Space industry's goal achievable: agency

The head of Australia's space agency believes tripling the size of the space industry over the next 10 years is achievable based on growth in some countries.

The federal government has set a target for the industry of growing from $4 billion to $12 billion and the creation of an additional 20,000 jobs by 2030.

"That's our goal, it is an ambitious goal," Australian Space Agency head Megan Clark told a Senate inquiry on Thursday.

Dr Clark said there has already been some very positive signs with small and medium-sized enterprises in the industry growing by some 136 per cent in the past few years and international companies based in Australia growing by 55 per cent.

"We are projecting greater than global GDP growth and greater than Australian GDP growth for the sector," Dr Clark said.

"That is not unreasonable when we set it and certainly with what we are already seeing."