Astronaut Andy Thomas says the Australian Space Agency can be "many things to many people" perhaps aspiring to develop its own launch program in years to come.
Dr Thomas says the agency should spend its first five to 10 years helping develop businesses in the space industry and grow employment across the sector.
"Then I think you can address what directions you want to go in," he told reporters in Adelaide on Monday.
"A space agency can be many things to many people. At one end you can just launch satellites on someone else's vehicle.
"At the other extreme you can have launch services yourself and that's a possibility that South Australia could aspire to in years to come.
"There are sites in South Australia that are ideal and I think there's the technology base within Australia to do that.
"It just requires a sound business case."
But Dr Thomas doesn't want the local space agency to become a large bureaucratic organisation like NASA, preferring it remain "lean and functional".
"But we should call it the National Australian Space Agency, I like the acronym," he said.
Nathanial Shearer, an aerospace engineering graduate currently working towards a laser physics degree, said the news was “fantastic” for those aspiring to work in the industry.
“It’s gone from trying to get a job overseas in another space agency to trying to get a job in Australia and grow the Australian industry, and now finally trying to grow the South Australian space industry and hoping I can stay home,” he said.
“As a university student, to see that progression has been mind-blowing. Really inspirational.”
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall said Dr Thomas played a pivotal role in the establishment of the agency in best explaining the benefits to then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
"I know for a fact that this really came onto the national agenda and was given real grunt when Andy Thomas met with the prime minister," Mr Marshall said.
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