KNACKSAT-2 Reaches Orbit from the ISS, Marking a Milestone for Thailand’s Space Industry

The Thai space industry made history when the KNACKSAT-2 satellite, developed by King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB), was successfully released into orbit on 3 February from the International Space Station (ISS).

The satellite was developed by the university’s research team, primarily built by Thai engineers, with over 98% of its materials sourced locally. It is a 3U CubeSat (30x10x10 cm) designed as a Ride Sharing Platform, allowing satellite space to be shared with other payloads. The satellite can carry up to seven payload systems for various missions.

Each payload is a collaborative project between KMUTNB and seven other organizations, both domestic and international, aimed at providing access to space for organizations that need to use space resources more efficiently and effectively through shared resources.

The primary objective of the KNACKSAT-2 satellite is to use IoT satellite technology to enhance IoT networks in areas where installing traditional cellular network equipment is difficult, such as at sea, in mountainous regions, and agricultural areas with low population density. 

These areas still require IoT solutions for supporting national security, military operations, resource monitoring, and wildfire surveillance.

Additionally, the satellite can benefit industries such as fisheries, maritime transportation, and wide-area agriculture, where internet signal devices are challenging to install. 

KNACKSAT-2 provides a cost-effective solution for accessing vital data through various sensors, offering Thai businesses the opportunity to access these services at local prices rather than purchasing expensive foreign alternatives.

The satellite’s successful launch represents a significant milestone, offering a real-world case study for developing personnel who will play key roles in enhancing the country’s competitiveness in space technology.

In addition, the names of the members of the MVPJA EVO. II team from Montfort College, Chiang Mai, who won the Space Youth Challenge 2022 organized by the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT), were engraved on an aluminium plate that travelled into orbit along with the KNACKSAT-2. 

This serves as an inspiration for Thai youth to engage in space technology through youth-level space exploration project design competitions.

Behind the success of Thailand’s space industry

Behind the success of this mission, the Program Management Unit for Competitiveness (PMUC) played a role by providing research and development funding for an “IoT payload” — a communications transceiver for the satellite.

The support was provided through the project titled “Development of a space-based IoT device for in-orbit demonstration”, co-developed with Advance Wireless Network (AWN), a subsidiary of Advanced Info Service (AIS).

Ganda Boonsothonsatit, Director of PMUC, said the success of KNACKSAT-2 is an important milestone that demonstrates the capabilities of Thai researchers. PMUC’s contribution, she explained, was to help drive digital-platform technology, particularly the Internet of Things (IoT).

She said PMUC recognised a major national challenge: access to communications signals in remote areas. PMUC therefore approved funding for a research team from King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok to develop an IoT payload for real-world testing in space, using the KNACKSAT-2 satellite as the test platform.

“Through this support, we see an opportunity to create a clear business use case to expand the country’s digital-connectivity capabilities, using space as a sandbox to test the system and build flight heritage,” she said. 

“This will prove that Thai-developed IoT technology can operate in real conditions, leading to greater confidence for commercial deployment to close blind spots in terrestrial network coverage.”

The space-based IoT device project, co-funded by PMUC and AIS, focuses on developing an IoT payload to be installed on the satellite to serve as a gateway in space. It uses Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) technology on the satellite, which is known for low power consumption and long-range signal transmission.

The goal is to address connectivity challenges for IoT devices in areas beyond the reach of mobile towers — such as tracking the location of ships in the open ocean, monitoring weather conditions deep in forests, or supporting large-scale agricultural zones. Data would be sent back for processing via AIS’s ground station and cloud servers, helping to build critical national digital infrastructure.

Ganda also underlined PMUC’s research-funding direction. Under its digital-platform programme, PMUC prioritises research with commercial scalability — technology ready to move beyond the laboratory into real-world use or testing.

It also requires private-sector co-investment, as in this project where AIS provided 50% of the funding. This, she said, reflects genuine market demand and a clear pathway to utilisation. Projects must also deliver broad, high-impact outcomes: solving national-level challenges or strengthening Thai industry’s competitiveness, reducing reliance on foreign technology, and creating enabling infrastructure for new domestic ecosystems — such as industrial digital transformation.

“Today’s success is proof of what can be achieved through collaboration between researchers, the public sector and the private sector to unlock competitiveness and bring Thai research to real markets,” she said.

“This project is a strong example of PMUC’s success in creating a tangible business use case. Our partnership with AIS will support the expansion of IoT coverage across Thailand without the need to invest in base stations in high-risk or remote areas.”

“This will generate economic value and sustainably elevate the global competitiveness of Thailand’s digital industry — and we are ready to continue supporting high-potential projects like this to drive the Thai economy through genuine innovation,” Ganda concluded.

Thailand emerges as a rising player in the global space arena

Sompong Klaynongsruang, director of the Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI), said at a forum during Thailand Space Expo 2025 that the country is entering its fourth year of serious implementation of its space economy strategy.

He said the sector is expected to be a key game changer for national development, aligned with Thailand’s Second Science, Research and Innovation Strategy (2021–2027), which is nearing its final phase.

A concrete milestone is the Thailand Liquid Crystals in Space (TLC) experiment aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Led by Thai researchers from Kasetsart University in collaboration with NASA, the project examines how liquid crystals behave under microgravity.

The research could pave the way for next-generation LCD screens able to withstand space-level pressure and display a wider range of colours, underscoring Thailand’s potential contribution to cutting-edge global technology.

Pakorn Apaphant, director of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), said data from 2019 showed Thailand’s direct space-related industry was worth about 30 billion baht. 

When the wider economy linked to space applications is included, the value rises to roughly 500 billion baht — a 15-fold multiplier — supporting more than 530,000 jobs.

He said the figures suggest that while Thailand’s space industry remains modest in scale, its broader economic impact is significant. Building domestic expertise and skills in the sector is therefore essential, particularly as automation and robotics reshape traditional industries.

Looking ahead, Thailand plans to deploy 16 additional satellites over the next seven years. Feasibility studies are also under way for a national spaceport — a launch facility akin to an airport for rockets.

If realised, the project could anchor a new aerospace cluster, strengthening Thailand’s position within Southeast Asia’s emerging space supply chain.

Source: www.thailand.go.th