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Dongara Satellite Station, Australia

China acquired a space tracking station in Australia, its first such facility in a close US ally. The station in remote Dongara, about 350 kilometres (217 miles) north of Perth in western Australia, was used by China Satellite Launch & Tracking Control [CLTC] during the November 2011 launch of the Shenzhou VIII mission. CLTC runs China's launch sites and tracks and controls its spacecraft, and is part of the army's General Armaments Department.

Situated on the stunning Coral Coast, in WA, the twin towns of Dongara and Port Denison are divided by the Irwin River, which creates a scenic landmark as it meanders between the two towns. Dongara and Port Denison are two towns working together in harmony to form the Shire of Irwin. It's the brilliant blend of coastal and rural landscapes, the blend of new and old and the blend of lifestyle and employment opportunities that make the Shire of Irwin as an enviable place to live, work and play. This area offers a relaxed lifestyle with beautiful beaches, historical sites and a healthy fishing industry.

China's use of the tracking station in Dongara, in Western Australia, illustrated how Beijing is pressing ahead with international space cooperation, even as US lawmakers escalate efforts to block almost all interaction between China and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Chinese officials reportedly saw Dongara as a major step forward for the rising power's ambitious space programme, which it holds as a symbol of its growing global stature. Xie Jingwen, deputy chief designer of the tracking and command system for Beijing's manned space program reportedly lauded the move, saying China had "added Australia to its global network of ground stations".

The Dongara station was its fifth outside China, with one each in Pakistan and Chile, another in Kenya and one in Namibia. The facility was built by the state-owned Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and was leased to Beijing, with key components shipped from China. A senior SSC official in China told the South China Morning Post that the Chinese space authorities were renting the site, including buildings and equipment, after Australian authorities had inspected the facility and approved the deal.

The Australian defence ministry had no comment on Dongara. Australian officials said that they didn't consult the U.S. on a plan to allow China to use a space-tracking station in Western Australia that is also used by NASA, despite widespread concerns that the Chinese space program is largely controlled by the Chinese military.

SSC said the location of the Dongara Satellite Station was particularly advantageous for accessing low-inclination orbiting satellites. It is also frequently used for geostationary orbit raising operations, and very frequently is used for first acquisition of launch vehicle and spacecraft telemetry at orbit insertion/deployment. There are two ground stations at Dongara, one owned and run by SSC, and another by its U.S. subsidiary, Universal Space Network, also known as USN. China uses the one wholly owned by SSC.

Australia's Science Department said Australian authorities had approved in 2009 SSC's plan to establish a new station at Dongara and provide services to customers including CLTC. "The Australian government has identified no national security concerns with regard to the current operations of the facilities or the activities being undertaken by the SSC on behalf of its customers, including CLTC," a spokesman said. "The station is fully controlled by SSC, not its customers," he said, adding that the Chinese had one civilian, and some equipment, based at the facility.

The United States and the European Space Agency, have long had ground stations in Australia, including the joint US-Australian Pine Gap satellite station established decades ago near the central outback town of Alice Springs.

Desmond Ball, the pre-eminent Australian expert on space-based intelligence-gathering, voiced concern that by using Dongara, Beijing was able to position spacecraft more precisely, and thus enhance its ability to accurately locate naval targets. "If you've got a platform in space monitoring that activity, when its orbital position is known more precisely, then it's able to locate targets more precisely," said Mr. Ball, a professor at the Australian National University's Strategic & Defence Studies Centre who has worked for U.S. government agencies in the past. "If they approved an agency of the Chinese Ministry of Defense to do this, then it should have been made public. I think there's quite a lot of embarrassment around town."