“We see India as one of Australia’s enduring partners in space,” Palermo told businessline, citing complementary capabilities in both countries.
Australia committed A$18 million in 2024 under its International Space Investment India Projects Initiative for three joint missions. The projects focus on monitoring methane and greenhouse-gas emissions from space, in-orbit logistics, and improving communications infrastructure for multi-satellite constellations.
Shared Expertise
Palermo said Australia’s geographic advantages could support India’s expanding space ambitions. Its sparse population and low air and maritime traffic make it suitable for space activities, while the country has developed commercial capabilities for returning capsules from space.He said Australia could contribute expertise in robotics and remote operations, ground-segment infrastructure, remote medicine and life sciences for human spaceflight, and optical communications.
For India’s Gaganyaan programme, Australia is supporting tracking infrastructure.
Lunar Ambitions
Australian companies could tap India’s space market through Earth observation analytics, satellite manufacturing and human-spaceflight applications. Palermo highlighted Australia’s Earth observation data-cube capabilities as an area that could complement India’s satellite constellations.He said the relationship was moving beyond “matchmaking” towards mature discussions on barriers such as export controls and investment. Over the next three to five years, he expects deeper integration between the two ecosystems, alongside opportunities in lunar exploration, where Australian expertise spans resource prospecting, lunar agriculture and technologies for surviving the lunar night.
Published on September 11, 2026