USA SPACE MONITOR FOR EXMOUTH

Australia is to join forces with the United States of America to help protect satellite communications.

The partnership was announced at the Ausmin meeting held at Government House in Melbourne on the 8th November attended by Mrs Hillary Clinton US Secretary of State, Mr Robert Gates US Defence Secretary and hosted by Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd and Defence Minister Stephen Smith.

(l to r) Robert Gates, Hillary Clinton, Kevin Rudd

“Space is becoming increasingly congested due to the debris from over 50 years of space activities,” the US and Australia said in a joint statement.

According to The Australian newspaper the joint partnership is likely to lead to US space sensors operating from joint facilities such as the Naval Communications Station located in Exmouth.

Harold E Holt naval communications station is already a major communication stations for Australian and US Defence as the current VLF Towers monitor the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

The expansion of defence activities at the base would see a boost to the Exmouth community.

The sensors would help track space objects to predict potential collisions. A disruption to space-based communication systems could affect aircraft and ship navigation, weather forecasting, disaster recovery and international phone networks.

“The benefits of free use of space permeate almost every facet of our daily lives,” the Ausmin statement said.

Talks will begin in January about America using defence facilities such as the Harold E Holt naval communications station to set up ground-based radar to monitor space junk, satellites and other activity.