Southeast Asia's space race chases wins in tourism, communications

Thailand plans smart-farming as Vietnam eyes tourist spaceport

20230510N Starlink satellite launch

A SpaceX rocket carrying Starlink internet satellites launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Philippines has tapped the Starlink internet service to provide internet connections to residents on remote islands. © Getty Images

KOSUKE INOUE and YUICHI SHIGA, Nikkei staff writers

BANGKOK/LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia -- A new space race is heating up in Southeast Asia, with Thailand and Vietnam pursuing business opportunities in communications satellites and space tourism.

Thailand's Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) plans to launch an industrial satellite from India in August that it jointly developed with the U.K. The project marks the first time Thailand has played a central role in the development of a satellite.

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