Airbus Defence and Space, together with Defence SA, will open a new office at the Defence and Space Landing Pad at Lot Fourteen in Adelaide, South Australia.
The new office will be Airbus’ first Australian office dedicated to Space and will be home to the Resilient Multi-Mission (RMS) STaR Shot program and missions.
This is a strategic research program established to develop future Space capabilities for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
In July 2022, Airbus was selected as the strategic partner to fast-track the development of sovereign, critical satellite technologies, under the RMS program, in order to ensure the ADF is equipped with ongoing access to resilient and trusted communication, intelligence, and surveillance services.
Having a permanent presence in South Australia will enable Airbus to engage in collaborative discussions with its partners as well as provide a focal point for wider engagement with the Australian industry as the program looks to demonstrate and experiment with locally manufactured payloads.
The announcement comes shortly after Airbus announced its commitment to the Australian Space Park in Adelaide, where it will help build the first-ever dedicated satellite assembly and integration manufacturing facility. The new office will officially open to staff and visitors in September of 2022.
Richard Franklin, Managing Director, Airbus Defence and Space UK, said, “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.”
Susan Close, Deputy Premier of South Australia and Minister for Defence and Space Industries, said, “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. 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.’
Richard Price, Defence SA Chief Executive, said, “The Defence and Space Landing Pad is a one-stop-shop that supports the relocation of international companies to South Australia. It’s great to see another global defence and space leader such as Airbus recognize the value of growing their footprint in South Australia and we look forward to supporting their business journey.”
