Satellite

The UAE Space Agency, in cooperation with Khalifa University of Science and Technology at the Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi and the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), has completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) of the MeznSat-3U Cubesat.

After a number of delays and starts, South Korea is finally pressing ahead with the development of its second Korean Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV-II) as well as its lunar exploration programme. The KSLV-II is a three-stage launch vehicle which will put a 1.5-ton multipurpose satellite into low orbit at 600 to 800 kilometers (372 to 497 miles) above the Earth. The first-stage booster will consist of four 75-ton fuel engines, and the second stage will be made up of a single 75-ton engine. The third stage will come with a 7-ton liquid engine.

Thaicom, one of the largest commercial satellite communication companies in the Asia-Pacific, has announced an agreement with MediaVision as part of the expansion of its broadcast platform in Africa.

Chinese private launch company OneSpace successfully carried out the maiden launch of its rocket, marking the first entry of a private launch company from China into the increasingly crowded global small satellite launch market.

7–8 May 2018, Geneva, Switzerland played host to this years’ Space Security Conference. Entitled ‘Space Security: The Next Chapter’, the events explored the existing framework for space governance in the context of a growing and evolving space industry and with an increasing number of private actors moving into the space domain. Is the current framework sufficient to deal with the new generation of space activities or do changes have to be made? Our very own Torsten Kriening attended the event and caught up with Daniel Porras, Space Security Fellow, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research and organiser of the event.

The US space agency, NASA, has officially launched a project to provide remote sensing data to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, aiding regional environmental and population monitoring as part of a wider effort for sustainable resource management and planning in these countries.

Pakistan has revealed plans for its expanded space programme that includes a second high-resolution Earth observation satellite, a satellite navigation system, and telecommunication links with China as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) infrastructure project.

Following its recent £8.4 million contract win from the European Space Agency, Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd has secured its second phase investment of £24 million. Joining the growing club of billionaires such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Greg Wyler who have demonstrated their passion for the high-growth space sector, UK businessman Peter Hargreaves, founder of leading finance and investment services company Hargreaves Lansdown, is investing the money, taking a stake in the iconic Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd. in Cornwall, whose rich 56-year history of achievement in satellite communications is matched by an ambitious future-looking roadmap.

International experts and major space players will converge upon Luxembourg from May 15-16 to attend the 2018 Space Forum. A gathering of European Space Clusters and Tech Valley representatives, space business angels, satellite operators, manufacturers and suppliers, will discuss the latest trends and developments in this dynamic industry. Organized in parallel of ICT Spring, the European tech summit, Space Forum will take place at the European Conference Center Luxembourg, at the very heart of Europe. The organizers have announced an impressive list of international speakers, companies and innovative startups, who will participate to the event.

Inmarsat, a leading provider of global mobile satellite communications, announced on 9 May 2018 that it, in conjunction with Tillman Digital Cities and CivicConnect, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Smart Africa secretariat to accelerate the development and implementation of public-private partnerships (PPP) with the Smart Africa Alliance.