Asia Pacific

On November 16, 2023, ispace, inc. from Japan unveiled the final design of its micro rover, which will be transported to the surface of the Moon by its lunar lander as part of exploration activities during Mission 2. This mission 2, part of the HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program, will serve as the company’s second technological demonstration, with the objective of further validating the lander’s design and technology, and ispace’s business model, to provide reliable lunar transportation and data services.

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Government of Japan, in cooperation with the Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech), are providing opportunities for students from developing countries to study nano-satellite development. As a result, the Post-graduate Study on Nano-Satellite Technologies (PNST) Fellowship Program is making three slots in the Master Programme and three slots in the Doctoral Programme available. The program will also cover tuition fees and provide a stipend to cover living expenses. As a result, students are invited to submit their applications by 5 January 2024 and follow in the footsteps of more than 60 graduates over the years.

ispace, inc. has announced its Mission 2, part of the HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program, to serve as the company’s second technological demonstration, based on lessons learned from Mission 1. Mission 2 aims to further validate the lander’s design and technology, as well as ispace’s business model, to provide reliable lunar transportation and data services. Concurrently with the second mission, ispace also unveiled the final design of its micro rover, which it will transport to the surface of the Moon by its lunar lander as part of exploration activities during Mission 2.

ESA’s Integral space telescope detected an extremely bright and long-lasting gamma-ray burst (GRB) on the 9th of October. GRB are the outpouring of energy from exploding stars or from the collision of two super-dense neutron stars. The blast has been named GRB 221009A is probably one of the brightest GRB ever detected according to Mirko Piersanti, lead author of the team publishing the results on the 14th of November. The nearest rival is ten times weaker. This GRB took place in a galaxy almost 2 billion light-years away, yet it still had enough energy to affect the Earth. 

In this Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Neutron Star Systems (NSS) CEO Manuel La Rosa Betancourt, CTO Dr. Michael Winter, and Investor Relationship Manager Robin Lebeau before the Space Tech Expo Europe in Bremen. 

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. has announced it has set a return-to-launch window for its Electron launch vehicle. As a result, the Company will return to the pad at Launch Complex 1 with a dedicated Electron mission for Japan-based Earth imaging company iQPS (Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc.) during a launch window which opens on November 28th, 2023 and extends into December.

D-Orbit, a space logistics and transportation company, and Marubeni Corporation,  a Japanese trading and investment business conglomerate, announced on the 9th of November a new investment agreement. Marubeni will take on the role of lead investor in D-Orbit’s Series C funding round. This round will include other Italian, European, and international investors and is expected to exceed a total of 100 million euros. The Series C funding round will enable D-Orbit to strengthen its operations in Italy and globally with a focus on in-orbit servicing, space cloud computing, and orbital transportation.

'Space is a shared frontier, not a race.' Wise words from Mani Thiru, head of Space and satellites for Amazon Web Services across Asia Pacific. Mani discusses with Dr Emma Gatti the civil society's role in the space sector, and dives deep into the balance between space progress and sustainability. Watch it now!

Join us in paradise! From the beautiful Maldives, Dr Emma Gatti interviewed Joan Chesoni from the Kenyan Space Agency. Learn about Joan's role and her vision for an inclusive and unified space sector.

A historic conversation from paradise! Join Emma Gatti at The Karman Project Maldives Edition as she speaks with Madin Maseeh, President of the Maldives Space Research Organisation, about their groundbreaking work. Get an insider look as Madin shares his vision for growing MSRO, increasing access to space research, and collaborating globally - straight from the shores of the breathtaking Maldives islands. Discover how MSRO is advancing space technology and exploration despite facing unique challenges. Madin provides an inspiring perspective on space as a unifying force that transcends borders. You won't want to miss these one-of-a-kind insights from a space leader making waves on the world stage. This exclusive interview offers a window into the fascinating work being done by MSRO on climate change, marine conservation, and more. Let The Karman Project transport you to paradise and beyond! Join Emma and Madin for this uplifting discussion about the power of space to improve life on Earth.