Asia Pacific

Episode 064 features a special guest: Dr. Annie Handmer. A strange object in Low Earth orbit that seems to belong to no one and an even stranger business model with Earth observation satellites are among the topics in the brand new episode of the Space Cafe Podcast. Space Junk podcaster and Senior Manager for Innovation and Policy at HEO Robotics is our guest in the studio.

The term “space insurance” often refers to first-party insurance that covers pre-launch, launch, initial operations in orbit, and longer lifetimes in orbit. There are two main reasons why space firms buy insurance. The first is for “refund” purposes – it allows them to recover costs that led up to an accident, repay financiers, and exit a business entirely.

Satellite quantum communication technology provider SpeQtral, and Thales Alenia Space, a joint Venture between Thales (67 %) and Leonardo (33 %), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to research, develop and demonstrate quantum communications from space to Earth, the companies announced.

Ground network services provider KSAT, has joined forces with Earth imaging technology company, Pixxel, to support its work building the world’s highest resolution hyperspectral imaging satellite constellation, KSAT said. The company will provide access to its global ground network to enable Pixxel’s constellation to reveal key data about Earth’s health.

Satellite servicing and long-term orbital sustainability provider Astroscale Japan, has been selected as one of the contracting parties for the Front-Loading Technology Study in Phase II of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Commercial Debris Removal Demonstration (CRD2), the company said.

The first Edition of Space Café Singapore by Lynette Tan took a closer look at the space trends in Singapore and the region. Lynette's guest is  Mani Thiru, Head of Space & Satellite at Amazon Web Services Asia-Pacific. Mani, as a new resident on the red dot talked about on what's the hottest things happening here in space right now! Mani leads the Aerospace & Satellite Solutions team at Amazon Web Services across Asia-Pacific.

So far seven Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) have been signed at the 7th Edition of Bengaluru Space Expo 2022, organised in association with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACE) and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).

Indian space-tech startup Skyroot Aerospace, raised US $51 million during a Series-B funding round led by global investment firm, GIC, Skyroot said. To date, this is the largest funding round in the Indian private space-tech sector. In addition to monetary investment, GIC India Direct Investment Group’s Managing Director, Mayank Rawat, will join Skyroot’s Board.

Global professional services company Accenture, has made a strategic investment in Pixxel, an Earth imaging technology company, as part of Accenture Ventures’ Project Spotlight, the company said. Project Spotlight is an engagement and investment program aiming to fill strategic innovation gaps, and helping startups harness human creativity.

In the latest (10th) Space Café “Law Breakfast with Steven Freeland”, host Steven Freeland, Emeritus Professor of International Law at Western Sydney University, Sydney and Professorial Fellow at Bond University, Australia, and Co-Host Torsten Kriening, SpaceWatch.Global’s Publisher, welcomed Annie Handmer and Christopher Johnson at a wonderful breakfast discussion in Washington D.C.’s best bagel café.