As Australia prepares to create a space agency, Boeing and the CSIRO will perform new joint research and development in space technologies.
The announcement, made at Boeing’s El Segundo, California, facility, home to the world’s largest satellite factory, signals a new phase in the Boeing-CSIRO relationship as both organisations focus on the opportunities presented by Australia’s fast-growing space industry.
Scientists from the US and Australia will collaborate on areas which are focused on the developing needs of the Australian space market.
The joint research will explore opportunities for space infrastructure and ground-based space facilities in Australia that could be beneficial for a range of space-related activities. Other possible areas of space-related research include the development of novel materials, sensors and software for data analytics.
CSIRO Chief Executive Larry Marshall said CSIRO has a 75-year history of working in space and "there is still so much to know".
"Extending our relationship with Boeing into the realm of ‘new space’ will help Australia and the world expand horizons, as well as monitor and better manage our own planet.”
Boeing and CSIRO began working together in 1989; over that time, there have been numerous technology breakthroughs. Projects have included advanced aerospace technologies such as new manufacturing processes, coatings, fire retardants, and software for data analytics. CSIRO has twice been named a Boeing Supplier of the Year, most recently in 2017.