Australia signed a deal with Russia's space agency on Wednesday, paving the way for the opening of the country's first commercial satellite launch pad within three years.
Industry, Science and Resources Minister Nick Minchin signed a deal with Russian Aviation and Space Agency (Rosaviakosmos) director-general Yuri Koptev to establish a formal framework for space cooperation, saying it was a major step for Australia.
"It's a partnership which we hope will see Australia emerge as the leading centre for fully commercial launch operations from fully private facilities," he told a news conference.
Koptev, who coordinated the successful Mir space station splashdown in March, said the deal with Australia marked a new era in space cooperation between Russia and Australia.
"The signing of the agreement for the peaceful use of space will herald an era where our industry and our research institutions can work on one of the most honourable areas of human endeavour, which is space exploration," he said.
Under the agreement, Russia would supply Soviet rockets and launch expertise while Australia would provide infrastructure and commercial opportunities to launch commercial satellites.
//Reuters
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23rd May 2001, 21:48
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