Space

Chinese New Space satellite launch company LandSpace is expected to attempt the maiden orbital launch of its Zhuque-1 launch vehicle from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre (JSLC) in China's Gobi Desert on 27 October 2018, according to a report by Andrew Jones in GBTimes.

Thai New Space entrepreneur James Yenbamroong, the founder and CEO of mu Space, is emerging as perhaps the preeminent New Space advocate, investor, and role model in Southeast Asia. He has articulated an exciting and bold space vision, is building a solid and cutting edge venture in the form of mu Space, and is now ready to invest in and mentor other budding entrepreneurs in the region with his recent U.S.$100 million venture unit announcement. SpaceWatch.Global sat down with James to talk more about his investment plans and ambitions.

WAM/SWGL - The UAE's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has shortlisted 15 space technology startups for its "Innovation Challenge," as part of its participation in the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition's (GITEX) Future Stars.

U.S. orbital launch provider Rocket Lab has confirmed it will build its first U.S. launch pad for the Electron rocket at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, United States. The site will be Rocket Lab’s second dedicated launch complex and builds on Rocket Lab’s existing ability to launch up to 120 times annually from the world’s only private launch site, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, in New Zealand.

On the sidelines of a state visit to France by South Korean President Moon Jae-In, the French National space agency, the Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES), and the Korean Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and the Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA) signed a letter of intent committing all parties to developing the Space Climate Observatory (SCO).

Airbus Defence and Space has offered to build capacity in and boost the Azerbaijani space industry, according to Airbus Vice-President for Eurasia Silvere Delaunay.

Israel’s Gilat and Brazil’s Hispamar have announced a partnership that will launch satellite-based broadband services throughout Brazil in order to expand Internet access and bridge the Digital Divide.

Luxembourg-based and ASX-listed Kleos Space S.A, a New Space technology operator, today has announced the signature of a second Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus Defence and Space, as both companies investigate opportunities to collaborate for the manufacture In-Space of structural elements.

As the Korean Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) prepares to conduct a rocket engine test later this month for its Korean Space Launch Vehicle II (KSLV-II), it has also been announced that KARI will also develop two other variants of the KSLV-II.

As the Asian Century takes on an interstellar dimension, who will write the rules of the road? Rajeswari Rajagopalan writes that space will likely be no exception to Asia’s great power rivalries.