Region

The UAE concluded its participation in the World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19), held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, with the participation of 165 Member States, thus contributing significantly in highlighting the role of the Arab Spectrum Management Group (ASMG), and presenting many working papers and opinions on all the topics of the agenda.

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd., a worldwide leader in satellite networking technology, solutions and services, announced on 4 December 2019 that its subsidiary Wavestream received orders for over U.S.$6 million from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for its state-of-the-art GaN BUCs,  to be supplied as the first award of a five-year base-period of potentially over U.S.$10 million of deliveries to the U.S. DoD.

EU strategy for space outlines fostering a competitive and innovative European space sector as one of its key objectives. Yet becoming a global leader in space requires funding and extensive support in the R&D.

Hughes Network Systems LLC, the global leader in broadband satellite networks and services, and Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat), a leading global satellite operator based in the United Arab Emirates and wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), announced on 6 December 2019 the commencement of a joint venture to provide satellite broadband services in Brazil.

Globalstar Europe Satellite Services Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Globalstar Inc., and the leader in satellite messaging and emergency notification technologies, today announced the launch of SPOT X two-way satellite messenger with Bluetooth in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. This new model allows users to connect SPOT X to their smartphone over Bluetooth to send and receive email and text messages over satellite using a revamped SPOT X app.

Rocket Lab, a commercial space launch company, successfully completed its 10th launch on 6 December 2019 from its launch complex in New Zealand, placing seven small satellites in orbit as well as returning its Electron booster back to Earth.

Thales Alenia Space, a Joint Venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), announced on 4 December 2019 that it has signed a contract with the Egyptian operator Nilesat to build the Nilesat-301 geostationary communications satellite, winning the contract against an international field of competitors.

Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has directed the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) to open registration for the second edition of the UAE Astronaut Programme. The move marks the start of a new phase of the UAE’s space exploration journey.

The team from Universidad del Valle de Guatemala have completed the development of their first satellite under the KiboCUBE programme run by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

As it readies for its first satellite launch next week, Kacific Broadband Satellites Group (Kacific) announced on 6 December 2019 that it has closed credit facilities totalling U.S.$160 million with a group of financial institutions including the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and GuarantCo.