry Team. The team has won the 2019 Spaceport America Cup intercollegiate rocketry competition.
