圖為：2017年，澳大利亞新南威爾士大學建造的一顆衛星UNSW-EC0不得搭上美國火箭的太空

澳大利亞將宣布該國的第一個太空機構。雖然重點顯然是關於空間的商業利用，但研究人員希望也會有純粹的科學努力。

澳大利亞媒體今天報道，政府計劃提供3800萬澳元的「種子資金」，以啟動該機構。預計官員將於5月8日正式宣布此舉。

據報道，地質學家梅根克拉克將領導新機構。她曾任澳大利亞聯邦科學和工業研究組織的首席執行官，該組織是堪培拉的實驗室網路。她還領導了政府去年設立的專家小組，以探索建立空間機構的想法。

研究人員為這個選擇鼓掌。「澳大利亞國立大學（堪薩斯州立大學）的天文學家安娜摩爾說，克拉克」可以被信任使該機構朝著正確的方向前進。「

儘管資助和重視應用技術的資金並不多，但設立該機構的決定「是澳大利亞工業和科學的一個重要里程碑，」天文學家兼國際射電天文學研究中心執行主任Peter Quinn說。科廷大學和西澳大利亞大學，均在珀斯。

太空愛好者呼籲澳大利亞過去建立自己的太空代理處。但是，去年7月，政府成立了專家小組來評估國家的太空行業能力，這一趨勢得到了推動。它負責制定「發展這個重要而令人興奮的部門的長期計劃」。小組在3月底發表了報告。該報告尚未公開，但人們普遍認為，「主要目標是發展澳大利亞航天工業，但我的理解是，潛在的科學成分可能會存在，」澳大利亞國立大學天體物理學家馬修·科勒斯說。

Colless指出，澳大利亞已經有一些空間科學正在完成。小組設計並製造了小型衛星，用於從地球觀測到天體物理學的研究，但其他國家已經發射了該衛星。該社區希望一個不斷增長的太空機構「能夠讓我們升級我們的衛星」，Colless說。他補充說，擁有一個國家航天局也可以為正式參與更大的國際任務打開大門。

摩爾說，該機構也可能有助於推動科學教育工作。她指出，更積極的澳大利亞太空計劃可以「激勵國家，尤其是年輕的孩子」。

Australia set to create nation』s first space agency

Australia is set to announce the country』s first space agency. Although the emphasis will apparently be on the commercial utilization of space, researchers are hoping there will be purely scientific efforts as well.

The government plans to provide AU$38 million in 「seed money」 to get the agency up and running, Australian media reported today. Officials are expected to formally announce the move on 8 May.

Geologist Megan Clark will lead the new agency, according to reports. She was formerly chief executive of Australia』s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Canberra, the country』s network of laboratories. She also led an expert panel that the government created last year to explore the idea of establishing a space agency.

Researchers are applauding the pick. Clark 「can be trusted to set the agency up in the right direction,」 says Anna Moore, an astronomer at Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra.

Despite the modest funding and emphasis on applied technology, the decision to establish the agency 「is a major landmark for Australian industry and science,」 says Peter Quinn, an astronomer and executive director of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, a joint institute of Curtin University and the University of Western Australia, both in Perth.

Space enthusiasts have called for Australia to establish its own space agency in the past. But the drive gained momentum last July, when the government set up the expert group to evaluate the nation』s space industry capabilities. It was charged with developing 「a long-term plan to grow this important and exciting sector.」 The panel delivered its report at the end of March. The report has not yet been made public, but it is widely believed that 「the primary objective is developing the space industry in Australia, but my understanding is that potentially there will be a science component,」 says Matthew Colless, an astrophysicist at ANU.

Colless notes that there is already some space science being done in Australia. Teams have designed and built small satellites for studies ranging from Earth observation to astrophysics, but other countries have launched the spacecraft. The community hopes a growing space agency 「will allow us to upscale our satellites,」 Colless says. He adds that having a national space agency could also open the door to official participation in larger international missions.

The agency might also help boost science education efforts, Moore says. A more active Australian space program, she notes, could 「inspire the nation, especially young kids.」

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