Australia to play role in Mars mission


Australia will play a key role in President George W Bush's plans to massively expand the US space program.

Bush has unveiled a program to design a new space craft to replace the shuttle by 2015, Moon landings by robots and astronauts in the next two decades and completion of the international space station by 2010.

Bush also proposed a human mission to Mars launched from a Moon base.

The Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Centre, near Canberra, helped NASA keep in touch with its original missions to the Moon, and would be a vital communications link for US astronauts on Mars.

The tracking centre is part of a network of three facilities which allow NASA to constantly observe spacecraft as the earth rotates.

It is currently involved in maintaining communications with the tiny Spirit robot which is exploring Mars.

Tidbinbilla spokesman Glen Nagle said the facility could be used to track and transmit messages to and from manned missions to Mars.

"One of the antennas here on our site is the dish that brought back images of man walking on the Moon," Mr Nagle told AAP.

"If we have missions returning to the Moon and eventually sending people off to Mars we'll obviously be playing the key communications role in that.

"Our centre here played a role in all of the latter Apollo missions, providing the two-way communication, all of the telemetry from the space craft, knowing about spacecraft health, whether the astronauts were okay."

Acting Prime Minister John Anderson said he hoped there was a role for Australia in the expanded US space program.

"I think wherever there are opportunities to increase knowledge and extend our horizons it's a good thing for Australia to have a role," Mr Anderson said.

A spokeswoman for Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said the new space missions could present new opportunities for Australian companies.

She pointed to the success of Melbourne-based company Aerosonde Ltd, which last year won a contract with NASA to determine the feasibility of conducting earth science research using small, unmanned aerial vehicles.

Aerosonde chief operating officer Greg Tyrrell said he was not sure if his company would benefit from an expanded NASA budget.

"We're hopeful, but we can't say," he said.

"The main thing you need for any of these missions is a very large booster," he said.

Former Australian astronaut Andy Thomas was excited about Bush's proposal to send astronauts to Mars.

He said the US was capable of designing and building a vehicle to complete the mission.

"For that you would use something derived from the shuttle probably and you would develop a crew exploration vehicle to make the journey," he told ABC radio.

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Half of a set :halo: