Space Exploration

John Thornton of Astrobotic was named CEO of the Year by the Pittsburgh Technology Council. The award was announced at the 23rdannual Tech50 awards ceremony, held in Pittsburgh.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, MBRSC, has announced that the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft, carrying the first Emirati astronaut Hazza Al Mansoori, along with Oleg Skripochka and Jessica Meir, successfully docked with the International Space Station, ISS. This marks the beginning of the first spaceflight to be undertaken by an Emirati astronaut and first visit by an Arab astronaut to the ISS.

On 25-26th June the Secure World Foundation convened their inaugural Summit for Space Sustainability in Washington, DC, with SpaceWatch Global participating as a media partner for the event

Space investment and innovation has hit an all-time high. During the Space Pavilion and Tech Talks we will be discussing how much value can be unlocked from space technology and the new business models and investments boosting the industry.

The UK and Australian Space Agencies have agreed to take their cooperation to the next level and to develop a 'Space Bridge'.

With the theme of ‘The Power of the Past, the Promise of the Future’, the 70th International Astronautic Congress is soon to roll into Washington, DC. Taking place from 21-25 October, the event brings together all space players to discuss the technology, capabilities and the future that humanity has in space from the Moon to Mars, to deep space.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced his nation's intention to join the United States' Moon to Mars exploration approach, including NASA's Artemis lunar programme.

The UAE’s first astronaut, Major Hazza Al Mansouri, takes off for the eight-day mission on September 25 at 5.56pm. When his spacecraft docks with the International Space Station (ISS) at midnight, he will become the first Arab to set foot there.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) of the United Arab Emirates and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will cooperatively perform an educational project that uses JAXA’s "Int-Ball", a camera robot for the International Space Station, when the UAE astronaut gets on board the International Space Station for the first time.

On Friday (23 August 2019), I published a short essay on the emerging Asian space race in The Nikkei Asian Review. I believe that the emerging space dynamics especially in Asia will spur new competition as well as cooperation. For example, India and Japan unite over Beijing's moon landings and anti-satellite weapons and find new avenues to collaborate including in joint lunar missions in the future.