Asia Pacific

The intersection between space exploration and climate action is becoming increasingly relevant, as advancements in technology enable us to monitor and understand our planet's changing climate from a unique vantage point.

Zhang Kejian, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) administrator, and Sherif Sedky, the Chief Operating Officer of the Egyptian Space Agency (EGSA), signed a cooperation agreement between the CNSA and the EGSA on the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) in Beijing on the 6th of December. 

Uzma, a energy and technology company and Satellogic Inc, a Earth Observation (EO) data collector, announced on the 7th of December a new collaboration. The companies are aiming to evolve the landscape of satellite imagery capabilities and geospatial services in Southeast Asia. As part of the agreement Satellogic will design and manufacture a EO satellite. It is planned to be launched in the second half of 2024 as ‘UzmaSAT-1’ aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

China launched a remote-sensing satellite for Egypt on the 4th of December marking a new feat in space cooperation between these countries, according to the China National Space Administration. The Egyptian MISRSAT-2 satellite was launched on a Long March 2C carrier rocket which set off from the Jiuqan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. The satellite was designed and built by Aerosapce Dongfanhong, a subsidiary of the China Academy of Space Technology.

Two major space events took place in South-Korea in November 2023: Space Forum Korea, hosted by the South-Korean government, in close cooperation with the US and major ASEAN economies. And an International Workshop on Space Resources with Perspectives of Emerging Space Programs, hosted by the Secure World Foundation, an American NGO. Then, on the first day of December 2023, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the country’s first spy satellite into orbit, from California’s Vandenberg Space Force base, just one month after North Korea had launched its own. Let’s review these events in context, and draw some observations on the global standing of South-Korea as an Emerging Space Country.

SpaceX has successfully launched its first military spy satellite to better monitor North Korea. The launch happened at California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Furthermore, it is the first of five spy satellites South Korea contracted with SpaceX to launch into space by 2025. The satellite is an electrooptical and infrared device, while the four remaining satellites will feature synthetic aperture radar, which can "see" through cloud cover and at night.

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.