The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) announced in May 2021 that it will set up a Space Division headquarters within a year. The Defenc

Australia reaches for the stars with new space division

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2021-05-28 04:55:09

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) announced in May 2021 that it will set up a Space Division headquarters within a year.

The Defence Space Division — rather than a full US-style space force — will be established in early 2022. It will incorporate personnel from all three Australian Defence Force (ADF) services.

Air Mshl Mel Hupfeld, Chief of Air Force, commented: 'We use space daily for understanding the weather, navigating, access to geospatial information and sharing information across Australia or across the world. Defence is delivering capabilities including space domain awareness, sovereign-controlled satellite communications and space-based Earth observation and navigation.'

Hupfield, who is the space domain lead, is conducting a review to improve how space capabilities are managed, acquired and operated.