Reshaping Australia's space policy and regulation : recent developments

Although it may come as a surprise to some observers, Australia has had a long heritage in outer space activities and was significantly involved in several important contributions, particularly to the early development of humankind's endeavours in space. Its technical expertise, geographic location and long and close alliance with the United States, as well as other space-faring countries, has meant that it has played, and continues to play, an important role in tracking and communications activities with all manner of space objects. In addition, as early as 1949, a test launch facility was developed at a site in Woomera in South Australia that, at its peak, was the world's second most heavily used launch site (after Cape Canaveral), involving the launch of American, European and Australian rockets. The Australian Government still describes the Woomera Prohibited Area as 'the largest land-based test range in the world'.