AAPT Journalist John Moody took time to find out more about Defence Space Command Australia and Air Vice Marshal Catherine Roberts who leads this new capability.
1. What is the role and mission of Defence Space Command Australia?
Defence Space Command leads the effort to assure Australia’s access to space to support Defence’s mission to defend Australia and our national interests.
The role and mission for Defence Space Command will continue to be: “To assure Australian civil and military access in space, integrated across Government, and in concert with allies, international partners and industry”. Our vision recognises that Defence is one of many components when it comes to developing Australia’s space capability.
Australia’s Defence Space Strategy identifies five lines of effort to:
- Enhance Defence’s space capability to assure Joint Force access in a congested and contested space environment;
- Deliver military effects integrated across Whole of Government and with allies and partners in support of Australia’s national security;
- Increase the national understanding of the criticality of space;
- Advance Australian sovereign space capability to support the development of a sustainable national space enterprise; and
- Evolve the Defence Space Organisation to ensure a coherent, efficient and effective use of the Space warfighting domain.
We look at space as a program of evolving operational capability, and one where we strive to innovate and adapt.
In addition to our role of supporting Australian Defence Force operations, Defence Space Command regularly participates in Australian and international collaborative exercises, such as the Commercial Sprint Advanced Concept Training (SACT) series coordinated by the United States Space Force, and involvement in exercises such as Talisman Sabre and Vital Prospect for joint operations.
2. Did you have interest in space as a child and what was your career journey?
I have had the opportunity to take on some amazing roles during my career, but it would not have been possible without some incredible role models along the way.
The first person I remember ever having a material impact on my ambition was Neil Armstrong. In 1969, I watched on in awe as Lieutenant Armstrong descended the ladder of the Lunar Lander and uttered the first words ever spoken on the moon. It was an incredible moment for humanity, and millions of aspiring engineers were probably created at that moment – I was no different.
I joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1983 as a specialist in aerospace engineering and I’ve had more than 20 roles throughout my career. I have dedicated my career to advancing air and space power. I have spent time in the UK as the Assistant Air Force Advisor in London, I worked on the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter project, and my last position was Head of Air Force Capability.
My initial focus was on engineering. My key insights from years of working with different capabilities is that is not the engineering or the technology that defines success; it is the people that test, integrate, maintain, fly, sustain, and push it to its limits that turn a sophisticated machine into air and space power.
Now, I am focused on how to best empower our people and partners to push technology to its limits, to achieve space power in new and different ways in support of Defence’s mission.
3. Does Space Command cooperate with UK Space Command and if so in what way?
We have a Military Space Cooperation Framework with United Kingdom (UK) Space Command and have established annual Australia-United Kingdom Space Engagement Talks. These talks are our forum to discuss areas of continuing collaboration, such as exercises, training, the establishment of exchange and liaison officers, capability collaboration and policy development. We also leverage each other’s experiences to inform development of our own organisations and workforces. Additionally, we work with the UK within several multilateral forums, including the Combined Space Operations Initiative.
4. Does Australia require a sovereign heavy lift space capability?
Defence will rely on commercial launch providers where a heavy lift space capability is required to establish these capabilities on orbit.
5. Does Space Command cooperate with United States Space Force?
The United States (US) and Australia recognise the importance of establishing complementary capabilities in space domain awareness, space command and control, satellite communications, and positioning, navigation, and timing. Both parties reaffirmed at AUSMIN 2022 the need for enhanced space cooperation and space domain awareness, and to strengthen assured access to space through future bilateral space arrangements. An important milestone in bilateral space collaboration was recently achieved, with the US-built Space Surveillance Telescope in Western Australia achieving initial operating capability in September 2022.
6. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not on the job?
When not on the job I am spending time with my husband Stuart and my two wonderful daughters. As a family we enjoy AFL, time on our property with our dogs (Charlie and Princess Leia), skiing (water and snow), dirt bike riding, and fishing.
7. How do you see the future for Australian space capability?
The Defence Strategic Review highlights the importance of the space domain and its criticality to supporting the integrated force, strengthening Australia’s resilience and deterring security threats we face. The department will work to improve the space domain capability development process to keep pace with technological advances. Space Command will continue to work closely with interagency partners, including the Australian Space Agency, to adopt an approach that emphasises speed of capability acquisition including off the shelf capabilities and leverage new technologies.
The Defence Strategic Review highlights the importance of the space domain and its criticality to supporting the integrated force, strengthening Australia’s resilience and deterring security threats we face. The department will work to improve the space domain capability development process to keep pace with technological advances. Space Command will continue to work closely with interagency partners, including the Australian Space Agency.
