1. APRSAF-25 Updates

- The Second Announcement Released and Registration Opened!
The second announcement of the 25th session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-25) has been released. The APRSAF-25 will be held from 6 - 9 November 2018 in Singapore with the theme of "Innovative Space Technology for Evolving Needs." It will be jointly organized by the Singapore Space and Technology Association (SSTA), the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

The announcement contains updated information on programs, Concept Notes of Working Groups and Initiatives, registration, as well as the exhibition.
We are also pleased to announce that the online registration is finally open! Please complete your registration online no later than October 5, 2018. We are looking forward to your participation. For further information about the APRSAF-25, and to download the PDF file of the second announcement, please visit the APRSAF website at:
http://www.aprsaf.org/annual_meetings/aprsaf25/meeting_details.php

Please note that the APRSAF will be collecting registration fees from the participants to the APRSAF-25 to make the APRSAF a sustainable forum. The early-bird registration fee with online payment made by October 31 is 60 USD. The registration fee for online payment from November 1 to 5 and on-site payment is 100 USD. Students who register online are welcome to attend the forum at no charge. Please refer to the second announcement for more details.

2. News on APRSAF Activities

- APRSAF-ESPI jointly held "Inter-Regional Space Policy Dialogue", an evening event during the week of UNISPACE+50
Space policy experts from Asia-Pacific and European regions exchanged their views on "necessary actions to make use of space technology for national development from a policy point of view" on June 22 in Vienna. The National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) and United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) panelists represented Asia-Pacific Region, and Italian Space Agency (ASI), Czech Space Alliance, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs/Switzerland panelists represented European Region. APRSAF Executive Secretary, Mr. Akira Kosaka, presented an overview of space policy community in the Asia-Pacific Region and joined the panel. About 60 participants attended from more than 20 countries in the event, which was held as a formal UNCOPUOS side event. Mr. Kosaka also made a technical presentation on APRSAF activities including this side event on June 25, during the sixty-first session of UNCOPUOS.

For more information, please visit the following websites:
http://espi.or.at/events/upcoming-espi-events/espi-aprsaf-evening-event-and-reception-during-copuos
http://www.aprsaf.org/capacity_building/pdf/Capacity_building(ESPI-APRSAF_Joint_event).pdf

For information on the technical presentation given at
UNCOPUOS: http://www.unoosa.org/documents/pdf/copuos/2018/copuos2018tech09E.pdf

- First APRSAF Innovative Small and Cube Satellite Joint Development Meeting held in Bangkok from June 11 to 12, 2018

As included in the Joint Statement of APRSAF-24, toward joint development of Innovative Small and Cube Satellite, the first meeting was held in JAXA Bangkok Office from June 11 to 12.
The workshop was co-organized by the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The status of one on-going prototype and two follow-up activities was reported, along with the final results of one prototype. Around 50 people from eight countries (Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) and three regional organizations, comprising the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), participated in this meeting.following points.

(1) The objective and key intent of this joint development of small and cube satellites are not to train more talent or build capacity, but to demonstrate the high capabilities of the experienced professional engineers in this region to bring concrete solutions to the issues on the ground.
(2) To develop innovative, technologically challenging satellites.
(3) To develop satellites that will provide new solutions to social issues.
(4) To achieve the aforementioned points within a short development period of around three years so as to keep up with the speed of technological advances.

For more information, please visit the following website:
http://www.aprsaf.org/capacity_building/pdf/Capacity_building(Small_Cube_Sat).pdf

The second meeting will be held through video-conference on 23 August 2018.
If you are interested in joining, please contact the APRSAF Secretariat at secretariat@aprsaf.org.

- The SAFE Workshop was held at GISTDA-Space Krenovation Park (SKP) in Chon Buri, Thailand on 5 and 6 July, 2018
The workshop was co-organized by the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The status of one on-going prototype and two follow-up activities was reported, along with the final results of one prototype. Around 50 people from eight countries (Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) and three regional organizations, comprising the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), participated in this meeting.

3. News from the APRSAF Community

1) Australia establishes Australian Space Agency
On 1 July 2018, Michaelia Cash, the Minister for the Jobs and Innovation of Australia, announced the establishment of Australian Space Agency. Dr. Megan Clark AC, former Chief Executive of Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), was appointed as the interim head of the agency.
According to Cash, though its current share is only 0.8 % of the US$345 billion global space market, the government aims to grow the size of Australian space industry up to A$10 to 12 billion by 2030, about three times the present one. She expects that the new agency will contribute to realizing this goal. Clark stated that the agency would focus on the industrial aspects as the space segment in the world is shifting from government-led to commercial-led.

Reference:
http://minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/cash/media-releases/lift-australian-space-agency

2) Asteroid Explorer "Hayabusa 2" arrives at asteroid "Ryugu"
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed the arrival of asteroid explorer Hayabusa 2 at the targeted asteroid, Ryugu on June 27. Hayabusa 2 was launched in 2014 and will return to the Earth in 2020 after conducting a one-and-a-half-year observation at Ryugu. The mission of Hayabusa 2 includes samples returned from Ryugu to study the origin and evolution of the solar system.

Reference:
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2018/06/20180627_hayabusa2_j.html

3) UNISPACE+50 was successfully held
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) organized UNISPACE+50 to celebrate the 50th United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE). More than 400 delegates, including ministerial level representatives and heads of space agencies around the world participated in UNISPACE+50 to consider the future course of global space cooperation for the benefit of humankind and to discuss the role of COPUOS as a platform for promoting international cooperation.

Taking this opportunity, the signing ceremonies of agreements between UNOOSA and various space agencies were conducted, including the extension of UNOOSA-JAXA cooperative program of KiboCUBE.

Reference:
http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/pressrels/2018/unisos499.html
http://www.unoosa.org/documents/pdf/unispace/plus50/UNISPACE-Signing-Ceremonies-Donation-Events.pdf

4) Putin appoints Rogozin, former Deputy Prime Minister, as General Director of Roscosmos
On 24 May 2018, Russian President Putin appointed Dmitry Rogozin, former Deputy Prime Minister, as the General Director of the Roscosmos State Corporation. Rogozin succeeded Komarov who served this post since the initiation of Roscosmos.
Previously, from 1997 through 2007, Rogozin was the leader of a political party Rodina that had seats in the Russian State Duma, and then served as the ambassador to NATO from 2008 to 2011.

Reference:
http://en.roscosmos.ru/20730/
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/57539

5) Zhang Kejian assumes Administrator of China National Space Administration (CNSA)
On 24 May 2018, the State Council of China announced that Zhang Kejian, Deputy Director of the State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND), was appointed as the Administrator of the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
Simultaneously, he assumes the positions of the new Deputy Minister of the Industry and Informational Technology (MIIT), the Director of the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA), and the Director of the State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND).

Reference:
http://www.mohrss.gov.cn/SYrlzyhshbzb/sydqjdxs/SYguowuyuanrenmian/201805/t20180524_294496.html
http://www.sastind.gov.cn/n254046/n6115882/index.html

6) ISRO's capacity building program on small satellites for students from developing countries was unveiled in Vienna
At Vienna, Austria where UNISPACE+50 was held, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) unveiled a Capacity Building Program on Small Satellite Development for students from developing countries. Annadurai, Director of the UR Rao Satellite Centre, ISRO gave the detailed presentation.
This program will be implemented for three years with the support of the Ministry of External Affairs of India and UNOOSA, accepting 30 students from 15 countries annually. The training session will last 8 weeks including 2 weeks of basic satellite technology, 2 weeks of nanosatellite mission and 4 weeks of satellite assembly, integration, and test. Students will be divided into 3 teams to manufacture 3 nanosatellites.

Presentation Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSGfP2XInao&feature=youtu.be

7) China's Long March 2C rocket successfully launches two Pakistan satellites at a time
On July 9, 2018 (GMT), China successfully launched two Pakistan satellites, an optical earth observation satellite "Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite 1 (PRSS-1)" and a small technology demonstration satellite for earth observation "Pakistan Technology Evaluation Satellite (PAKTES-1A)" both onboard a Long March 2C rocket at the same time.

Reference:
http://www.cgwic.com/News/2018/0709.html
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/07/long-march-2c-satellites-pakistan/

4. Event Calendar

- International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC) 2018
(23 - 26 July 2018, The Marriott Marquis San Francisco, USA)
https://www.issconference.org/

- BIRDS-2 (Bhutan, the Philippines, and Malaysia) deployment from Kibo
(10 August 2018, TBD)
http://birds2.birds-project.com/about/

- Second APRSAF Innovative Small and Cube Satellite Joint Development Meeting
(23 August 2018, video-conference, please contact APRSAF Secretariat if interested)

- International Astronautical Congress (IAC) Bremen
(1 - 5 October 2018, The Exhibition and Conference Center, Bremen, Germany)
https://www.iac2018.org/

- Pacific Islands GIS and RS User Conference 2018
(26 - 30 November 2018, USP Japan ICT Auditorium, Suva, Fiji)
http://www.picgisrs.org/

- Galaxy Forum Hainan 2018
(4 - 7 December 2018, Hilton Wenchang on Hainan Island, China)
https://galaxyforum.org/galaxy-forum-china-2018-hainan/

* The article title "5) Bangladesh launches first satellite" in our previous News Mail No.160 was inaccurate and should be corrected as follows:
From: "5) Bangladesh launches first satellite" to "5) Bangladesh launches first `geo stationary` satellite"
We apologize for the confusion.

Copyright 2020 The APRSAF Secretariat

APRSAF News Mails are distributed to update readers on
recent developments in space-related activities in the Asia-Pacific region.
+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+