Three times as many Australians want to spend more money on Australian efforts in space than want to spend less despite less than one-quarter saying they have a clear sense of Australia’s future direction in space according to a new report from the United States Studies Centre (USSC) at the University of Sydney, the Australasian Centre for Space Governance (ACSG), the University of New South Wales Canberra and the Space Industry Association of Australia.

In Looking up from Down Under in 2025: Re-investigating Australian attitudes to national space activities, authors Dr Kathryn Robison from the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, Dr Tristan Moss from the University of New South Wales and Dr Aleks Deejay from the Australian National University share findings from the second public opinion poll looking at Australian attitudes towards space efforts.

“This polling report could not come at a better time because Australia-US collaboration in space is, perhaps, more important than ever. These findings show that the Australian public is not just willing, but wanting to do more on space,” USSC Dr Michael Green said.

The survey found that Australians are becoming more informed about space with an 8-point increase from 36% in 2023 to 42% in 2025 in the percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree that space impacts their everyday lift in important ways. And a majority of respondents (59%) support government funding for space-focused research “even if it brings no immediate benefits.”

“Going back to Australia’s role in broadcasting images of the American astronaut Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon, Australians continue to have positive sentiment towards space activities, although relatively little understanding of how they impact their day to day lives with a majority of respondents saying losing space capabilities would impact them less rather than more,” Dr Robinson noted, “However loss of access to satellites would have a profound impact on most Australians.”

The survey found that Australians support an Australian astronaut program, with 52% of respondents supporting government investment in one and only 13% who disagree.

“Space has become more front of mind for many Australians with a major focus on commercial and governmental efforts overseas,” Dr Moss said, “However, the fact that there is both interest and support for Australian space activities means there is a predisposition for the Australian Government to do more. It has never been more important to have a comprehensive and strategic space policy and our survey results indicate that efforts on this will likely be well received.”

The survey was fielded by iLink Research Services in July 2025 and included 1,500 Australian respondents over the age of 18.

Key findings

  • Australians deem space to be important but Australian space policy to be mostly unknown
    Less than a quarter of Australians say that they have a clear sense of Australia’s future direction around space despite Australians appreciating the importance of space, with only 19% saying that space has little impact on their lives
  • Australians are three times as likely to want to spend more in space than less
    Only 9% think Australia is spending too much in space, with 29% saying it is spending the right amount, 26% wanting to spend more and 36% being unsure
  • Government support for space-related research is a top priority for Australians
    The majority (59%) of Australians support the government continuing to support space-focused scientific research “even if it brings no immediate benefits” while only 10% disagree
  • Most believe an Australian astronaut program would be of a significant benefit to the nation
    The majority of Australians (52%) think government investment in an Australian astronaut programme would be of significant benefit to the country, while only 13% disagree and roughly a third (35%) are neutral.
  • Sustainable and environmentally friendly space practices are important to Australians
    Two thirds of Australians (67%) think it is important for Australia to invest in sustainable space practices which ensure that the environments of Earth and space are protected, while only 7% disagree and a quarter (25%) are neutral.

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