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Airbus has today announced that it will open an office later this month at Lot Fourteen, the growing space and defence industry hub in South Australia.
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The news comes following Airbus’ announcement that it would establish a major satellite manufacturing facility at the upcoming Australian Space Park in Adelaide.
The office will be located in the “Defence and Space Landing Pad” section of Lot Fourteen, a purpose-designed area to bring together international defence and aeronautical companies in South Australia.
Airbus’ office at Lot Fourteen will be home to the RMS STaR Shot program and missions, which will see Airbus working with the Australian Defence Force to develop sovereign capabilities in future space operations.
The facility will be Airbus’ first dedicated office for space activities in Australia.
RMS STaR Shot aims to supply the ADF with significantly increased access to secure and comprehensive satellite communication, intelligence gathering methods and surveillance services.
The $40 million STaR Shot deal will also involve extensive research on new satellite technologies and includes the purchase of two Airbus Arrow 150 satellite buses with a value of over $20 million.
Richard Franklin, the managing director of Airbus Defence and Space UK spoke about the decision to establish the new office space at Lot Fourteen.
“South Australia’s diverse and vibrant industrial ecosystem makes it a natural choice for us to establish our space centre. We look forward to working closely with the innovative start-ups and scale-ups in South Australia to help further build a sustainable sovereign Australian space sector,” he said.
The chief executive of Defence South Australia described the Defence and Space Landing Pad facility as a “one-stop shop” and said that it was encouraging to see another global leader in the defence and space industry open its doors in South Australia.
South Australia’s space industry has been undergoing rapid growth, with a flurry of announcements of major developments in the recent months.
“The expansion of Airbus into South Australia is a major boost to the state’s space capability and a testament to the collaborative, supportive and innovative environment building at Lot Fourteen,” said Susan Close, Deputy Premier of South Australia.
“South Australia’s space industry is on an exciting trajectory and I’m proud to welcome Airbus and the opportunities they will bring to advance our mission to build a thriving and enduring space ecosystem.”
[Related: Airbus satellite facility destined for Australian Space Park in Adelaide]
