Geopolitics

On day two of the DGI 2024 in London - Geospatial Intelligence for Defence and Security Conference 2024, we spoke with Ronda Schrenk about DGI 2024, United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) work, takeaways, and the upcoming GEOINT 2024 Event in Florida.

We are in #london for DGI - Geospatial Intelligence for defence and security. CEO Torsten Kriening talks to us live from the event, highlighting the necessity of defence and security applications within geospatial services in today's world. Space is becoming a part of the critical infrastructure of defence with two wars at the doorstep of #europe .

To say that the space sector has seen tremendous growth in the last decade has become somewhat of a platitude. Countless reports show impressive growth and a positive outlook for the future, even suggesting a new ‘golden age’ for the industry. There is also a wide consensus that for the space economy to reach the promise of morphing into a multi-trillion-dollar valuation in the decade to come, we need a strong, resilient, and innovative sector. The health of the space sector today and tomorrow will thus be key to achieving the goals that the space community wishes to see in the years to come.

The German Aerospace Center (DLR), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Free State of Bavaria plan to establish the Human Exploration Control Center for future human spaceflight missions to the Moon in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. The Declaration of Intent was signed by Minister-President of Bavaria Markus Söder, DLR Divisional Board Member for Space Anke Pagels-Kerp and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher on 13 March 2024 at the Bavarian State Chancellery.

Arabsat and Aldoria have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on enhancing space safety and security. The MoU is one of the fruitful outcomes of the 1st Space Debris Conference in Saudi Arabia held in Riyadh on February 11-12, which the Saudi Space Agency organized.

Space One, a Japanese private launch services provider, suffered a setback during its inaugural rocket launch as the rocket, KAIROS, exploded midair a few seconds after liftoff. The Company aimed to be the first private Japanese outfit to launch a satellite into Orbit, launching the ill-fated rocket from a new space facility in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture. The rocket carried a small intelligence satellite for the Japanese Government, which it planned to insert into orbit about 500 km above the Earth's surface. 

What is China's position on space resource activities? The following is a commentary on the Chinese approach following its submission to the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities of the Legal Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

The Biden-Harris Administration has released the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2025, which includes funding that will allow NASA to continue advancing its understanding of Earth and space. As a result, the budget will enable NASA to launch the Artemis II mission, which will send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years and research Earth’s changing climate, among others.

ispace Technologies U.S., inc. (ispace-U.S.) has signed a payload services agreement with Rhea Space Activity (RSA) to deliver autonomous guidance and navigation technology to lunar orbit aboard ispace-U.S.’s Mission 3 scheduled for 2026. The agreement will consequently foster collaboration to test RSA’s Jervis Autonomy Module (JAM), a novel autonomous navigation technology which recently received funding through a grant from NASA’s TechFlights Program.

As the publisher of SpaceWatch.Global, I am honored to acknowledge International Women's Day during these tumultuous times. The world is emerging from a pandemic, facing wars at Europe's borders, grappling with global recessions, and navigating a fragile political climate amidst elections in over 70 countries. Amid these challenges, it's vital to express our gratitude to the women in our professional and personal lives for their resilience and contributions. International Women's Day on March 8th invites us to reflect on the pivotal role of women in the workplace and the persistent obstacles they face.