Serious - SG is now official a Space Power to be reckoning with. Good Job

[k1976]

Singapore sets up Earth observation initiative in space sector push

An additional S$60 million will also be invested over the next two years in projects to further Singapore’s capabilities in the space sector, said the national space office.

Singapore sets up Earth observation initiative in space sector push
Singapore's mission control at Nanyang Technological University monitors and commands seven satellites in low Earth orbit. (Photo: Gwyneth Teo)

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Fabian Koh
Fabian Koh
26 Feb 2025 10:37AM (Updated: 26 Feb 2025 04:45PM)
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SINGAPORE: Singapore has set up a new initiative to solve sustainability and humanitarian challenges in the region using remote sensing satellite technology, the national space office announced on Wednesday (Feb 26).

The Earth Observation Initiative (EOI), led by Singapore’s Office for Space Technology & Industry (OSTIn), will address Asia-Pacific’s issues such as food and water quality, disaster and disease monitoring as well as forestry and land management, the agency said in a press release.

An additional S$60 million (US$44.8 million) will also be invested in OSTIn’s Space Technology Development Programme (STDP) over the next two years, to boost technological innovation and develop Singapore's space technology ecosystem.

The agency will also work with its foreign counterparts to develop international norms and an open, inclusive and rules-based global regime governing space activities.

These were among the new initiatives to drive Singapore’s push into the nascent space sector, unveiled at the Global Space Technology Convention & Exhibition 2025.

The global space economy is expected to triple in size and reach US$1.8 trillion by 2035, up from US$630 billion in 2023, according to a World Economic Forum report published in April last year.

“Singapore’s space sector is entering a new phase of growth, driven by global developments lowering the cost of space technology and growing real-world needs,” said Economic Development Board (EDB) managing director Jacqueline Poh.

“By leveraging our strengths in business and R&D (research and development), we aim to develop space technologies that can unlock new economic opportunities, reinforcing Singapore’s role in the global space economy.”

FIRST OF ITS KIND

The EOI, the first of its kind in Singapore, is coordinated by OSTIn and aims to use space technologies to make a difference on regional issues.

The 15 partners and members include intergovernmental entities, research institutions and industry players, such as global bodies like the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and World Bank, as well as local players like the Singapore Land Authority and Maritime and Port Authority.

Earth observation technology is a cost-effective way to monitor, manage and mobilise resources by providing comprehensive, real-time data on a wide range of environmental scenarios, OSTIn explained.

 

[k1976]

Commentary: How Singapore can be a space power, with small satellites

The space race of the Cold War may be long over, but the time is now for Singapore to fight for a slice of the satellite industry pie, says National University of Singapore's Low Kay Soon.

Commentary: How Singapore can be a space power, with small satellites
The world's smallest rocket SS-520 carrying a mini satellite for observation of the Earth's surface is launched from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Uchinoura Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, on Jan 15, 2017. (Photo: AFP/Jiji…see more
Low Kay Soon
Low Kay Soon
08 Oct 2017 05:01PM (Updated: 29 Jan 2021 05:06PM)
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SINGAPORE: In 1957, the first man-made satellite was launched into space by the Soviet Union. Since mankind’s first foray into space, we have not looked back.

Today, there are more than 6,000 satellites in space.

In the earlier decades of satellite development, the key players were governments, especially those of large countries, whose use for satellites were primarily for weather monitoring, remote sensing of environmental conditions and surveillance.

In recent years, many commercial applications have emerged, such as the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites for asset tracking, and the provision of satellite television programmes, telecommunication services and internet services.

With its many applications, the annual market revenue for the satellite industry stands around US$260 billion.

THE REVOLUTION OF THE INDUSTRY

Back in the early days, satellites weighed a few thousand kilogrammes and were huge, with a height of several storeys. Such satellites took years to build, and were typically very expensive.

The majority of them were owned by a monopoly of governments or large organisations.

Over the last two decades, however, miniaturised satellites have been gaining popularity.

Such satellites typically weigh from a few to tens of kilogrammes, with a volume similar to that of a bar fridge.

While initially built by universities as technology demonstrators, the functionality of such small satellites following rapid advancements in technology has garnered interest from government space agencies and commercial companies.


While the space industry has traditionally been dominated by a few large countries such as Russia, more, and smaller countries have shown growing interest in entering it. (Photo: Reuters) A Russian Soyuz 2.1A rocket carrying Lomonosov,…see more
For example, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is planning to launch two briefcase-sized miniaturised satellites of 10kg each to Mars next year. These two satellites will help NASA monitor the Insight mission when it first lands by relaying information about the landing to ground controllers back on earth.

 

[ChenShuang]

Nice

 

[bobby]

We also now have our own SG born astronaut….

Media company Chicago Star founder Elaine Chia Hyde was born in Singapore and grew up in Australia.