The Egyptian government, under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has agreed upon draft legislation that will eventually create a national space agency for the belaboured country. The announcement was made on 3 August 2016, and aims to harness space technologies for the purposes of economic development and for …
Read More »The Necessity of Coherent Space Policy in the Shadow of the Iranian Resurgence
Are Middle East governments ready to counter a resurgent Iran in space? American space law expert and policy consultant, Michael J. Listner, makes the case for more countries in the region to develop comprehensive national space policies so that their defence establishments can adequately prepare defensive measures in the space domain. …
Read More »Kuwait mulling development of a national satellite capability
The Kuwaiti cabinet, the Council of Ministers, is considering the acquisition and launch of a satellite, according to local reports in Kuwait City. Draft legislation has been submitted to the cabinet from the Communications and Information Technology Commission. The reports say that the cabinet has formed a committee to examine …
Read More »Euroconsult: 20 New Countries to Invest in Space Programmes by 2025
Around 130 satellites forecast to be launched by emerging space programs in next 10 years. According to Euroconsult’s latest report, Trends & Prospects for Emerging Space Programs, 24 countries are identified as emerging space programs (ESPs) in 2015 having launched a total of 69 satellites in the last 20 years. …
Read More »The New Asian Space Race
Asia is home to three established space powers – Japan, China and India – and there are several new players, some with rising aspirations of reaching the Moon, thus giving way to a new competition in Asia. The fact that six of the ten countries – China, India, Iran, Israel, …
Read More »At the start of a new space age
The European Space Agency (ESA) is one of the largest space organisations in the world, and has established many formal and informal links with Middle East governments, agencies, research institutes, and universities. SpaceWatch Middle East re-publishes here the Foreword written by the ESA Director-General, Jan Woerner, to the 2016 European …
Read More »Iranian Space Agency completes conceptual design of manned spacecraft
The Iranian Space Agency (ISA) completed its conceptual design for a manned spacecraft, including a human-rated space capsule and a launch vehicle, according to a report from Iranian news outlet, Tasnim News Agency. The human-rated space capsule will weigh one ton, and will be launched into space and safely returned …
Read More »The Spectacular Rise of the UAE Space Agency and the Challenges Ahead
Where does the UAE Space Agency go after the Hope Mars Mission is achieved after 2021? Building and sustaining success, and therefore public and political support, is a challenge for all space agencies. The solutions to this challenge, however, can only be found in the United Arab Emirates. ThorGroup’s Chairman …
Read More »ITU reinstates two orbital slots for Iranian communications satellites
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a UN international organisation that regulates satellite frequencies and orbital slots in geostationary orbit at 36,000 kilometres altitude, has reinstated two orbital slots for Iranian satellites. Iran had the two orbital positions withdrawn by the ITU because it had failed to place satellites in orbit, …
Read More »In Saudi visit to Paris, reconnaissance satellite deal not in sight
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Arabian Deputy Crown Prince and Defence Minister, visits Paris on 27 June 2016 to participate in the third Saudi-French Joint Committee, co-chaired by the young Prince and French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. The Deputy Crown Prince will also meet with French President Francois Hollande, …
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