Space

Japan's space agency, JAXA, intends to enter the reusable space launch race to catch up with U.S. efforts. It has announced plans to develop a reusable rocket that can carry payloads into orbit on two consecutive days, aiming to cut the costs of space transportation, according to a report in Nikkei Asian Review.

Firefly Aerospace, the New Space launch company revamped by US investor of Ukrainian descent Max Polyakov, has received important support from the U.S. Air Force to use the launch facilities at Vandenberg AFB in California for its Alpha and Beta launch vehicles, marking a milestone in the company's quest to provide cheap launch options in the small- and medium-sized payload market.

Chinese microsatellite manufacturer Shenzhen Aerospace Dongfanghong HIT Satellite Ltd. opened its doors to journalists recently to showcase its products in an effort to promote the export of its technologies. Shenzhen Aerospace is one of China’s leading microsatellite manufacturers, with its satellites starting at U.S.$3 million.

A senior executive from Nigeria’s NigComSat has confirmed to the Nigerian press that the satellite communications company is to acquire two additional satellites from the China Great Wall Industry Corporation. This confirmation follows an agreement between NigComSat and Chinese development banks to provide Nigeria with U.S.$500 million in aid to acquire and launch the satellites over the next 36 months.

Leaders and senior officials from a number of Arab space agencies have committed themselves to further regional space cooperation, and provided updates on their national space programmes, at the Global Aerospace Summit 2018 held at the St. Regis Hotel on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island on 30 April and 1 May 2018.

As previously reported in SpaceWatch.Global, South Korea has followed through on its threat to change the preferred bidder for its five-satellite reconnaissance constellation, tapping Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) to lead the programme.

n order to compete with its main geopolitical rival, India, Pakistan is beginning to organise and expand its space resources. Pakistan is set to launch an ambitious space programme in the next fiscal year. Its primary goals include contending with Indian space developments. as well as reducing its own dependence on foreign satellites for civil and military purposes, according to med

After losing out to Space Systems Loral for the AMOS-8 Satellite, it is being reported that Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is likely to receive a satellite order from the Israeli government in a bid to save its satellite business, and adding to the woes of struggling Spacecom Satellite Communications, Ltd.

Nigeria's NigComSat and Turkey's Turksat have agreed to jointly carve out a share of the satellite communications market in Africa, where they will collaborate to ensure the deployment of satellite solutions.

Effective Space is poised to launch two spacecraft in 2020 that promise to transform our capabilities in space through in-orbit servicing. These SPACE DRONE™ spacecraft can extend the life of satellites that are reaching the end of their operational term, giving them a new lease of life, and enabling operators to continue bringing in revenues from their space assets long after they would originally have been decommissioned. This is true disruptive technology that will ultimately lead to many other avenues in the in-orbit servicing sector, and can help to tackle the critical challenges that the satellite industry faces such as how we deal with space debris. Helen Jameson, Editor-in-Chief, Spacewatch.Global, spoke to Daniel Campbell, UK Managing Director of Effective Space to get the lowdown on a company that is set to deliver unprecedented services to the space community.