The satellite communications industries of both Thailand and Egypt have both received boosts in the form of investment or launch announcements in recent days.
Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), a leading global provider of advanced space services, has announced the formation of SSC Space Thailand, a subsidiary targeted at the Asia-Pacific market.
The announcement, says SSC, marks further investment in the Asia-Pacific region, adding to SSC’s already strong presence in Australia and Thailand, including ground station facilities in both countries.
The new subsidiary will offer SSC's services, ranging from launch services to ground station networks and engineering services. With new offices being installed in the Space Krenovation Park, part of the EEC Digital Park in Chonburi province, SSC becomes the first international space company to invest in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor.
Meanwhile Egypt Today has reported that Mohamed al-Kousy, executive director of the Egyptian Space Agency, has said that a series of Egyptian satellites will be launched starting from December. The satellite fleet will be called Next.
The first satellite is expected to weigh 65 kilograms and to be deployed for remote sensing and scientific research in cooperation with Germany.
In parallel with Next, a group of nanosatellites will be launched in March 2022 to monitor climate changes, especially the levels of carbon dioxide and gases in the atmosphere.
In addition, September 2022 will see the launch of EgyptSat 2, weighing 330 kilograms; it will be used in sensor applications for which it will offer a photographic accuracy of two metres. EgyptSat 2 has been designed in cooperation with China.
And that’s not all. A satellite assembly and testing centre – the first centre of its kind in the Arab world – will be inaugurated in September 2022 in Egypt’s International Space City. It aims to produce satellites for purposes related to development in Egypt and Africa, as well as scientific research.
The headquarters of the African Space Agency is now being established in the International Space City; the budget for the development is said to be $10 million.