Space Economy

LeoLabs, a commercial provider of Space Traffic Management (STM) and Space Situational Awareness (SSA), announced on the 4th of December that it signed a partnership agreement with Aalyria, the software-defined and optical networking communications company. 

In orchestrating the debut of the Space Pavilion's presence at COP28, the UAE Space Agency has organized a Space Agencies Leaders’ Summit, witnessing participation from more than 20 international space agencies. The summit brought key actors from global climate policy and space exploration sectors together and consequently sought to address climate programs and initiatives that will expedite the pathway to 1.5C.

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.

Full production has begun on the six Galileo Second Generation (G2) satellites at Airbus’ site in Friedrichshafen, Germany, with the arrival of the first satellite Flight Model structure from Beyond Gravity in Zurich. After initial preparation, the panels will travel to other Airbus sites before final integration and testing at Friedrichshafen. Furthermore, the Galileo G2 satellites are scheduled for launch in the coming years to support the initial deployment and validation of the G2 System.

Neumann Space has announced the successful completion of the first series of on-orbit tests of its propulsion system, the Neumann Drive®. Neumann Space has consequently become one of the first commercial entities to fire a thruster in space that utilizes Molybdenum as a solid metallic propellant, and the Company considers it a world-first use of a safe, storable, abundant propellant for electric propulsion.

Angola has become the 33rd country and third African country, after Nigeria and Rwanda, to sign the Artemis Accords and join the Artemis program. President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço of Angola officially signed the Artemis Accord on behalf of his nation, solidifying Angola’s commitment to deep space exploration and international collaboration. 

LiveEO has announced the successful first closing of its next financing round, securing $10 million to enable its headstart in the deforestation compliance market. This achievement reflects the confidence of the Company's existing investors, despite challenging market conditions, and the commitment of its new partner, the greentech VC Greencode Ventures, to its shared vision of a sustainable future.

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.

Africa, much like the US, Europe, and China, has demonstrated its interest in using space as a means to a societal end. In Africa’s case, the continent has awakened to how space, specifically space science and technology, can assist in addressing Africa’s social and economic challenges. The way the African Space Strategy puts it, Africa needs “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena." The rapid global development of spatial activities is a nifty representation of the fact that the same awakening happened in other parts of the world way before Africa. This may mean that Africa is late to the party, but perhaps it's more encouraging to see it as Africa being able to learn the best model for space development from other more advanced spacefaring nations.

Polaris, a German aerospace start-up, successfully ignited their AS-1 engine on the 22nd of November. This Hot Fire Test was the first time the engine had been ignited. The test took place on an airfield at a former airport in northern Germany. The main material of the engine is Inconel and this engine is a heavy ground test version, with lighter versions of the engine for in-flight testing.