Space

Chinese New Space satellite launch company iSpace successfully launched its SQX-1Z sub-orbital launch vehicle on 5 September 2018 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Northwest China.

Jean-Yves Le Gall, the president of the French National space agency the Centre national d’etudes spatiales (CNES), visited Jakarta, Indonesia, on 31 August 2018 to meet with his counterparts from the Indonesian space agency, LAPAN, and the Indonesian agency for meteorology, climatology, and geophysics, BMKG, to discuss Indonesia’s participation in the CNES-led Space Climate Observatory (SCO) initiative.

Australian New Space narrowband satellite communications company Sky and Space Global (SAS) has signed a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cendrawasih Teknologi Nusantara (CTN) to provide SAS’s nanosatellite connectivity services to CTN’s individual and small business customers across Indonesia.

Following the announcement in early August 2018 by Narendra Modi, India’s Prime Minister, that India will launch its own Vyomanauts into space by 2022, senior Indian space officials have added more details about what is now called the Gaganyaan programme.

Singtel, Singapore’s leading telecommunications provider, has teamed up with KVH Industries to provide satellite-based broadband maritime connectivity for shipping and the maritime sector across the Asia-Pacific region.

The AngoSat-2 satellite is to be developed by Russia for Angola to replace the failed AngoSat-1 satellite.

Indonesia’s space agency, Lembaga Penerbangan dan Antariksa Nasional (LAPAN), has announced that it intends to launch an indigenous space launch vehicle (SLV) by 2040 with the ability to insert a 1-ton satellite into Low Earth Orbit (LEO), according to SpaceTech Asia.

Gazprom Space Systems, a Russian international satellite operator, and Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd., the Israeli satellite networking technology, solutions, and services company, signed a contract with an estimated value of U.S.$18 million, to provide broadband connectivity across Russia.

The United Arab Emirates has announced the names of its first two astronauts – one of whom will be launched by Russia to the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2019.

The EgyptSat-A, also known as MisrSat-A, high-resolution Earth observation satellite is due to be launched by Russia in November 2018, just as the threat to Egypt's borders and unrest in the Sinai Peninsula is becoming more acute.