▁federal ▁government ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁A ▁government ▁report ▁from ▁the ▁Australian ▁Senate ▁Stand ing ▁Committee ▁on ▁Econom ics ▁noted ▁that ▁Australia ▁was ▁" missing ▁out ▁on ▁opportun ities " ▁and ▁recommended ▁that ▁an ▁ag ency ▁immediately ▁be ▁developed . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁the ▁Space ▁Policy ▁Unit ▁fund ed ▁the ▁Australian ▁Space ▁Research ▁Program ▁over ▁three ▁years . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 5 ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁at ▁the ▁International ▁A str onaut ical ▁Congress ▁in ▁Ad ela ide , ▁Senator ▁Simon ▁B irmingham ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁Australian ▁Government ▁would ▁be ▁launch ing ▁a ▁national ▁space ▁ag ency ▁following ▁an ▁expert ▁reference ▁group ▁investigation ▁led ▁by ▁Dr . ▁Meg an ▁Clark , ▁former ▁chief ▁executive ▁of ▁C SI RO . ▁ ▁As ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Australian ▁Government ' s ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁budget ▁announ cement , ▁m ▁in ▁seed ▁fund ing ▁over ▁four ▁years ▁from ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁was ▁included ▁to ▁establish ▁the ▁Australian ▁Space ▁Agency , ▁with ▁a ▁further ▁m ▁for ▁international ▁space ▁invest ment ▁starting ▁from ▁ 2 0 1 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁budget ▁was ▁critic ised ▁for ▁being ▁in ade qu ate ▁by ▁private ▁Australian ▁space ▁companies ▁including ▁D elta - V ▁and ▁Gil m our ▁Space ▁Techn ologies , ▁and ▁space ▁arch ae ologist ▁Alice ▁G orm an ▁noted ▁that ▁low - bud get ▁attempts ▁at ▁starting ▁an ▁Australian ▁space ▁ag ency ▁have ▁failed ▁in ▁the ▁past . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 4