Asia Pacific

Warpspace, aiming to realize near real-time optical communication services in space using small satellites, has developed a high-sensitivity acquisition and tracking optical sensor necessary for long-distance optical communications between the Moon and Earth, under contract from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

ispace technologies U.S., inc. (ispace-U.S.) has announced the official launch of a new data relay service enabled by two relay satellites that will tentatively deploy during ispace-U.S.’s Mission 3 scheduled in 2026. SpaceX will also be tentatively providing the launch service. ispace-U.S. released the details for the relay service at the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium 2024 Spring Meeting, which the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory hosted.

China is building its space network in the Asian-Pacific countries and Africa. Whisper, the Director of the Scientific Research Department for Chang Guang Satellite Technology co L.t.D. visited the Maldives during SINC to understand how China can expand its market in the region. Our Editor-in-Chief, Dr Emma Gatti, had the opportunity to talk with him about his mission.

Rarely does the Pacific Community have the courage to initiate a dialogue with the Western world. During SINC, Andiswa Mlisa, Principal Advisor Business Development in the lead for Digital Earth Pacific, explained to our editor-in-chief, Dr. Emma Gatti, why the Pacific community must be involved in the broader dialogue about Space economy and Space security.

Space security is central for a peaceful use of space and for security and national al defense. But it's often pushed aside in the concretisation. Why? Almudena Azcarate Ortega, Researcher - Space Security at UNIDIR, discusses with Dr Emma Gatti, SpaceWatch.Global's Editor in Chief, the ways Space security influences our use of space.

For SpaceWatchers, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Thailand has manifested several of its space ambitions. SWGL has covered the last decade of the country’s space developments at the government and private sector levels. So, when in early April 2024, Thailand became the latest country to join the China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) program,  SWGL assessed it as a significant development in the context of Thailand’s space ambitions. But that needs to be put in perspective. What are the short and long term implications? Let’s find out.

mu Space and Advance Technology Co., Ltd ("mu Space"), a satellite technology company based in Thailand, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with RBC Signals International Inc. ("RBC Signals"), a provider of global satellite data communication products and solutions. The MOU, effective from March 1, 2024, is the beginning of a collaboration that aims at exploring opportunities related to Satellite Ground Station Facilities in Thailand and Southeast Asia countries.

Astroscale Japan Inc. has announced that its commercial debris inspection demonstration satellite, Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan (ADRAS-J), has achieved a major technical milestone: completion of the rendezvous phase of its mission and the beginning of the proximity approach. This success is underscored by starting Angles-Only Navigation, a navigation method to estimate relative position and velocity through the servicer’s onboard cameras.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Masahito Moriyama have signed an agreement to advance sustainable human exploration of the Moon. As a result, Japan will design, develop, and operate a pressurized rover for crewed and uncrewed exploration on the Moon. On the other hand, NASA will provide the launch and delivery of the rover to the Moon as well as two opportunities for Japanese astronauts to travel to the lunar surface.

Starlab Space LLC (Starlab Space), the joint venture between Voyager Space and Airbus, today welcomed Mitsubishi Corporation as a strategic partner and equity owner in Starlab Space. This partnership expands Starlab Space's reach beyond a transatlantic partnership and transforms the joint venture into a global organization.