Space for Earth News

As both Iran and Turkey look to Central Asia to enhance their diplomatic and economic prospects and standings, space cooperation will become a more important and useful tool for gaining relative geopolitical advantage in the region for both countries. Who is better able to exploit the opportunities for space cooperation …

Experts from the Turkish Research Institute of Space Technology (TÜBİTAK UZAY) visited the Azerbaijani space agency, AzerCosmos, at their Baku headquarters on Monday, 13 June 2016, according to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Communications and High Technologies. The experts from TÜBİTAK UZAY were trained by AzerCosmos experts on definition of satellite …

Es’hailSat, The Qatar Satellite Company, announced on 8 June 2016 the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Qatari Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) for the joint development of satellite services. Es’hailSat’s President and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari and QCAA’s Chairman Mr. Abdulla Nasser Al …

The latest round of cyber skirmishes that have erupted between Iranian and Saudi Arabian hackers is a timely reminder that Middle Eastern satellites and their operators are vulnerable to more sophisticated cyber attacks. ThorGroup’s Dr. John B. Sheldon explores this often discussed yet poorly understood threat to space systems. On …

Berlin, 30 May 2016 – The ILA Berlin Air Show is now even more firmly established as a platform for presenting innovations covering all aspects of the world’s aerospace industry. From 1 to 4 June the ILA 2016 will feature the latest aircraft, innovative hi-tech products and technology, and a …

U.S. satellite and rocket manufacturer Orbital ATK has partnered with Riyadh-based Rakaa Holding to support its efforts to sell electro-optical reconnaissance satellites to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is believed that Saudi Arabia is in the market for two to eight high-resolution reconnaissance satellites over the coming years, and …

Tragically, the Middle East has been the backdrop for changes in the character of war over the past few decades. With the rapid dissemination of high-resolution Earth observation satellites throughout the region, even more changes in the character of war are in store, argues ThorGroup’s Dr. John B. Sheldon. The unique, …

Saudi Arabian officials visited Minsk, the capital city of Belarus, on 16 May 2016 for discussions on various topics of mutual interest with their Belarusian counterparts. The discussions resulted in a number of agreements between the two countries, including one that commits Belarus providing Saudi Arabia with optics technologies for …

In a move that cements an already thriving space relationship, the United Arab Emirates Space Agency signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with the Government of Japan last week, setting the stage for strategic collaboration in space exploration and science between the two countries. The UAE-Japanese MoC is the latest …

Speaking to senior officials earlier this week at an Iranian Space Agency (ISA) meeting, the ISA Director Mohsen Bahrami announced that Iran will launch two indigenously built satellites in the very near future, and that three other satellites are currently being manufactured. The two satellites due to be launched are …