The Australian Academy of Science plan outlines goals for space research including sending humanity's first spacecraft into the sun and how Australia may achieve them.

The chairman of the academy's National Committee for Space Science, Professor Iver Cairns, said the Federal Government's approach to space research had made a ''crucial change'' during the past year.

''Previously Government didn't seem to regard space science as being important at all,'' Professor Cairns said.

''The Government's really looking at a major change from having no dedicated funding as far as I'm really aware for space to having identified it as a national research priority.

''I think it's a very exciting new era and one that was hoped for but not expected to occur so fast.''

The Government committed $48.6 million over four years to establish an Australian Space Science Program in this year's budget. Of this, $40 million will go to a new Australian Space Research Program, which will channel the funds through a competitive grants process, and $8.6 million will establish a Space Policy Unit, which will coordinate Australia's national and international civil space activities.

Mars Society Australia vice president Jon Clarke was positive about the Government's commitment, but he said hopefully it was only the beginning.

''We've got a lot of lost ground to make up.''

In 1967, Australia launched a satellite from Woomera in outback South Australia, becoming the fourth country to launch a satellite from its own territory.

But Woomera was later abandoned as a launch site and there have been no launches from Australia since.

''If Australia had really got into it 40 years ago, we could have been a world leader in the field, but I think we've left that one too late,'' Dr Clarke said.

And for something a little different, The Dish, the movie, will be screening in a sheep paddock alongside the real radio dish at Parkes in central NSW this weekend.

It's part of an open weekend to celebrate the 64m CSIRO radio telescope's role in the Apollo 11 moon landing.

All are welcome to attend.