President JoeBiden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed an agreement on Thursday providing a legal and technical framework for U.S. industrial space launch vehicles to launch from Australia.
In line with the White House, the Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) protects sensitive U.S. launch technology and data in Australia and creates the potential for brand spanking new space-related industrial opportunities. A TSA is an agreement between the U.S. and one other Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) partner country.
The TSA is an element of Albanese’s state visit to the U.S. this week. Biden and Albanese are outlining latest initiatives for the U.S. and Australia to partner, including within the areas of advanced technology and space collaboration. The 2 countries are welcoming investments into bilateral industrial space launch activities.
Albanese and Biden first announced the TSA in the course of the G7 Summit in Japan in May, and it has been in negotiation since October 2021. Australia expects the TSA to assist its domestic launch sector and spaceports to grow and to create jobs in developing infrastructure to support U.S. launch activities.
There are various space launch initiatives underway in Australia including Equatorial Launch Australia’s latest spaceport within the Northern Territory; Southern Launch, and Gilmour Space.
America and Australia also agreed to proceed to partner to advertise responsible behavior in space. This includes working together throughout the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and dealing India and Japan to foster dialogue with other Indo-Pacific partners on sustainable best practices in outer space.
Each nations signed the Artemis Accords and previously committed to not conduct destructive, direct-ascent anti-satellite missile testing.