Australia has to pay millions to fly an astronaut to space. What do we stand to gain?
Sending Katherine Bennell-Pegg to the International Space Station is an investment in Australia’s space future.
Australia has recently offered the European Space Agency (ESA) a sum to send their first astronaut, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, on a mission to the International Space Station. The exact amount is unknown but is assumed to be lower than the original A$100+ million requested by the ESA. This investment is not just about sending an astronaut to space; it opens doors to international partnerships, research, and opportunities that can benefit Australia in various ways.
The main reason behind paying for an astronaut's trip to space is that Australia is not a member state of the ESA or other space agencies capable of sending humans to space. These agencies require member states to pay a mandatory annual contribution based on their GDP, with ESA's total budget around €7.69 billion (A$12.2 billion), with two thirds coming from the 23 member states. Essentially, the cost is the price of a seat on a space mission.
However, the benefits of such an investment are significant. Space programs, especially those involving human spaceflight, help strengthen domestic industries, create high-skilled jobs, and develop technologies that benefit people on Earth. For example, Canada invested over C$300 million (A$305 million) to develop specialised robotic arms for space missions, which later led to their use in precision surgery.
This investment secured Canada's partnership in the International Space Station, enabling Canadian astronauts to access space and helped them become world leaders in space robotics.
Australia can reap similar benefits by participating in space exploration. The ESA operates under a principle of geographical return, ensuring that participating countries receive industrial contracts proportional to their financial contributions. This means that investment in space flows back into domestic businesses, supporting local jobs, advanced manufacturing, research, and technological development.
By investing in space, Australia can build national industrial capability and economic opportunity, creating a "space stimulus package."
One potential application of space research is in providing cutting-edge remote medicine for Australians living in rural and remote communities. These areas often face challenges accessing critical services due to limited transportation and communication links, and natural disasters can further disrupt these services. Space research can lead to advancements in remote healthcare, such as portable diagnostic tools and AI-powered health monitoring, which could greatly benefit Australians in these regions.
Additionally, space exploration opens doors to groundbreaking biomedical research, drug development in microgravity, and the design and testing of new technologies. This can lead to the creation of new companies and jobs, further driving Australia's economy. While we wait for ESA's response to Australia's offer, accepting it could grant Australia a valuable connection to the world's richest space ecosystem, opening up new economic opportunities for Australians, including those who often need to work overseas.
Perhaps the real question is not whether Australia can afford to invest in space, but whether we can afford not to.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
