Perth will host the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-30) in 2024, which is expected to attract over 500 attendees from more than 40 countries, including representatives from international space agencies, private industries, government, and research organisations.
Scheduled for November 2024, APRSAF-30 will be hosted in Perth by the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation and Business Events Perth.
APRSAF is an annual forum jointly organised by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and host countries.
The Australian Space Agency is an active participant of APRSAF and nominated Perth to host the 2024 event.
The State’s space industry has gained significant momentum over the past two years, with the WA Government investing more than $40 million to accelerate its growth.
Western Australia is already home to more than 100 international and Australian organisations operating space and space-related services.
Additionally, the State has emerging capabilities in space mission operations, optical communications, satellite development and launch.
“Western Australia’s space sector is growing rapidly and is being increasingly recognised on the global stage,” said State Development, Jobs and Trade Minister Roger Cook.
“WA has a track record of successfully supporting space missions, operations and services for more than 60 years, but it will be reaching new heights in 2023 and beyond.
“It is so exciting how much momentum we have in the WA space industry at the moment.”
Enrico Palermo, Head of the Australian Space Agency, said hosting APRSAF in 2024 is an opportunity for Australia to further grow its partnerships in the region.
“Space is critical to our national well-being and by working together with our partners in the Indo-Pacific we can develop capabilities that are important to our shared resilience and quality of life,” he said.
“Working together will also help us grow our respective space sectors, make them stronger, and achieve our space ambitions faster.”
