Space
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Global Commons
Indo-Pacific nations advance space traffic management amid growing orbital risks
Mandeep Singh As the Indo-Pacific experiences a surge in space activity, governments and institutions are accelerating efforts to enhance space situational awareness (SSA) to mitigate orbital congestion, manage debris and protect vital satellite infrastructure. Regional cooperation — driven by strategic imperatives and practical necessities — is emerging as a critical element of space traffic management, even in the absence of…
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Contemplations
First wooden satellite, developed in Japan, deploys to space
Story and Photos by REUTERS The world’s first wooden satellite, built by Japanese researchers, was launched into space in November 2024 to test using timber in lunar and Mars exploration. LignoSat, developed by Kyoto University and homebuilder Sumitomo Forestry, was flown to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX mission and released into orbit about 400 kilometers above Earth. Named…
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Global Commons
USSPACECOM commander: Space weapons key to maintaining deterrence
Sentry Staff The commander of the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) says space weapons are crucial to maintaining deterrence and stability, as strategic competitors develop their own capabilities. “Our opponents, most notably China, have accelerated the terrestrial and on-orbit space weapons, expanded their space-enabled kill chains, and are moving at breathtaking speed,” Gen. Stephen Whiting said during the April 2025…
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Global Commons
Japan boosts defense satellite investments to strengthen space resilience, communications
Felix Kim Japan’s space posture is getting a major boost with a tenfold funding increase over five years for new defense satellites and related initiatives. The push includes plans for the country’s most advanced and resilient communications satellite and capabilities to counter anti-satellite threats. The November 2024 launch of the Kirameki 3 satellite, which enhanced secure, high-speed and high-capacity communications…
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Global Commons
Japan-U.S. space initiative focused on national security
U.S. Space Systems Command A United States space domain awareness payload hosted on Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite 6 successfully launched on a Japanese H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center in early February 2025. It is the first Japan-U.S. space initiative focused on national security, and the first of two launches as part of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System…
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Across The Region
South Korea Plans Mars Landing In 2045 As It Launches Space Agency
South Korea plans to make a Mars landing by 2045 and will spend $72.6 billion on space exploration over the next two decades, then-President Yoon Suk Yeol said at the launch of the country’s first space agency in mid-2024. The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) will lead the country’s “space economy,” with hundreds of businesses and enterprises working to catapult South…
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Global Commons
Satellite docking advances India’s space technology goals
The Associated Press India docked two satellites in space in mid-January 2025 to become the fourth nation in the world to achieve the mission, marking a milestone in New Delhi’s ambitious space technology expansion. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) maneuvered the satellites, each weighing 220 kilograms, during a precision space docking experiment, known as SpaDeX, the agency said. It…
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Global Commons
Indonesia and Thailand expand defense ties, focus on space, cyber, joint exercises
Gusty Da Costa Indonesian and Thai Air Forces are enhancing their defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, focusing on space and cyber defense, joint exercises, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR). During a recent visit to Thailand, Indonesian Air Force Chief of Staff Air Marshal Tonny Harjono met with Royal Thai Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Punpakdee Pattanakul to…
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Features
Cobra Gold 2024
FORUM Staff Cobra Gold 2024 took multilateral cooperation to new heights with 30 nations engaging in or observing key training activities ranging from land, maritime and air drills to space and cyber exercises, humanitarian efforts and cultural exchanges. “We have expanded the scope of military operations to address the full spectrum of threats across all domains,” Gen. Songwit Noonpackdee, defense…
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Features
Advancing Space Partnerships
Lt. Stephen Schroeder/U.S. Navy, U.S. Space Command Joint Integrated Space Team Pacific The United States and its Allies and Partners are at the forefront of an emerging era of opportunity. Space’s critical role in the global commons has gained considerable attention in recent years, and the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) guidance has never been clearer: “Space is now a…
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