U.S., Australia Sign Agreement on Space Situational Awareness

November 13, 2010 at 1:41 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

by Joanne Irene Gabrynowicz with the blog faculty

Source: Space News

By Turner Brinton

WASHINGTON — The heads of the U.S. and Australian defense departments on Nov. 8 signed a pact in Melbourne to cooperate on space situational awareness activities, which may include placing U.S. radars in Australia to track satellites and debris in low Earth orbit.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Australian Minister of Defence Stephen Smith signed a statement of principles that says the two governments will “work together in the spirit of cooperation on the space situational awareness partnership for the mutual benefit of our countries’ national security.” The document was posted on the Australian Ministry of Defence website. More…