UNE is hosting a federal government space inquiry this week.
New England MP Barnaby Joyce chairs the House Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources, which is holding an inquiry into Developing Australia's Space industry.
"Space related technologies were once considered those of the future - robots, drones, remote sensors, and artificial intelligence - but are very much where we are now," Mr Joyce said.
"For Australia to be competitive, we need to not only foster these technologies and their applications but ensure we have people with the right skills and expertise to make it happen."
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Mr Joyce said there was potential for our rural and regional areas to benefit from and get involved in Australia's space sector.
"This includes the links between our regional industries and the space sector, the application of space related technology and infrastructure to agriculture, health and telecommunications; and of course the uptake of regional education and training to better equip young people to build careers in this industry."
Dr Paul Scully-Power, Australia's first astronaut, was appearing before the inquiry into Developing Australia's Space industry, in Sydney on Monday to share his experiences and insights into what he describes as the 'next world revolution'.
Mr Joyce said the committee was very excited to be hearing from Dr Scully-Power and his ideas around 'new space', new technologies, and new opportunities for people to be involved in the space industry.
Other witnesses appearing in Sydney included Saber Astronautics, Solar Space Technologies, Moonshot, and the Space Industry Association of Australia.
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