N.Z. to help build satellite launch pad?

Press, 3 February 1986, Page 18

N.Z. to help build satellite launch pad?

PA Wellington The Minister of Science, Mr Tizard, says he would happily receive any approach from Asian countries to help build a satellite launching site for peaceful scientific use. The suggestion for such a joint venture came recently from a senior Chinese aerospace official. He said the $1.6 billion site would be best placed in either Singapore or Indonesia, as they were close to the Equator. “Though I have received no specific request for this Asian proposal, I would be happy to receive one and consider it. We would have to look at the economic and scientific purpose of it,” Mr Tizard said.

“We have looked at some European proposals, but we would not exclude an Asian proposal. However, we would like to have some details before we could give it proper consideration.” The director of the D.S.I.R.’s Information

Technology Division, Dr Peter Ellis, has recently returned from Europe with several proposals. They include:

• Associate membership for New Zealand in the European Space Agency. ® A bilateral agreement with the British Space Agency, in which New Zealand could assist Britain and West Germany to erect an earth resources receiving station in Antarctica. • Building a command transmitter station for a new generation of space stations that, in the 1990’s would replace many of the satellites already launched. While New Zealand had

enjoyed involvement with the United States space programmes, Dr Ellis said the European venture provided an association with a consortium of nations. The Asian proposal, could not be turned down out of hand, but New Zealand had limited resources and there would have to be some longterm benefit It was quite likely New Zealand might buy the combined Asian proposal in future if New Zealand wanted to launch a satellite of its own. There were already several launch sites around the world and new ones were very expensive to build, Dr Ellis said.