Rocket Lab has successfully reached orbit with the test flight of its second Electron orbital launch vehicle, Still Testing. Electron lifted-off at 14:43 NZDT from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on the Māhia Peninsula in New Zealand. Following successful first and second stage burns, Electron reached orbit and deployed customer …
Read More »Israel and India Reaffirm Space Ties With Technion and Indian Institute of Space Science and Space Technology Agreement
During a state visit to India made 14-18 January, 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Nahendra Modi further cemented ties between the two countries with a range of agreements that cover cooperation in a number of areas, to include space. In a joint statement issued on …
Read More »#SpaceWatchGL Interviews: Clementine Decoopman of Space Generation Advisory Council
When it comes to focusing on the next generation of space pioneers, the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) is making great progress. The organisation, which is based in Vienna, works tirelessly to promote space as a career to young people all over the world and from different backgrounds and countries …
Read More »#SpaceWatchGL Op’Ed: Want Faster Data and a Cleaner Planet? Start Mining Asteroids
How do we kickstart a space-based economy that includes everything from communications, orbiting satellites, clean energy, and asteroid mining? Here, planetary scientist Philip Metzger of the University of Central Florida lays out a proposed roadmap to get there. This essay was originally published by Aeon on January 9, 2018, and is …
Read More »SATCOM Along the Belt and Road? Sri Lanka’s SupremeSAT Receives Investment From China’s Tatwah Smartech Co. Ltd.
Xiaoru Cai, the Chairman of China’s Tatwah Smartech Co. Ltd., took part in a ceremony on January 15, 2018, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, announcing a U.S.$30 million investment in SupremeSAT, the only Sri Lankan satellite communications company. The investment is intended to help SupremeSAT expand its geographical reach with its …
Read More »Cambodia and China Great Wall Industry Corp. Sign Agreement for Belt and Road Communications Satellite
Cambodia has signed a framework agreement with China Great Wall Industry Corporation for the acquisition of a communications satellite, along with its associated ground infrastructure and launch. The satellite agreement was one of nineteen agreements made between Cambodian and Chinese officials during a bilateral trade meeting on January 11, 2018, …
Read More »#SpaceWatchGL Op’Ed: Spacepower and Sea Control in the South China Sea and Beyond
The recent announcement by China to orbit ten Earth observation satellites to solidify its sovereign claim for the South China Sea is a harbinger of the competitions to come for the control of other vital strategic waters across the globe. ThorGroup’s Chairman and President, Dr. John B. Sheldon, examines this phenomenon …
Read More »UAE’s Yahsat and Tanaza Partner to Increase the Number of Public Wi-Fi Hotspots Globally
Yahsat, the UAE based satellite operator, announced on January 10, 2018, the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tanaza , the Italian Wi-Fi cloud management software provider. Under the terms of the MoU, Tanaza will provide Yahsat with a web platform to manage multiple users accessing Wi-Fi and …
Read More »Eutelsat and China Unicom to Provide Satellite Communications for Belt and Road Initiative
On the occasion of French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to China, Eutelsat Communications has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China United Network Communications Co., Ltd. (China Unicom) that is aimed at addressing the fast-growing satellite communications market in Asia-Pacific in the framework of the Belt and Road initiative. …
Read More »Inmarsat Report Finds IoT in Mining Sector Essential for Competitive Edge
Businesses in the mining industry are backing the Internet of Things (IoT) to help them retain their market share, as competition in the sector intensifies, the quality of seams decreases and profit margins are put under pressure. According to the latest research from Inmarsat, the Internet of Things (IoT) will …
Read More »