Space exploration

Rising tensions over outer space – a new diplomatic hot zone
Rising tensions over outer space – a new diplomatic hot zone
At the NATO Summit in Washington last week, leaders noted the rising threats in space. The technology orbiting the Earth is critical to the digital world and underpins both…
China’s mission to Moon rocks geopolitics
China’s mission to Moon rocks geopolitics
China has successfully returned samples from the dark side of the Moon to Earth, a world first.China’s mission demonstrates that it is out ahead with its technologies, but it’s…
Is there really a nuclear weapon in space?
Is there really a nuclear weapon in space?
Alarm was raised in the media this week about a “national security threat” to the United States from Russia, ostensibly a nuclear space-based weapon. The news came after the…
Space surveillance and AUKUS: The power of awareness
Space surveillance and AUKUS: The power of awareness
Following the December meeting of AUKUS Defence Ministers, advanced space radar capabilities have emerged as a key feature of AUKUS Pillar II (pillar I relates to nuclear…
Australia and space: A step together for the whole nation
Australia and space: A step together for the whole nation
Australia’s reliance on space-based and space-enabled technologies is integral to the country’s way of life, especially in navigating the varied challenges presented by the…
Making space arms control work
Making space arms control work
Military operations and warfare on land, at sea, in the air and even in cyberspace are highly dependent on space technologies. Since the 1960s, satellites have been a key part of…
Resources in the next frontier: Australia’s role in the race to space
Resources in the next frontier: Australia’s role in the race to space
Soon, humanity will return to the Moon, aiming to build bases there before venturing on to Mars and beyond. To do so, and to become truly spacefaring and interplanetary, humanity…
The Moon: The great game on new turf
The Moon: The great game on new turf
There is something about humans and land. Even in the age of virtual reality, humans clamour for territory. When songs of hyper-globalisation were trending, Russia reinforced that…
Low Earth orbit: The next frontier
Low Earth orbit: The next frontier
Book review: The Future of Geography by Tim Marshall (Simon & Schuster, 2023) Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever. ~ Konstantin…
Expanding the Women, Peace and Security agenda to the next frontier – space
Expanding the Women, Peace and Security agenda to the next frontier – space
The United Nations’ Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda reflects strong evidence that involving women in questions of peace and conflict leads to better stability. This…