The space sector worldwide is experiencing a shift from traditional
activities involving large heavy launch vehicles and satellites to a
much faster paced NewSpace paradigm. NewSpace is primarily driven by
private organizations and is characterised by smaller and lighter
missions involving Smallsats. The space launch sector is primarily the
domain of the Northern Hemisphere, however, this is beginning to change
as Southern Hemisphere nations seek to pursue access to space in their
own right. This report considers three scenarios through which Southern
Hemisphere nations may pursue access to space. The third of these
scenarios is then expanded upon to explore the benefits of an
international collaborative framework to facilitate this access.
Australia is used as a case study to identify considerations for
enabling access within the framework.