The South Australian government has called on federal Labor to rule out taking the Australian Space Agency away from Adelaide if it wins the next election.
Premier Steven Marshall says his government will move quickly to finalise details for the agency with the coalition.
He says Adelaide remains "unequivocally" the best place to base the new organisation.
"We don't want this moving anywhere else in Australia," the premier said on Thursday.
"We are definitely, unequivocally the best place to host the space agency headquarters.
"But obviously we need to seek assurances from (Opposition Leader) Bill Shorten.
"What we need is for Bill Shorten to completely and utterly rule out any move of the national space agency to Canberra, Western Australia, Sydney, wherever."
The agency is expected to lead to increased jobs and investment in the space industry in SA as it triples the value of the sector to $12 billion by 2030.
The agency will be centred in a technology and innovation precinct being developed on the site of the old Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it would enhance South Australia's credentials as a hub for innovation and research as it opens doors for local companies to access the $US345 billion global space industry.
He said it was SA's vision for the future of the space sector that got it across the line in the face of strong bids from other states.
The decision was met with a mixed response in the scientific community while other state leaders were less than impressed.
Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan was particularly miffed that his own state had been overlooked.
"I think just because we've received a better share of the GST doesn't mean that Western Australia should be forgotten or ignored," he told reporters at the COAG meeting in Adelaide.
Federal opposition science spokesman Kim Carr had also lobbied for the agency to be based in Canberra.
Australian Associated Press
