Thailand on mission to become 'hub' of Asia-Pacific space industry
Boosted by Swedish expertise and investment, Thailand has launched a mission to become the hub of Asia Pacific’s space industry.
On Wednesday, Thailand’s Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) hosted executives from the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and Sweden’s ambassador for talks on expanding cooperation in space technology development.
SSC established a satellite ground station at the GISTDA-run Space Krenovation Park in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) three years ago, becoming the largest foreign investor in Thailand’s space programme.
The Space Krenovation Park is part of Digital Park Thailand (EECd), a science and technology investment promotion area for local and foreign businesses.
Wednesday’s talks to step up cooperation demonstrated the confidence of the Swedish government and the SSC in Thai space policy, said GISTDA. They also showed the EEC’s potential to become a key base for expansion of high-tech businesses in the aerospace industry and services, creating a hub for the space industry in the region, it added.
This would help push Thailand into a global value chain in the field of space, said the agency.
The SSC provides space and satellite operations, rocket and balloon systems, launch services, aerospace engineering services and airborne maritime surveillance systems.
It created Smart-1, the first small satellite to use an electric propulsion system to reach lunar orbit.
The SSC is also using satellite data to boost sustainability around the globe. The company’s GlobalTrust subsidiary is using satellite data to help companies and organisations around the world check and verify their efforts towards sustainability and environmental/social responsibility.
