Ethiopia and India have raised the possibility of space cooperation with each other after a state visit to the Horn of Africa country by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind on October 5-7, 2017. The Ethiopian government announced in early 2017 that it intends to build its own medium-sized space launch …
Read More »#SpaceWatchME Op’Ed: Private Companies Are Launching A Space Race – Here’s What To Expect
International competition in space has been a permanent feature of humankind’s forays into Earth orbit and beyond ever since the launch of Sputnik by the former Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. During the Cold War the competition was between super powers. Today the competition is between at least 60 countries and …
Read More »UAE Space Agency Signs Wide-Reaching Agreement With Luxembourg
The UAE Space Agency has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, defining a framework for collaboration and the exchange of information and expertise in the fields of space science, research, and technology. The MoU was signed by Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al …
Read More »Turkey’s Small and Medium Sized Space Companies Fear Being Squeezed Out of Space Business
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 …
Read More »Pakistan to Launch First Earth Observation Satellite in 2018
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 …
Read More »Turksat Selects Airbus for TURKSAT-5B, Report Says
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 …
Read More »Saudi Arabia and Russia Deepen Space Cooperation, Agree on Joint Space Exploration Projects
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. …
Read More »Iran Announces Plans to Join Two APSCO Projects
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 …
Read More »Dubai To Host The International Astronautical Congress In 2020
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 …
Read More »#SpaceWatchME Op’ed: Knowledge Transfer in MENA: Leapfrogging the Learning Curve
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 …
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