{"id":"F2020L01558","name":"Industry Research and Development (Moon to Mars Program) Instrument 2020","slug":"industry-research-and-development-moon-to-mars-program-instrument-2020","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":440691,"registerId":"F2020L01558-fast-fetch-1775956238960","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Industry Research and Development (Moon to Mars Program) Instrument 2020","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nIndustry Research and Development (Moon to Mars Program) Instrument 2020\n\nI, Karen Andrews, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, make the following instrument.\n\nDated 7 December 2020\n\nKaren Andrews\n\nMinister for Industry, Science and Technology\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1 Name\n\n2 Commencement\n\n3 Authority\n\n4 Definitions\n\n5 Prescribed program\n\n6 Specified legislative power\n\n \n\n1  Name\n\n  This instrument is the Industry Research and Development (Moon to Mars Program) Instrument 2020.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n \n\n- Commencement information\n- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3\n- Provisions Commencement Date/Details\n- 1. The whole of this instrument The day after this instrument is registered. 11 December 2020\n\n\nNote: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.\n\n3  Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under section 33 of the Industry Research and Development Act 1986.\n\n4  Definitions\n\n  In this instrument:\n\nAct means the Industry Research and Development Act 1986.\n\ninternational space supply chains and markets:\n\n (a) means international supply chains and markets for products, capabilities or services that are needed for exploring, understanding, managing or utilising space; and\n\n (b) includes international supply chains and markets for products, capabilities or services that rely on infrastructure in space.\n\nNASA means the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States of America.\n\norganisation includes research institutions and universities.\n\nprogram: see subsection 5(1).\n\n5  Prescribed program\n\n (1) For the purposes of subsection 33(1) of the Act, the Moon to Mars Program (the program) is prescribed.\n\n (2) The purpose of the program is to increase participation by Australian businesses and organisations in international space supply chains and markets, including by facilitating contributions by Australian businesses and organisations to NASA exploration programs to the Moon, Mars or other celestial bodies.\n\n (3) The program provides the following:\n\n (a) funding to Australian businesses and organisations for the development or enhancement of products, capabilities or services that have the capacity to contribute to NASA exploration programs to the Moon, Mars or other celestial bodies;\n\n (b) funding to Australian businesses and organisations for the development or enhancement of:\n\n (i) products, capabilities or services that could be sold into international space supply chains and markets; and\n\n (ii) prototypes of products, capabilities or services that could be sold into international space supply chains and markets if successfully commercialised;\n\n (c) funding to Australian businesses and organisations, or foreign businesses or organisations, or both, to be used by those businesses and organisations in ways that will facilitate participation by Australian businesses and organisations in international space supply chains and markets;\n\n (d) funding for other initiatives to facilitate participation by Australian businesses and organisations in international space supply chains and markets.\n\n6  Specified legislative power\n\n  For the purposes of subsection 33(3) of the Act, the powers of the Parliament to make laws with respect to the following are specified:\n\n (a) trade and commerce with other countries, and among the States (within the meaning of paragraph 51(i) of the Constitution);\n\n (b) foreign corporations, and trading or financial corporations formed within the limits of the Commonwealth (within the meaning of paragraph 51(xx) of the Constitution);\n\n (c) external affairs (within the meaning of paragraph 51(xxix) of the Constitution);\n\n (d) measures that are peculiarly adapted to the government of a nation and cannot otherwise be carried on for the benefit of the nation.\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument remains tightly focused on its original purpose of establishing the Moon to Mars Program. The scope aligns precisely with the enabling provision (section 33 of the Industry Research and Development Act 1986), which specifically allows for prescribing programs to support industry research and development. There is no scope creep or expansion beyond the establishment of this specific grant program."},"complexity_factors":["Only 6 short sections total","Minimal defined terms (only 4: 'Act', 'international space supply chains and markets', 'NASA', 'organisation', 'program')","No cross-references to other legislation beyond the parent Act (Industry Research and Development Act 1986)","Simple declarative structure - mostly 'X is prescribed' and 'Y means Z' formulations","No conditional logic, exceptions, or nested provisions","Single purpose instrument with straightforward operational mechanism"],"plain_english_summary":"The bill creates the Moon to Mars Program under the Industry Research and Development Act 1986 to fund Australian businesses, universities and research organisations to participate in NASA’s Moon, Mars and deep‑space missions. It supports development of space products, prototypes, commercialisation and international partnerships, enabling Australian entities (and their foreign partners) to enter global space supply chains. It gives legal force to Australia’s Artemis Accords commitments and channels public funding into the space sector."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument prescribes a new program and specifies its purpose and funding categories under the existing Act; it does not amend the Act or expressly expand or restrict the Act’s statutory powers. Operational details (eligibility, amounts, processes) are left to implementing arrangements."},"complexity_factors":["Simple form: short instrument with clear purpose statement (s5) and limited operative content.","Cross-reference to primary statute: made under s33 of the Industry Research and Development Act 1986, requiring readers to consult the Act for procedural and legal detail.","Broad and open definitions (eg, 'international space supply chains and markets') that leave substantive scope fuzzier in practice.","Funding may be directed to Australian and foreign organisations (s5(3)(c)), increasing potential contractual and compliance complexity.","Does not set eligibility criteria, funding amounts, selection processes or reporting rules — creates administrative discretion and implementation risk.","Specifies constitutional bases for the program (s6), which is legal framing rather than operational detail."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument prescribes the “Moon to Mars Program” under the Industry Research and Development Act 1986. It authorises Commonwealth funding to Australian (and, in some cases, foreign) businesses and organisations to develop products, capabilities or services for international space supply chains and to contribute to NASA exploration programs. Mechanically, it sets the program’s purpose and categories of funding but does not specify eligibility rules, amounts or application processes; those implementation choices will determine administrative discretion, compliance costs and firm investment incentives."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-moon-to-mars-program-instrument-2020","history":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-moon-to-mars-program-instrument-2020/history","analysis":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-moon-to-mars-program-instrument-2020/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-moon-to-mars-program-instrument-2020/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-moon-to-mars-program-instrument-2020/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-moon-to-mars-program-instrument-2020/documents"}}