Satcoms

China’s Space Silk Road, an offshoot of its much-vaunted Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has captured the attention of the space sector’s trade media over the past few years, but while China’s ambitions are certainly newsworthy, another Northeast Asian country is quietly building a scientific, technical, and diplomatic space community …

We often hear debate about the fact that space belongs to all humanity and should be used for peaceful purposes only. However, there is also another, much more controversial question being asked about whether space should be militarised in an era where so many threats exist. Should the United Nations …

Nanosatellite manufacturer GomSpace is going from strength to strength, fuelled by the innovative small satellite sector and an increased demand for small satellites that can perform a wider range of missions than ever before. In October 2016, GomSpace acquired nanosatellite propulsion specialist, NanoSpace, after establishing a partnership on several customer …

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Sultanate of Oman on 11-12 February, 2018, where he was hosted by H.M. Sultan Qaboos. Both leaders oversaw the signing of a landmark space cooperation agreement between Oman and India during the visit. The Memorandum of Understand (MoU) was signed on behalf of …

India’s space programme continues to broaden its appeal into Latin America, becoming a truly global competitor in the launch market and beyond. Several countries in the region have made outreach toward working with India in the coming months. As reported in Indian Defence News this week, Colombia plans to put …

Emirati and Indian officials have reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate in space exploration and satellite projects following the first meeting of the UAE-Indian Joint Working Group on space in December 2017. Details of that meeting were revealed by senior Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) officials during a visit to the …

Singapore moved forward last week in its quest to become the first nation to implement a space-based very-high frequency (VHF) communications system. This system would include mounting VHF communications equipment onto a constellation of small, low-earth-orbit satellites to allow clear, real-time communications between pilots and air traffic controllers over oceanic …

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has announced a programme that will use Earth observation satellites and imagery data to assist members states of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) deal with public health threats such as Dengue Fever, and environmental and resource management problems such as monitoring forest …

The success of Galileo and Copernicus have galvanised the space ambitions of the European Union and given it the impetus to build on its achievements. This was very evident at the recent annual European Space Policy Conference that was held in Brussels from 24-25 January, 2018. Here, space policy analyst, …

By Andrew Jones China’s pioneering Chang’e-4 lunar mission set to launch later this year will carry an optical camera provided by Saudi Arabia as part of international involvement in the mission. The Chang’e-4 mission, which will use the backup to the 2013 Chang’e-3 Moon lander and rover, plans to make …