Inmarsat, a leading provider of global mobile satellite communications, announced on 9 May 2018 that it, in conjunction with Tillman Digital Cities and CivicConnect, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Smart Africa secretariat to accelerate the development and implementation of public-private partnerships (PPP) with the Smart Africa Alliance.
Read More »DigitalGlobe to Offer Rapid Access Program Service to Customers
DigitalGlobe, a leading provider of commercial high-resolution satellite imagery and a subsidiary of Maxar Technologies, has announced the launch of its Rapid Access Program, a service that allows clients to task DigitalGlobe satellites to high-priority targets.
Read More »Rwanda and University of Tokyo to Cooperate on Building Cubesat
Japan is making further inroads to Africa, helping another African country, Rwanda, join the space club. The University of Tokyo has signed an agreement with Rwanda to help it build a small satellite and train its future engineers. The agreement, signed on 9 May 2018 in Rwanda’s capital Kigali during the Transform Africa summit, is between the Smart Africa Initiative and Rwanda, and the University of Tokyo.
Read More »Australian Government Announces Space Budget for Agency, PNT, and Earth Observation
The Australian government has announced inaugural seed funding of AUS$26 million over four years to establish an Australian Space Agency, as part of a larger AUS$41 million investment in space-related funding. Although this funding is less than the predicted AUS$50 million due to an overall reduction in government spending on science and research, it ends Australia's status as one of the only OECD countries without a space agency, and it is predicted to boost the Australian space sector.
Read More »Ugandan Rural Connectivity To Be Provided By Intelsat and Israel’s Gilat
The world's largest satellite communications provider, Intelsat, will partner with Israel's Gilat in a pilot program to provide a communications infrastructure for Uganda's rural populations as part of the effort to enhance that country's economic and social development.
Read More »Hong Kong’s AsiaSat Announces New Board Promotions in Technical Services and Engineering
As part of its reorganization and reassignment of its most senior executives since the appointment of Dr. Roger Tong as its Chief Executive Officer in April 2018, Hong Kong’s Asiasat has announced two new corporate promotions to important technical positions on the board.
Read More »Thailand’s Thaicom Wins We Are IT Philippines IPSTAR Satellite Broadband Contract
Thaicom, Thailand’s biggest commercial satellite communications provider, and We Are IT Philippines Incorporated (WIT), announced in Manila on 3 May 2018 that WIT will lease the entire capacity on Thaicom’s IPSTAR satellite to provide broadband Internet coverage across the Philippines.
Read More »UAE-France Reaffirm Space Cooperation, Model for Modern Collaboration
The working relationship between the UAE and France is a model of space cooperation in the 21st century, and their collaboration is now expanding to include space medicine research for UAE's astronaut programme, as well as ongoing partnership on projects relating to climate change and Mars exploration.
Read More »UAE’s Dubai Proposes Multi-Mode Super Port for Air, Space, and Hyperloop Travel
Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) has proposed the creation of a Multi-Mode Super Port at Dubai's Al Maktoum International Airport to provide a single hub for all sub- and supersonic air travel, space access, and hyperloop transportation in the UAE and the Middle East region.
Read More »Australia Sets AUS$50 Million Seed Funding and Will Name Head for New Space Agency
The Australian federal government is set to announce on 8 May 2018 a AUS$50 million seed funding for the new national space agency, and is expected to name Dr. Megan Clark as the agencies first head. While the date of commencement of Australian Space Agency activities has not yet been announced, the allocation of AUS$50 million seed funding and the expected appointment of Dr. Clark as its director indicates that the agency will start operations soon.
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