The Cabinet of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) approved the country’s national space policy during a session held in Abu Dhabi on 4 September 2016. The UAE national space policy will provide high-level political and strategic guidance to the UAE Space Agency and its efforts to establish the Emirates as …

As Kuwait considers its space future, SpaceWatch Middle East contributor Ghanim Alotaibi, a Kuwaiti engineer and Space Generation Advisory Council member, examines some of the challenges Kuwaiti leaders will have to address in the first of a series of articles that will be published in the coming weeks. Introduction Two years ago, a …

The sale of the Israeli commercial satellite communications company Spacecom to Chinese telecommunications company Beijing Xinwei Technology Group is now in jeopardy after Spacecom’s Amos-6 communications satellite was destroyed when a static engine test of a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket went wrong at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, United …

YahClick, Yahsat’s satellite broadband service for home and business, announces its partnership with VT iDirect for the introduction of Virtual Network Operator (VNO) services across YahClick’s existing footprint. YahClick’s VNO offering is based on the industry changing capability in the VT iDirect Evolution® platform and allows service partners to purchase …

SpaceIL, an Israeli nonprofit organization working to land the first Israeli spacecraft on the Moon, is pleased to announce that they will host the last annual Team Summit for the Google Lunar XPRIZE. The Team Summit will take place in Tel Aviv, kicking off on 31 August 2016. For the …

The Turkish Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communication, Ahmet Arslan, stated on 25 August 2016 that the tender period for Türksat 5A and Türksat 5B communication satellites will be completed in 1.5 – 2 months. He said, “At this year’s final quarter by drawing up contracts concerning Türksat 5A …

It was announced on 27 August 2016 that the UAE Space Agency is discussing means of joint cooperation with South Korea in the fields of peaceful exploration of outer space and space sector development. The negotiations are part of the Space Agency’s continued efforts to build bilateral relations with nations …

The Moon is rapidly becoming the destination of choice for space agencies and companies since it poses less technical and financial risk than going directly to Mars. ThorGroup GmbH’s intern in Washington, DC – Nickolas J. Boensch – explores the emerging ‘Moon Rush’ and the possible roles and opportunities for …

Shareholder’s of Israel’s Spacecom, operator of the Amos fleet of commercial communications satellites, announced on 24 August 2016 that they has agreed to sell the company for U.S.$285 million to Chinese telecommunications company Beijing Xinwei Technology Group Co. Ltd. It is believed that the sale will proceed, subject to Israeli …

The United Arab Emirates’ Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has announced the 2nd Annual Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) Science Workshop, which targets students, graduates and educational entities from various UAE universities. The workshop, which will be held on October 3rd at The Westin Dubai, Al Habtoor City, will address …