Airbus supports Australian Space Park in South Australia

Airbus Defence and Space, together with the Government of South Australia, plans to establish an assembly and integration presence at Australian Space Park in Adelaide. The bespoke facility is set to drive Australian space industry manufacturing capability and capacity, enabling the production of satellites up to a size of 300 kg.

Delivering a platform for industry to scale its satellite manufacturing capabilities, the facility will make Airbus the only prime contractor to be investing in Australia’s space industry so directly.  Airbus also brings a wealth of experience, expertise and knowledge that, through the facility, will be transferred to local SMEs to strengthen Australia’s sovereign space capability.

Richard Franklin, Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space UK, said: “As the burgeoning hub for Australia’s space manufacturing industry, South Australia is the natural choice for Airbus to establish a dedicated satellite assembly and integration presence. Our vision is to invest in a national asset to support the Australian Government’s wider strategic aspiration to build a sustainable space industry. We look forward to working closely with the Government of South Australia and industry to help lead this vision.”

South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas said: “Securing a global name like Airbus in South Australia is a significant coup for our growing space sector. Airbus’s involvement in the Australian Space Park will open a pipeline of opportunities for local manufacturers. The space industry offers huge potential for South Australia; as we attract more and more companies to our state we will continue to be at the forefront of supporting sovereign space capability which will enable the development, integration, assembly and testing of space hardware.”

Minister for Trade and Investment Nick Champion spoke to the economic benefits, saying: “The Australian Space Park will help to support the national aim to triple space’s contribution to gross domestic product to $12 billion by 2030. Having this company based here, assembling satellites of this size, will be a huge step in terms of scale and sophistication of satellites being assembled in Australia.”