Ever heard the saying better late than never? If not, it means that it’s better to show up for something late than to never show up at all.

In the 1950s, Russia and the United States raced to be the first to explore outer space. It was an exciting time, with Russia sending the first satellite and human to outer space, and the United States sending the first man to the moon.

Since then, other countries have joined a second wave of space exploration and discovery. We’re talking about getting someone to Mars! China was a latecomer, as was India, but both are making up for lost time in a fast and furious way—attempting to make space travel both faster and cheaper!

Now Australia is joining the fun and officially forming its own space agency. But what’s interesting about this official announcement is that Australia’s not technically a newcomer. In fact, Australia launched its first satellite into space in 1967, and then two years later, the country helped NASA transmit the first TV images of Neil Armstrong’s famous moon landing.

Why form an agency now? It’s simple: the space industry is growing quickly, and Australia doesn’t want to be left behind! While it may have taken many years and a lot of scientists to convince the Australian government to form a space agency, it’s finally happening. Australia may be late to the space game, but better late than never!