Policy and Law

Just as Turkey’s Space programme is about to be put on a permanent footing with the establishment of its national space agency, some Turkish entrepreneurs fear that they are being squeezed out of satellite and space business in favour of large companies such as Turksat, Rocketsan, and Turkish Aerospace Industries …

Pakistan’s national space agency, the Space and Upper Atmospheric Research Commission (SUPARCO), announced on October 4, 2017, that it expects the first Pakistani dual-use Earth observation satellite, Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite 1 (PRSS-1), and an experimental satellite, will be launched in March 2018. The launch of PRSS-1 has a potential …

Ahmet Arslan, the Turkish Minister for Transport, Maritime Affairs, and Communication announced on October 6, 2017, that the Turkish government has selected Airbus Defence and Space to build two satellites for the Turksat-5B programme. According to the space industry news website, Space Intel Report, the Turkish government and Airbus Defence …

H.M.King Salman of Saudi Arabia signed an agreement with President Vladimir Putin of Russia on Thursday, October 5, 2017, committing both countries to space exploration cooperation. The agreement was one of many signed between the two leaders as King Salman made a state visit to Russia on October 4-6, 2017. …

Iran’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology (CIT) announced in September that Iran will increase its collaborative efforts with the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organisation (APSCO). APSCO’s Secretary General, Li Xinjun, recently voiced his approval of Iran’s advancements in its technology sector, and indicated this was the reason the organisation is …

Further to last week’s report that the UAE is in discussions with Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, about training and launching Emirati astronauts, further details have emerged out of the 68th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) held in Adelaide, Australia, about the strategic rationale behind the UAE’s human spaceflight programme. Quoted in …

Minister of State for Higher Education and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, said that hosting the 71st International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in the UAE in 2020 will highlight the outstanding status of the UAE’s national space sector. He also said that winning the …

As more countries around the world look to develop their own space capabilities, organisations, and policies, SpaceWatch Middle East’s Editor-in-Chief, Helen Jameson, examines the importance of technology transfer in developing space power in the Middle East and Africa. Space. It’s becoming a priority, and the fascination and realisation that what …

The Egyptian Council of Ministers approved on September 27, 2017, the establishment of a national space agency, according to the Egyptian Minister for Higher Education Khaled Abdel Ghaffar. The ruling by the Council of Ministers will now pass on to the Egyptian parliament for final agreement and made into law. …

Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, have launched the Mars Science City project. The AED500-million City will …