IMAGING

Regulatory framework to support direct-to-device satellite services in China

China has released comprehensive regulations for direct-to-device satellite services, laying the foundation for domestic growth of the emerging sector. Seven government departments issued a notice April 30 entitled “Regulations on the Management of Terminal Equipment Directly Connected to Satellite Services,” establishing the legal and technical groundwork for satellite connectivity aligned with national objectives.

The move takes place amid growing international competition and follows earlier developments in the U.S., with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last March approving the world’s first direct to-smartphone regulatory framework.

China’s new rules appear to refer more broadly to terminal equipment directly connected to satellites. This includes not only smartphones but also Internet of Things (IoT) modules, vehicle terminals and other connected devices. The notice was jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Ministry of Public Security, and relevant administrations for cybersecurity, radio, film and television, customs, and market regulations. spacenews.com

KASA seeks revision of plan to make next-gen rockets reusable

South Korea’s aerospace agency has formally requested a government review to revise the development plan for its next generation space launch vehicle, aiming to shift toward a reusable rocket system.

According to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), the agency submitted a request to the finance ministry for a feasibility reassessment of the project revision. It announced in February that it plans to modify its next generation space rocket into a reusable system and acquire such technology by 2035. www.deshsewak.org

Japanese private lunar lander enters moon orbit

A private lunar lander from Japan is now circling the moon, with just another month to go before it attempts a touchdown. SpaceX launched Resilience with U.S based Firefly Aerospace’s lunar lander in January. Firefly got there first in March, becoming the first private outfit to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon without crashing or falling over. Another American company, Intuitive Machines, landed a spacecraft on the moon a few days later, but it ended up sideways in a crater. www.nbcnews.com

Forest monitoring satellite Biomass successfully launched

The Airbus built forest monitoring satellite Biomass has been successfully launched into orbit. A European Space Agency (ESA) flagship mission, Biomass will use its revolutionary P-band synthetic aperture radar instrument to measure forest biomass to assess terrestrial carbon stocks and fluxes to enable scientists to better understand the carbon cycle and its effects on climate change. www.airbus.com

UP42 and Maxar partnership

UP42 has partnered with Maxar to make Maxar’s very high-resolution satellite imagery and tasking products available in the UP42 platform. Its customers can now directly task Maxar’s very high-resolution constellation, including its WorldView Legion satellites. www.up42.com

UAE and Egypt new MoU

In a milestone development for Arab space collaboration, the UAE Space Agency and the Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA) signed a wide-ranging Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the 2025 NewSpace Africa Conference in Cairo. The MoU outlines strategic areas of cooperation, including:
• Knowledge Exchange: Sharing expertise in space legislation, regulatory frameworks, and institutional best practices
• Capacity Building: Developing skilled professionals through joint training programs, academic collaboration, and talent exchange
• Technology & Innovation: Partnering on satellite development, Earth observation missions, and emerging space technologies

spaceinafrica.com

Gilat expands its ESA Antenna Portfolio

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. has completed a series of test flights featuring its ESR-2030Ku electronically steered antenna (ESA). Conducted in collaboration with Gogo, which will be the exclusive distributor of the antenna for the business aviation and defense markets, the tests demonstrated outstanding performance of the ESA on the OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) network. www.gilat.com

UAE Space Agency partners with TII

The UAE Space Agency and the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) has signed an agreement to design and develop the EMA Lander which will be aboard the MBR Explorer, and will be deployed to study the 7th asteroid Justitia, as part of the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA). TII will lead the design, development and testing phases of the lander, as well as providing opportunities for startups’ participation in the development of the project, in line with the mission’s commitment of allocating 50% of the project to UAE based companies, as it aims to create substantial economic opportunities, spur Emirati startups, and attract international partnerships.

The mission spans 13 years, with a six year spacecraft development phase followed by a seven-year voyage to the main asteroid belt beyond Mars. The “MBR Explorer” spacecraft will conduct a series of close flybys of seven asteroids, gathering invaluable, unprecedented data during these encounters, and will f inally deploy the lander on the seventh asteroid “Justitia”. space.gov.ae