Tag Archives: Space Policy

Now that the euphoria over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement that India will launch its first Vyomanaut (derived from the Sanskrit word for space, or vyoma) into Earth orbit by 2022 has passed, the political contours of the announcement are beginning to take shape.

The French national space agency, the Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES), signed a cooperation agreement with the Hellenic Space Agency (HAS), the national space agency of Greece, that covers scientific exchanges and national and international space collaboration.

Amidst a worsening economic crisis, largely self-inflicted by the unorthodox economic policies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and deteriorating relations with its longstanding ally the United States, Turkey has rolled out a 100-day action plan to initiate its space ambitions.

As part of a whole-of-government effort, the Japanese government is considering building and launching space-based Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellites to better monitor space debris and anti-satellite threats against Japanese satellites, according to a report in Japan News.

The UAE Space Agency is wrapping its Space Investment Strategy that should provide the regulatory environment necessary to attract local and foreign investments into the Emirati commercial space sector, making the UAE a regional and hemispheric hub for New Space activity.

The Turkish minister for Science, Industry, and Technology, Mustafa Varank, said on 7 August 2018 that the Turkish government will establish the Turkish Space Agency this year in order to coordinate the country's space activities and manage international cooperation and relations.

A new report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) argues that despite the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA - also known as the Iran nuclear deal) an opportunity exists to constrain Iranian ballistic missile capabilities through arms control in return for allowing Iran to maintain a space launch capability that is closely monitored.

The Secure World Foundation (SWF), the influential think-tank that focuses on the secure, sustainable, and peaceful uses of space, has announced the appointment of Dr. Peter Martinez as its new Executive Director effective 1 October 2018.

Nigerian media has reported that foreign telecommunication companies are refusing to use the services of NIGCOMSAT-1R because it is far more expensive than current market prices elsewhere, leading to claims that Nigeria’s indigenous satellite communications sector is uncompetitive.

The Australian Government will fund the development of a rocket engine as part of the creation of a sovereign launch capability.