Photo: 123rf
A consortium of consultants has given the government options for launching the first satellite controlled by New Zealand.
The country relies on friendly countries such as the United States for satellites and most other space systems.
A space strategy updated two months ago said a national mission would be set up to launch a sovereign satellite.
The work, including an initial business case, was completed recently by Catalyze Consulting, Tregaskis Brown, and the University of Auckland, which got the job in a closed tender, officials said.
"No decisions have been made about the next steps," the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said.
Space Minister Judith Collins recently decided against any spending on rocket launchpads, despite growing global demand for launches, telling RNZ there was no spare money for what would cost an "enormous" amount.
The Defence Force recently put up its first two small experimental systems into orbit, piggybacking on US launches.
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