The Western Australian government will push its credentials as the best place to base the new national space agency.
Science Minister Dave Kelly will meet agency boss Megan Clark in Perth on Thursday to emphasise the 74 international and Australian companies with a presence in WA that are operating in space-related services.
"Growing the space industry in WA will create local jobs, provide more opportunities for our local businesses and help diversify the WA economy," Mr Kelly said.
"Along with a WA-headquartered national space agency, there is an opportunity for a locally-based mission control centre and the government is prepared to co-fund a new robotics and artificial intelligence innovation hub.
"Everyone knows WA has the geography, capability and local expertise to have a thriving space industry, we just need the federal Liberal government to commit to basing the agency here."
Mr Kelly said Western Australia had been involved in the space industry for nearly 60 years including major projects such as the European Space Agency's ground station at New Norcia, a range of commercial space communications stations, the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre, and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research.
