Events

China and the League of Arab States (LAS) agreed to promote the use of China’s BeiDou global navigation satellite system (GNSS) at the 7th Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum held in Doha, Qatar, on 16 May 2016. The BeiDou system is a rival to the US Global …

Tragically, the Middle East has been the backdrop for changes in the character of war over the past few decades. With the rapid dissemination of high-resolution Earth observation satellites throughout the region, even more changes in the character of war are in store, argues ThorGroup’s Dr. John B. Sheldon. The unique, …

Saudi Arabian officials visited Minsk, the capital city of Belarus, on 16 May 2016 for discussions on various topics of mutual interest with their Belarusian counterparts. The discussions resulted in a number of agreements between the two countries, including one that commits Belarus providing Saudi Arabia with optics technologies for …

Avigdor ‘Avi’ Blasberger has been appointed as the new Director-General of the Israel Space Agency, replacing Menachem Kidron who resigned earlier in 2016. The appointment of Mr. Blasberger in early May 2016 came after a lengthy selection process, and was appointed by the Israeli cabinet. His predecessor, Mr. Kidron, had …

What is a SpaceUp? A SpaceUp is a space related ‘unconference’ in which the delegates themselves decide what is presented and talked about. Before the SpaceUp, a basic framework is decided on by the organizers. On the day of the SpaceUp, the participants arrive and propose talks, discussions and activities …

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, announced on 17 May 2016 that it is hiring 35 engineers and administrative staff in what is a significant expansion of the space research and satellite manufacturing facility. The career opportunities available at MBRSC cover various fields …

In a move that cements an already thriving space relationship, the United Arab Emirates Space Agency signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with the Government of Japan last week, setting the stage for strategic collaboration in space exploration and science between the two countries. The UAE-Japanese MoC is the latest …

It is difficult to overstate the critical importance of satellite navigation for the Middle East, yet the service is vulnerable to disruption. ThorGroup’s Dr. John B. Sheldon examines the threats to satellite navigation in the region, and ways to mitigate their worst effects. When Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized …

Speaking to senior officials earlier this week at an Iranian Space Agency (ISA) meeting, the ISA Director Mohsen Bahrami announced that Iran will launch two indigenously built satellites in the very near future, and that three other satellites are currently being manufactured. The two satellites due to be launched are …

Virgin Galactic, the private spaceflight and satellite launch company owned by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Abu Dhabi’s Aabar Investments PJS, has just released its first television commercial. The commercial features both Virgin Galactic’s spaceflight service for wealthy individuals seeking a flight into suborbital space; and also for its …