2011/2012 STRATEGIC PLAN

This is a detail section of KiwiSpace's 2011/2012 Strategic Plan. See the other sections for further detail.

CAPACITY BUILDING

Space Community

First and foremost, we strive to unify existing space education and development efforts – increasing awareness, and improving effectiveness through collaboration, information sharing, etc.

National ‘Information Portal’

• "Gateway to Space": A central portal where everyone in NZ can go to find out about existing organisations, job and learning opportunities, events and future plans.
  The platform should provide tools to assist the community with sharing information (both internally and to the public) and networking and communicating between groups – e.g. mailing lists, forums, wiki spaces, file repositories, etc.

• Law, Policy, Resource and Technical Guidance: Documentation to assist those developing or utilising space technologies, covering both domestic and international policies; and other support material to promote safe, best-practice development. We would aim to highlight and foster discussion on areas lacking clarity or impeding innovation.

Stimulate communication and collaboration

• Active Networking: Develop relationships with other organisations, government departments and businesses that share similar goals to our own, and seek to improve collaboration and maximise the potential and use of space technologies in New Zealand.

• Networking/Events: Get-togethers of and discussions with ambassadors of space and the related sciences. This will help increase the size of the 'known network' within New Zealand, and hopefully be the catalyst to some fantastic collaborations.

Education Framework

• Promote space science and the use of Space as a context to teachers/educators at all schooling levels-- so they can delivery stimulating lessons that help boost the science capability of New Zealand students.

• Teacher Training: Notably at the primary/middle-school level, provide focussed training and curriculum material to ensure teachers are confident in teaching sciences with a space theme.

• Develop Educator Network: To help adoption of new programmes and collaboration between teachers on regional/topical events, establish a network of educators involved with teaching space/science.

• Develop educator resource base: Curriculum guides and online resources to assist teachers make classes vibrant and informed.

• National Standards: Ensure Space Science is adequately covered by the upcoming National Standards, and ensure sufficient teacher resources exist and are being used

Secondary School Skill Advancement

Model Rocketry

• Rocketry Competition and curriculum: Develop a programme similar to www.rocketcontest.org, which will work effectively within the NZ market, and develop supporting curriculum material to allow teachers to integrate this easily into their programme. The first year is likely to be a small pilot, potentially run in-conjunction with the Water Rocket competition, and expanded in subsequent years.

• Expand participation and viewing activities: Work with the NZ Rocketry Association and other enthusiasts to bring model rocket demonstrations to more centres (and schools) around the country.

Work Experience

• Work Experience: Work with New Zealand companies, government departments/institutes and Universities to increase the number of students taking up work experience within space-related industries (Earth observation, astronomy, satellite communication control, etc.)

Tertiary

International training and career opportunities

• Promote overseas opportunities: There is a plethora of opportunities available abroad for New Zealand pre- and post- graduates to take advantage of, within space agencies and related industry, overseas universities, etc. We will aim to promote these as widely as possible within the NZ tertiary institutions.

• Establish networks within NZ to encourage collaboration and discussion between those working on space-related studies and research; and to assist in promoting these to the public and space community.

• Technical Competitions: Promote or run competitions, such as technical papers, debates, etc to encourage mindshare and research into space topics. This could include competitions such as Space Generation’s ‘Move an Asteroid Contest’ - a planetary defence themed technical paper competition (although with a non-technical option being introduced this year).

Enhance domestic training and career options

• Domestic training options: In the second year, once demand can be quantified – we would seek to encourage the creation of study and training options locally. A possible angle may be to bring the International Space University’s southern hemisphere summer programme or similar short-courses to New Zealand.

• Domestic internships: Expand on work experience programmes, and aim to get short-term job placements or internships in New Zealand space companies.

Entrepreneurs

• Business case competition: Stimulate entrepreneurial thinking in our pre- and post-graduate students, and get the business world thinking about the economic potential for space.

• Advocate a combined New Zealand N-Prize effort: Having NZ win the N-Prize would be an outstanding achievement, both from a national-pride perspective, but also the ability to launch small payloads into orbit very cheaply. Three kiwi teams have entered the competition, but with time running out for the prize deadline – there may be value in combining efforts, and encouraging more support from the community to help achieve this goal.

• Space Jobs and Skills Listing: If there’s a space job available for a New Zealand citizen, here or abroad – we want to promote it, and maintain a listing of the talent that New Zealand has to offer for employers.

• Advisory Support: Provide information and assistance to entrepreneurs/investors to establish businesses in New Zealand (available grants, space-friendly investors, legal frameworks, etc.)

Space Infrastructure

• New Zealand’s First Satellite: KiwiSAT, an amateur radio CubeSat is almost finished and is undergoing testing and software development. They hope to launch within the next 2 years. The NZSF will support the promotion and fundraising efforts for this venture, to help get New Zealand’s first domestically made satellite into orbit. In addition, work with the team behind KiwiSAT to explore delivering education and outreach programmes using the satellite.

• University International FORmation Mission (UNIFORM): UNIFORM is an opportunity from Japan, to join in launching a constellation of micro-satellites (under 50kg) – including a satellite built by New Zealand. This is the next evolution from a CubeSat, and would provide earth-observation and scientific data for use by NZ and the Asia-Pacific region. The initiative is still undergoing planning, but could provide the opportunity for New Zealand to kick-start its expertise in building larger satellites. More information: http://indefenseofjapan.com/blog/2010/12/06/japan-pushes-forward-with-microsatellite-development/

• Square Kilometre Array: Help build awareness and support for this important project, which could see New Zealand as being a part of the largest radio telescope arrays, and research into the birth of the cosmos.

Government & Industry

A key part of our long-term strategy is work closely with the New Zealand Government and existing/emerging players in space-related industries, and to help build a cohesive, bold national space policy and the appropriate investment in research, development and industry growth.

The Space Foundation’s focus during the first 1-2 years will be on establishing connections, proposing and identifying present and future opportunities – and to help our members and other organisations in New Zealand work with and take the advantage of these.

We are exploring opportunities in the longer-term, such as:

National Policies

• Development of a National Space Policy: The government, industry and space community should work together to help establish a clear direction for New Zealand’s participation in this important economic and scientific frontier.

• Clear reporting on the Aerospace sector: The Space sector should be reported separately, to increase focus on this important technological sector and allow its growth to be tracked as an emerging area of our economy.

• Clarification/Augmentation of law and policies: To stimulate a fair and internationally competitive playing field for New Zealand industry and research, it may be necessary to improve or clarify existing laws that apply to this emerging sector. This would also include New Zealand participating in and supporting international law and policy being developed.

Support for Innovation

• Support for space-related research: Encourage investment and research by industry and government into space technologies and opportunities, potentially through the establishing a new national space research institute.

• Development fund: Development funding should exist to encourage space research and industry. This could be in the form of grants, government-backed loans, commissioned studies, scholarships, etc.

• Resource access and sharing: Collaboration and access agreements should be explored to maximise the effective use of government and private resources by those undertaking development projects. E.g. Use of airspace, testing and launch facilities, etc.