Asia Pacific

Thailand’s head of the National Council for Peace and Order, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, is expected to make a U.S.$215 million order for the Thailand Earth Observation Satellite (THEOS)-II with French satellite manufacturer Airbus Defence and Space during a visit to France on 25 June 2018, according to a diplomatic source …

Acknowledging competition from companies like SpaceX, Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) aim to ensure that its next-generation space launch vehicle, the H-3, will cut launch costs by half compared to its current workhorse, the H-2. The 39th H-IIA vehicle was launched Tuesday afternoon, …

SpaceWatch.Global wishes all of our Muslim friends and readers a Blessed Eid and our warm wishes to you and your families!

Italy’s largest private satellite manufacturer, SITAEL, is set to open its Australian headquarters on 1 July 2018 outside of Adelaide, South Australia, further cementing SA’s position as Australia’s premier New Space hub. SITAEL plans to develop satellites and payloads from 50kg up to 300kg, space missions, and a range of other space …

Final testing for the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) CubeSat-M1 is underway. This first-of-three cubesats has been developed as part of a AUS$10 million contract with the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra Space Centre, which was signed in November. This home grown satellite is testament to the ‘Down …

A political competition to host the headquarters of the new Australian Space Agency has emerged between Australian states, a development that a prominent Australian space policy expert is counterproductive, even pointless, and misunderstands the role and scope of the agency that is due to start operations on 1 July 2018. …

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted U.S.-Singaporean New Space company Audacy a licence for the first commercial inter-satellite relay network, and the implications of this are transformational for space communications as LEO operators, for the first time, can be in constant contact with their satellites. As satellites move …

South Korean satellite operator KT Sat is now poised to provide near-global maritime and inflight connectivity through its new satellites and expanded teleport, in what is becoming an increasingly crowded market. With the launches of the Mugunghwa-7 and -5A satellites last year, the company can now provide satellite services covering …

On 23 June 2018, Rocket Lab’s launch window for the ‘It’s Business Time’ mission will open. During this 14-day window, the company will launch its groundbreaking Electron rocket and will transform access to space for the small satellite market. The Electron will build up its launch frequency over the coming months …

The launch of the Chinese meteorological satellite, Fengyun-2H, marks another step in the Chinese-led Space Silk Road, as Beijing dedicates the system to providing weather coverage along Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) territories. Launched on Tuesday, 5 June 2018, the new Fengyun-2H meteorological satellite is expected to improve the accuracy …