New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today.

Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of debris in orbit. The current membership of the operation is the US, the UK, Canada and Australia.

New Zealand will contribute by deploying a New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) liaison officer to the US Space Command in Colorado for the next two years.

"New Zealand is committed to the safe, responsible, secure and sustainable use of space and ensuring the resilience of space infrastructure. This decision highlights our commitment to playing our part to support the international rules-based system as it relates to freedom of access to space," Ms Collins says.

"Deploying a liaison officer as part of this Operation will further enhance the NZDF's experience in space operations and shows New Zealand's willingness to uphold the norms of responsible behaviour in space.

"Space-based technologies are essential to New Zealand's security and wellbeing, such as using satellite imagery to help track illegal fishing, or GPS to support our maritime supply chains. 

"Using space assets enables better communication, faster and better-informed decision making and helps New Zealand to maintain an effective, efficient, combat capable Defence Force."

New Zealand is already a member of the Combined Space Operations initiative, which is a forum aimed at building norms of behaviour in space and removing barriers to multinational military space cooperation amongst like-minded nations. 

Source: Beehive