On Friday, Australia said that it was cancelling a billion-dollar plan to create a series of space satellites in order to cut costs amid an economic slump and cost-of-living crisis.
The Aus$1.2 billion (US$770 million) National Space Mission for Earth Observation was revealed just last year and has been lauded as a critical pillar in the development of the Australian space industry.
The goal of the initiative was to design, manufacture and operate four satellites that would be launched between 2028 and 2033 to gather Earth observation data.
The data assists authorities in forecasting the weather, responding to natural disasters and managing the environment.
However, the country’s centre-left government announced that the proposal will be scrapped for ‘budget repair’ reasons, leaving Australia reliant on earth data from international partners.
On Friday, Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic said that tackling broader environmental things while fighting inflation required tough decisions.
“If I don’t cut a billion there, I’ve got to find it somewhere else in the portfolio”, he explained.
Husic further said, “There are other ways we can build capability, and we’re certainly interested in doing that. We just have to make the call on this”.
Despite weak growth and a steady increase in defence spending, Australia’s government has committed to balance the budget this year.
The cancellation of the satellite programme was deemed ‘shortsighted’ by the Space Industry Association of Australia.
“It will undermine the Albanese government’s agenda on climate, defence, STEM, advanced manufacturing and building tech jobs”, Australia’s space industry’s lobby group warned.
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