baswell,
The estimate for the ground station initial installation for Australia was, as I recall, between AUD$26M and $38M when the AUD was about 78C US, so much cheaper now, with an annual running cost of about AUD$5-6M, a pittance, really, in the big scheme of things.
Indeed, what the government has just spent on advertising the carbon tax would have covered it comfortable.
Tootle pip!!