If we want more Australian-built rockets, space technology, and sovereign capability, we need more than funding rounds and family wealth.
Gilmour Space Technologies is on the verge of making history. From Juru lands in Bowen, Queensland, it aims to launch the first Australian-made rocket from Australian soil.
But for now, that moment is paused — an issue with the payload fairing (the rocket’s nose cone) has delayed lift-off. It’s a stark reminder of a simple truth known throughout the space sector: space is hard. Really hard.
This is why space missions, no matter how ambitious or well funded, rarely succeed in isolation. International collaboration, public-private partnerships, and strategic investment are the lifeblood of space innovation. Even Elon Musk’s SpaceX — often held up as the gold standard of commercial spaceflight — was built on billions in US government funding through NASA programs designed to cultivate a competitive space industry.
The launch attempt comes at a critical juncture for space in Australia. Space-based services are the invisible infrastructure of modern Australian life — from GPS and telecommunications to banking and emergency services. If these services were suddenly disrupted, so too would everything from navigating the morning commute to fighting bushfires.
Australia’s access to space comes from our partners and allies. We depend on foreign satellites and international data-sharing agreements to meet even the most essential government functions: tracking storms, spotting fires and ensuring national security.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with cooperation — but choosing to rely solely on data from others takes an incredible amount of faith in our partners at a time we are seeing changing geopolitical contexts shape the way we interact with the world.
Even our agreements with our closest neighbours and allies do not guarantee access at times when we need it most; as a customer of space-based services, we will always be competing for priority with others. When disaster strikes — when we most need timely satellite imagery or secure communications — we can’t guarantee access. Why? Because we lack sovereign space capabilities.
This should be a wake-up call that we need such capabilities. But rather than trying to go it alone, Australia should aim to co-invest, co-develop, and co-lead with our international partners. Sovereignty doesn’t mean isolation — it means standing on our own feet while working shoulder-to-shoulder with allies.
With shifting global dynamics, especially under US President Donald Trump and his administration’s more transactional approach to foreign policy, Australia must take the initiative.
Our space industry is ready. What we need now is a government willing to match that ambition with policy and investment.
Australia has much to offer: a strategic location for launches and tracking, expertise in remote operations and a growing talent pool. Our space industry is ready. What we need now is a government willing to match that ambition with policy and investment.
Space is vital to both our economy and national security, but it is not viewed that way. Australia has no national space policy that addresses defence, civil and commercial space, despite it being vital to each of these sectors.
While this country has all it needs to be successful in space, the lack of a cohesive national strategy makes it difficult to realise that success. Space ultimately supports our economy, safeguards our national security and strengthens our diplomatic ties. And it’s not just good policy — it’s good economics. Studies show space investments return at least $3 for every $1 spent.
The responsibility for space now sits with Tim Ayres, newly appointed as the minister for industry and science. And with a new government comes new opportunities to ensure space is given the priority its impacts deserve. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has a unique opportunity to reset the national conversation. Space isn’t just about rockets and satellites — it’s about jobs, security, and Australia’s place in the world.
If we want more Gilmour Space stories — more Australian-built rockets, space technology and sovereign capability — we need more than funding rounds and family wealth. We need government vision and leadership. Investing in space is investing in every Australian who relies on weather forecasts, mobile phones, secure banking and safe travel. It’s investing in our alliances, our security and our future.
Now is the time for Australia to take its place in space — not as a passenger, but as a partner.