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Viasat Inc., a global communications company, has announced the successful launch of ViaSat-3 Americas aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Czech Republic has signed the Artemis, becoming the 24th country to sign the Accords, during a ceremony at NASA Headquarters in Washington Wednesday. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson participated in the signing ceremony for the agency, and Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of the Czech Republic.

Thales Alenia Space has won a contract from the Italian space agency (ASI) to conduct the development of the Space Factory 4.0 program in the frame of the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). Thales Alenia Space is leading a consortium, including Argotec, CIRA, and Sitael, to develop an interconnected system with facilities located across Italy, set to start operations by 2026.

Euroconsult has released its annual “Prospects for Maritime Satellite Communications” report. Euroconsult’s report provides a review of key metrics of the Maritime Connectivity systems and services market, focusing on satellite technologies, impact of NGSO constellations, smart ships, and autonomous vessel concepts.

Good morning from the third and last day of the @space for island nations conference 2023 in #Maldives! Today we will look at everything space policy, which is an important element of developing a space economy in a new space nation. This afternoon we will go to the #Moon, before landing at a closing networking reception on the beach with the @breakthrough initiatives, where we can bring together our learnings and start planning the future role of space for island nations! #SINC2023

A little personal reflection of the amazing second day of the @Space for Island Nations Conference 2023 conference. It is very inspiring to see how an initiative born at the @International Space University can turn a nation into a space faring nation. I am proud to see how @MSROmv is leading Maldives into the space era, bringing several national ministers and the country's former president to the first ever space conference in Maldives. I was very proud to have a good chat with Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdulla Mausoom about the specific benefits of space for tourism in the leading tourism nation of the world!

Good evening from the end of day two of the Space for Island Nations Conference 2023! Today we heard about the opportunities of space from two ministers, both emphasising the untapped chances that space offers for defence and tourism in the Maldives. We listened to two expert panels about capacity building in emerging space nations, as well as special opportunities in equatorial countries, like Maldives. After the break, we went deeper into space, with Dr. Pete Worden of the @Breakthrough Initiatives and the equally inspiring Dr. Harold White of the @Limitless Space Institute under the applicable theme 'from Sand to Stars'. Special thanks to my co-host @Alexandra Sokolowski of the event organising committee for sharing our views on the day from this amazing location!

Tourism is the number one industry in Maldives. At Space for Island Nations Conference 2023 Remco Timmermans spoke with Maldives Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, about how space can contribute to the development of sustainable tourism. The use of Earth observation data for spatial planning being a very tangible opportunity, especially for local students and entrepreneurs, possibly with the support of the Maldives Space Research Organisation (MSRO) In his speech, Dr. Mausoom mentioned the equatorial location and favorable weather conditions of Maldives as arguments for space launch initiatives for satellites, but also for space tourism... Of course, he promotes Maldives as a destination for space events, although does this place really need any promotion?

An Exclusive GLOC 2023 Interview with Christian Hauglie-Hanssen, Director General of the Norwegian Space Agency. The Global Space Conference on Climate Change (GLOC), jointly organized by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and the Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA), is set to take place in Oslo from May 23rd to 25th, 2023

Sidus Space, a Space and Defence-as-a-Service satellite company, announced on the 2nd of May the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Lulav Space, an Israeli robotics company specialising in space applications, to cooperate in the US market by providing a complete guidance navigation and control (GN&C) solution for both lunar satellite and lunar lander missions.