This article examines how the Australian government began to formulate its approach to space research, exploring the way it approached the establishment of American tracking stations from 1956, proposals for a civilian space research program in 1959, involvement with British space research and, from 1960, the negotiations for the European Launcher Development Organisation use of rocket testing facilities at Woomera. It argues that financial and strategic considerations were foremost in the minds of the Menzies government in shaping its approach to space policy, in particular in the context of rocket testing at Woomera. Ultimately, while the decisions taken between 1956 and 1962 laid the foundations for significant and often celebrated Australian involvement in space during the 1960s, the way in which these decisions were made reflected a reluctance to be involved at all.

中文翻译：

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“对我们来说，还有许多比太空研究更重要的事情”：澳大利亚政府和太空时代的黎明，1956-62

本文探讨了澳大利亚政府如何开始制定其空间研究方法，探讨其从 1956 年开始建立美国跟踪站的方式、1959 年对民用空间研究计划的提议、参与英国空间研究以及从 1960 年开始，欧洲发射器发展组织在伍默拉使用火箭试验设施的谈判。它认为，孟席斯政府在制定其太空政策方法时，首先考虑的是财务和战略考虑，特别是在伍默拉火箭试验的背景下。最终，虽然 1956 年至 1962 年间做出的决定为澳大利亚在 1960 年代期间重要且经常庆祝的太空参与奠定了基础，