The development of a self-sufficient space industry is as vital to Australia's future as electricity was last century, according to a scientist who collaborated on NASA's Mars Rover missions.
But Professor Paulo de Souza said more work would be needed to develop an adequately skilled labour force.
"From financial transactions, logistics, telecommunications, agriculture, mining — every single sector relies on space," he said.
"We can't rely on foreign entities or foreign countries to provide us with that vital infrastructure."
The federal government has committed more than $700 million towards the civil space sector since mid-2018, while the Australian military's new Space Command began formal operations this week.
But Professor de Souza said closer collaboration between universities and the emerging industry would be needed as well.
Students need hands-on experience
Professor de Souza helped design a sensor used in NASA's Mars Rover missions 20 years ago as a PhD student, before going on to work for the CSIRO.
He now heads Griffith University's School of Information and Communication Technology, which has PhD students undertaking industry research projects, including with Gilmour Space Technologies.
"Space professionals are incredibly interdisciplinary professionals so chemistries can work with a physicist, with mathematicians, with engineers," he said.
"These sorts of skills, being able to work on complex projects and have a mindset that's tuned to solve problems, it's incredibly needed."
Professor de Souza said "that changes the way we need to train our students" with hands-on industry experience required.
"Because it is an industry emerging and it comes with challenges, exposing the students to those challenges as early as possible is really needed."
New manufacturing hub for the Gold Coast
On Friday the federal government announced $52 million for a manufacturing and testing hub on the northern Gold Coast.
The hub will be used by companies such as Gilmour and partners like Griffith University, to manufacture and test craft for launch into space.
The federal government expects about 350 high-skilled engineering and other technical roles will be created.
Industry Minister Angus Taylor said the project would "get rockets into space faster and further".
"[And] in the process, take Australia to a leadership position in providing speed and cost-effectiveness in getting payloads up into space," he said.
Professor de Souza said such projects addressed the need to manufacture in Australia and achieve sovereign capability.
"Are we able to manufacture all components that we need right here in Australia?"
The risk of being left behind
Professor de Souza said the 4,000 operational satellites in orbit now would likely increase by tens of thousands by 2030.
He said Australia was "the largest from east to west cover of land in the southern skies", giving the domestic industry an "opportunity to launch satellites that will be really competitive in terms of which kind of orbit they can have".
Professor de Souza said satellites increasingly formed a vital part of everyday life and should be considered "the electricity of the future".
"Can we live without electricity? Can we live without broadband? Can we live without space?" he said.
"No, we can't."
