Did you know Canberra played a key role in one of the biggest moments in human history?
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A couple of weeks before my 14th birthday, I shared a special moment with my father as he played a part in the broadcast of the moon landing.
The lunar landings captured the imagination of the entire world. It was a formative moment in not only my life, but the lives of all in my generation.
The idea of visiting the moon was once the stuff of story books. Only a few years previously the mainstreaming of science fiction had begun with the arrival of Star Trek in 1966. But with Apollo 11, the impossibilities of that science fiction had suddenly become real. No longer was walking among the stars a far off future vision – it was something very much in the present. Neil Armstrong remarked at the time that the need to explore the moon was part of humankind's need for self-discovery and that it was in the nature of the human being to face challenges.
My long personal interest in space dates back to this exciting time. Indeed, my father played a role in it. In his work at the Postmaster General's Department, he was in charge of the communications cable from Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station to Deakin, and then on to NASA. I was proud to have the opportunity to join him at the console for the moon landing. It was a fantastic moment. In appreciation of the work that he did, my father was presented with the Apollo Achievement Award by NASA. I have a framed copy of the certificate on my wall at home.
That personal interest I’ve always had in space has, just recently, also become a professional one. I’m honoured to have been appointed as Minister assisting the Chief Minister on Advanced Technology and Space Industries in the ACT Government. There’s a lot of work going on in this field right now and I’m excited to be taking this responsibility on at such an important time.
The space game has changed a lot since those small steps and giant leaps of the 60s. It’s now an industry, and it’s a big one. For those who aren’t familiar with it, it would be easy to disregard space and space industries as perhaps too ethereal to have any impact on us here in Canberra. But that would be a mistake.
Many technologies originally developed for use in space benefit our lives every day. From the satellite telecommunications we rely on for our GPS and mobile phone networks, through to advancements in biomedical research and more, advancements in technology connected to space research has improved all of our lives as well as our understanding of the universe. Research connected to space is taking place in Canberra right now across local research institutions and private companies.
Beyond the scientific and research benefits, the space industry also means jobs. Globally the space industry employs tens of thousands of people, is worth more than $400 billion and is expected to grow exponentially into the future. The space industry, through the jobs it creates and the investment it drives into research and development, is increasingly important.
You may not realise it, but almost one-in-four Australian space industry jobs are already based in Canberra. We are the home of the next generation of researchers, engineers and scientists that will support the future growth of the space industry. A number of leading private companies already run their space operations from Canberra.
The ACT Government has made a strong case – and will continue to do so – for the newly-formed Australian Space Agency to be permanently based here in Canberra. While the agency is appropriately a national effort, Canberra is the centre of policy development as well as the research and partnerships with governments that will underpin this industry in the future.
As we look forward into Canberra’s space future, it is also important that we recognise our space past.
Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station, Orroral Valley Tracking Station and the Orroral Geodetic Observatory are rightly recognised with heritage listing for the important role they have played over generations of space exploration.
The 50th anniversary of the moon landing is next year and, as I said above, those famous pictures of humans setting foot on the moon were routed through Honeysuckle Creek.
In my new role, I will be working to ensure this anniversary is appropriately celebrated and that the ACT’s role in it is well-known. We have already put in place some actions to highlight this and I will continue to work with stakeholders on ways to commemorate this important milestone.
Whether it is young kids (like me 50 years ago) dreaming of the Saturn V Rocket, or the current generation of Canberrans pursuing careers in a burgeoning and exciting new industry, few things unite humanity in the way space does. Space is important not only for humanity’s future, but also for Canberra’s.
Mick Gentleman is the ACT Minister assisting the Chief Minister on Advanced Technology and Space Industries
