Geopolitics

What if Iran’s space programme is exactly what the Iranian government says it is… a space programme? What if Iran’s Simorgh and Safir rockets are actual space launch vehicles rather than a cover for the development of long-range ballistic missiles? And, if we are to assume all of this is …

The Global Conference on Space and the Information Society – GLIS 2016 – co-organized by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)  on 6 and 7 June 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland, will focus on a variety of topics on space and security and will illustrate the …

India’s Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, formally approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the United Arab Emirates Space Agency. The approval occurred on 25 May 2016 in New Delhi where the Union Cabinet met, …

The departure of Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s subsequent reshuffle of the Turkish cabinet is not likely to further delay the establishment and creation of a Turkish space agency. Davutoglu has been replaced as Prime Minister by Binali Yildirim, a noted loyalist to President Erdogan. …

U.S. satellite and rocket manufacturer Orbital ATK has partnered with Riyadh-based Rakaa Holding to support its efforts to sell electro-optical reconnaissance satellites to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is believed that Saudi Arabia is in the market for two to eight high-resolution reconnaissance satellites over the coming years, and …

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 …

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 …