Australia's Space Agency will get $50 million dollars

[FlandersNed]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-03/australia-space-agency-funding-in-federal-budget-2018/9720370

Australia's push for a slice of the rapidly growing space industry will receive a $50 million injection in the federal budget, the ABC can reveal.
Next Tuesday, the Government will unveil "seed funding" to finally establish a dedicated Australian space agency to coordinate existing efforts in the aeronautical industry, with the aim of generating thousands of future jobs.

The Turnbull Government is yet to decide where the new space agency will be located, but the ABC understands Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and the ACT have all expressed interest in hosting the headquarters.

A senior Coalition source said the Government expected the private sector would contribute "the lion's share" of funding for Australia's space industry.

[UncaringNonchala]

First kangaroo in space. Kickin' alien cunts across the solar system.

[krail]

what can they really do with so little tbh

[Download]

It will probably be used to start an office that will offer up the outback as a playground for various companies developing rockets. We have the largest military test range in the world here in SA (125,000 km^2, or an area that if was its own country would be larger than 50% of the world's nations) that can be used by private companies to launch rockets or land things.

[Syff]

great news! too bad $50 million is not much for a space agency but hey, its a great start!

[_maverick_]

I'm surprised we don't do all our space business from Australia.

It'd be so easy
All we'd need to do is just unhook the shuttle's ground harness/tether and watch it fall down into space.

[gman003-main]

If they're talking $50M as "seed money" to start a local space industry, that's viable. Give $5M to ten companies that get the rest of their funding from VC, now you've got ten companies that might be able to pull off a Falcon 1 type launch, or build satellites, or build and run a spaceport, or other small-but-important things. Half of them will probably fail but for just $50M you got as much as a half-dozen space companies running.

[Anteep]

the real reason they are doing this is to find somewhere more hospitable in space to live

[IAmIroningMyDog]

I told you guys that Australia will become a super power by 2030