Earth observation

Japan is eyeing expanded space cooperation with Malaysia in a bid to deepen diplomatic and economic ties with the Southeast Asian country, and as part of an effort to balance against China's powerful influence through such programmes as its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the region.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. announced the execution of a Launch Services Agreement with SATLANTIS. Beginning in 2022, SATLANTIS will utilize the Firefly Alpha launch vehicle to deploy a constellation of satellites with breakthrough high-resolution multispectral cameras with four bands of 80 cm native resolution.

The latest attempt by Iran to indigenously launch one of its domestically-built satellites has failed, the latest in a string of unsuccessful satellite launches due to engineering problems, poor management, sabotage, or a combination of all of these.

A Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) H-IIA satellite launch vehicle successfully lofted an electro-optical Intelligence Gathering Satellite (IGS) on behalf of the Japanese Cabinet Office from the Tanegashima Space Centre, Kagoshima Prefecture, in southwest Japan on 9 February 2020.

Thales Alenia Space moved forward this week in creating its Digital Center of Excellence in Luxembourg by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of the Economy of the Duchy of Luxembourg. It aims to become a major industrial contributor to the nation’s ambitious space and digital strategy.

More than 30 representatives from the UK space industry, universities and government—supported by the UK Space Agency—are visiting Singapore this week to explore new partnerships and opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region.

AzerCosmos, the state space company of Azerbaijan, reports that it generated revenues of U.S.$43.4 million from the export of its satellite communications and Earth observation services in the calendar year of 2019, a 70 percent increase over its exports in 2018.

Asia’s largest space and technology convention, the Global Space and Technology Convention (GSTC) is a cornerstone of the space industry in Asia. Organised by Singapore Space and Technology Limited (SSTL), the Convention is among the most comprehensive gathering of space agencies, industry leaders and future players, in Asia.

Kazakhstan has revealed that it intends to stand up and establish its own satellite manufacturing capabilities and industry with the aim of being able to build and launch its own communications and Earth observation satellites, as well as scientific and technological testbed spacecraft.

The first satellite of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), named Napa-1, is expected to be launched on board an Arianespace Vega satellite launch vehicle on 24 March 2020.