Asia Pacific

ispace, inc. (ispace) has signed two memorandums of understanding related to payload services and strategic cooperation with mu Space and Advance Technology Co., Ltd., (mu Space) a satellite manufacturer and satellite communication service provider. The collaboration marks the first step towards future lunar missions between the two companies.

SmartSat Cooperative Research Center (SmartSat), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the New Zealand Space Agency (NZSA) to accelerate the growth of Australian and New Zealand space industries. Professor Andy Koronios, SmartSat CRC Chief Executive Officer and Robyn Henderson, Acting Head of the New Zealand Space Agency, signed the agreement at the NZSA headquarters in Wellington.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced that it has re-established contact with its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft lander after it powered back on. The lander could not generate power upon landing on the lunar surface, quickly exhausting its battery power. JAXA had noted that its chances of recovering SLIM would increase as the sunlight illumination condition improves with time. This has consequently cemented Japan's position as the fifth country to soft-land on the moon, joining the USA, China, the former Soviet Union, and India.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has confirmed the successful precision soft-landing of its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft on the moon. JAXA employed the mission to demonstrate its new precision technology by landing in an unprecedented 100-metre landing area. However, because SLIM's solar cells failed to generate power for the spacecraft, it had to shut down its operations.

Boryung Corporation and Axiom Space have announced the formation of a joint venture, BRAX Space Corporation,  to leverage the unique strengths of both companies to advance the commercialization of low-Earth orbit (LEO) and push the boundaries of space exploration. As a result, both parties will jointly explore business opportunities related to the future Axiom Station. Furthermore, the collaboration will focus on various businesses, including research and development, new initiatives in the space industry, and joint production efforts

GITAI USA Inc. has announced that its 1.5-meter-long autonomous dual robotic arm system (S2) is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket (NG-20) on January 29. Having passed the necessary NASA safety reviews, the S2 will conduct an external demonstration of in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) while onboard the ISS.

Astroscale Holdings Inc. has announced the completion of the final phase of its End-of-Life Services by Astroscale (ELSA-d) mission with the safe and controlled de-orbit operations of the ELSA-d servicer satellite. The satellite leveraged its remaining operational thrusters to achieve the controlled de-orbiting, marking the successful conclusion of the pioneering mission.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced the successful soft-landing of its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft on the moon, on January 20, 2024, at 0:20 am (JST). This feat makes Japan the fifth country to soft-land on the moon, joining the USA, China, the former Soviet Union, and India. Despite the historic landing, however, JAXA may not achieve full operationalization of the spacecraft as its solar cells are currently not generating power. 

BlackSky Technology Inc. has won a multi-year contract from PT Len, supporting the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia to provide immediate access to subscription-based real-time, high-frequency imagery and analytics services. The Contract is an initial task order exceeding $1 million against a new multi-year contract to deliver space-based intelligence capabilities to the Indonesian Ministry of defense.

SPACEBEL has announced a contract with OHB Italia S.p.A. (Milano), the prime contractor of the Comet Interceptor mission, a European Space Agency (ESA) and Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) program.  As a result of the contract, SPACEBEL will provide the Central Software that manages the whole spacecraft, its platform equipment and its payload instruments. This new project will involve a team of up to ten SPACEBEL engineers over the next two years.