The bigger picture

Satellite and space technology development has fallen away somewhat which is something of an indictment given that we still possess extensive launching sites at Woomera in South Australia and a vast, mature rocket range that reaches to the WA coastline.

Australia has significant aviation, aerospace and space research potential but remains an under-achiever on the world stage. It is not that we are doing badly, but not as well as we could or should.

It is overdue that Australia takes another look at these three sectors and discusses whether an integrated approach may provide the critical mass to save what we have and provide some sort of springboard. We are now well into the 21st century and yet are just keeping up internationally on the aviation and aerospace development fronts. It could be argued with evidence that Australia has been de-skilled with respect to the space research capabilities that were so prominent in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. I am happy to be proved wrong on theRegionslast point but feel confident this has been the unfortunate trajectory.

The answer does not lie with government. It is too slow moving and has current priorities that are significantly removed from the sectors identified. It is therefore up to industry to start the conversations and build the frameworks if it is accepted that a far more integrated approach made up of at least three sectors is the way forward.

Rather than some massive and expensive summit the Australian aviation, aerospace and space industries need to identify the niche areas where there are commercial opportunities including the local technical and management capability to take advantage of those opportunities. Next generation air traffic management, expanded domestic and international air freight, advanced avionics and unmanned aerial systems immediately spring to mind. Lower-cost satellite launch facilities as well research for hyper-mach engines and airframes may also be possibilities in the medium to longer term.

The resources industry has done an outstanding job in underpinning our economy but it won’t last forever. High end design and manufacturing, including technical services, can fill some of the void. This is where the sectors above can possibly thrive if we become more aggressive about researching international markets, particularly those to our north.

New aviation horizons will encourage talented youth to join the

New aviation horizons will encourage talented youth to join the industry.

industry. This point cannot be over-emphasised. While piloting retains some of its shine, engineering and the other emerging aviation professions need the energy of talented young people. Most of the younger people I speak to are not considering aviation, aerospace or the space industries as possible careers, largely due to a lack of understanding and exposure.

It is likely that Australia is in for a tough decade economically and will need to display considerable resilience. A highly skilled and motivated workforce will ameliorate some of these difficulties. Aviation and its related sectors are battle-hardened industries and will play their part. However, they are also exciting and enjoyable industries. Somehow this must be passed on to the next generation of air and space-minded Australians.

Are we up for the challenge? Hopefully the answer is a resounding yes.