The frontiers between the Australian mining industry and the international space sector are one step closer to being merged.
The Australian Remote Operations for Space and Earth (AROSE) officially opened its head office in Perth last week, with the help of WA Deputy Premier and Minister for Science, Roger Cook.
AROSE is an industry-led consortium between Australia’s traditional industry sectors such as mining as well as the burgeoning international space sector to establish a world-leading hub for the nation’s remote operations capabilities for Earth and space applications.
AROSE chief executive Leanne Cunnold says Australia’s expertise in remote operations is highly respected and in demand by international space agencies.
“The mining industry in Australia is a world-leader in the use of remote operations to safely access harsh environments and overcome the tyranny of distance.
“AROSE is leveraging this expertise and extending it further into space, where remote operations can be used to support missions such as NASA’s Artemis program, which will use these innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before and establish sustainable exploration on the Moon for the first time.”
Minister Cook says participation in the space sector has many down-to-Earth benefits including the growth of the nation’s industries and a catalyst for young people to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
“We are making strategic investments, like supporting the establishment of AROSE, to harness the energy and talent we have in WA for a strong, resilient future,” he said.
AROSE celebrated its first birthday in February this year. Pictured above is Minister Cook with (L-R) AROSE co-founder Russell Potapinski, AROSE chief executive Leanne Cunnold, Australian Space Agency head Enrico Palermo and AROSE chair David Flanagan AMCitWA.
