Government

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.

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.

Two NewSpace companies are set to leverage their synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and data analytics capabilities to help decision makers across the oil industry.

Yahsat has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a majority stake in the mobile satellite services operator Thuraya, also based in the UAE, subject to final pre-closing conditions being met. The acquisition of the UAE’s first home grown satellite operator, Thuraya, will significantly expand Yahsat’s current satellite solutions portfolio for both commercial and government verticals, as well as its global footprint.

The UK is seriously considering the development of its own satellite navigation system as a reaction to the “adjustment” of UK involvement in the EU Galileo programme, post Brexit. A row has erupted between London and Brussels after the EU revealed that UK companies could potentially be prevented from having any more involvement in the programme which was initiated in the 1990s and into which the UK has already pumped 1.4 billion euros. In addition, it has been hinted by the EU that there could be trust issues with sharing sensitive information with the UK after Brexit is concluded.

The first ever Angolan satellite to be launched is no longer operational. Confirmation of the news came via a press conference in Luanda with the Angolan Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technologies, Jose Carvalho da Rocha.