Parliament to debate potential 'star wars' legislation
The Australian Parliament is today expected to debate whether Australia should be able to send weapons of mass destruction into space.
Australia's first space legislation, introduced last week, sets up a regulatory framework for launching space objects from Australia.
The country's first commercial launch pad should be operational in South Australia next year.
But the Democrats and Greens Senator Dee Margetts have drafted amendments to ban the launch of weapons of mass destruction and impose strict conditions on cargoes of radioactive or toxic materials.
Democrats Senator Natasha Stott Despoja says Australia must be seen to be a good global citizen.
"We can't pretend that Australia won't necessarily have a role in preparing weapons be they launched into space for the purpose of monitoring other countries and their sites," Senator Stott Despoja said.
"So it could be satellites, espionage, or it could be actual weaponry designed to blow up, so fissionable weapons."