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The Space for Island Nations Conference 2023 in the Maldives earlier this week was historic in several ways. This was the first space conference ever in the Maldives and the first space conference dedicated to space for island nations. The conference served as an important milestone in the evolution of the brand new MSRO Maldives Space Research Organisation, a young Maldivian initiative, born at the International Space University #SSP22 in Portugal in the summer of 2022. The conference was also unique in the sense that all delegates worked on a final statement, referred to as the 'Crossroads Declaration', that will guide the work of MSRO in the next years. It was edited live in the room by all delegates, including international space professionals (including SpaceWatch.Global), local government representatives, and a large number of local high-school and university students. Check out some of the highlights of the #SINC2023 conference in this summary by Remco Timmermans. We are looking forward to #SINC2024!

At the end of the Space for Island Nations Conference 2023, Remco Timmermans talk to Madin Maseeh, the founder and president of @MSRO. MSRO was the driving force behind the first space conference ever on the Maldives, and the main organisation to take the conference results forward. It was conceived only in the summer of 2022 and is already the main institute for space in the Maldives. Remco asked Madin about the history, present, and of course future of the he Maldives Space Research Organisation and next year's #SINC2024 conference.

Our Space Café “33 minutes with Dr Gilles Rabin – French-German Space: Of course, I still love you” took place on Tuesday, 28th March. Gilles is a distinguished economist and space advisor, currently serving at the French Embassy in Berlin. With an impressive career spanning over two decades, he has held key positions in urban planning, economic development, and innovation. His journey began at Bipe Conseil, followed by leadership roles in various urban communities including Nancy, Essone, Greater Lyon, and Nice Metropolis.  Gilles's expertise has been pivotal in advising ministers on decentralisation, SMEs, startups, and research. His tenure as Director of Innovation, Applications, and Science at CNES has further solidified his standing in the space sector.

The new Working Group on Outer Space Resources held its first meetings during the recent session of the Legal Subcommittee (LSC) of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

NUVIEW, an American Earth observation and geospatial technology company, announced on the 4th of May that it is building the first commercial LiDAR satellite constellation which will map the entire land surface of the Earth in 3D for the first time. The announcement was made during the Geospatial World Forum in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The company has $1.2 billion dollars in early adopter agreements. 

ENENSYS Technologies, a French provider of media delivery solutions, announced on the 2nd of May that Thales Alenia Space selected ENENSYS’ satellite modulation technology for their new High Ka Capacity Ground System. 

Orbex has announced that construction has begun at Sutherland Spaceport (formerly known as Space Hub Sutherland) in Scotland, making this the first vertical launch spaceport to be on the UK mainland.

ThrustMe and Turion Space have announced the selection of ThrustMe’s iodine electric propulsion system for their DROID.002 spacecraft. The American sustainable spacecraft company will integrate several NPT30-I2-1.5U thrusters to enable maneuverability for orbit raising and end-of-life disposal to its innovative space-debris observation and characterization mission. 

Acoustic Research Systems (ARS) has officially launched its European operation in Potsdam, Germany, with the arrival of its brand-new inventory.

We have reached the end of day 3 of @SINC2023. Communications Manager Alexandra Sokolowski and Remco Timmermans do a thorough review of the many great learnings from today. #SINC2023