space Initiatives

 

Thailand set to be first country to join Chinese and US-led space initiatives


Thailand is poised to become the first country to take part in Chinese and US-led space exploration initiatives, despite the two powers being seen as rivals in a new space race.

After signing a memorandum of understanding with China in April to collaborate on the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), the Thai government has now approved a move to join the US-led Artemis Accords, according to The Nation, a Bangkok-based newspaper.
Joining the accords will give Thailand access to advanced technologies from member countries and enhance its ability to compete globally in the space economy, Thailand’s higher education, science, research and innovation minister Supamas Isarabhakdi said, according to the outlet.
John Sheldon, a partner at Dubai-based space services and investment company AzurX, said that by taking part in both the ILRS and the Artemis Accords, Thailand had proved that these initiatives “are not mutually exclusive”. “This is important for other countries that are already a part of either the Chinese or American initiatives, or are contemplating joining them for the first time,” he said. “It shows that they can be involved in both if their national interests align.”

Thailand’s space sector was relatively mature, with a focus on satellite communications and Earth observation, alongside a small but growing commercial space sector, said Sheldon, who also publishes the Middle East and Southeast Asia Space Monitor newsletters on Substack.

But now, with its involvement in both lunar initiatives, Thailand may shift its space priorities from mainly economic activities to increased scientific exploration. For example, a Thai instrument is set to launch aboard China’s Chang’e-7 mission in 2026 to measure solar storms and cosmic rays from lunar orbit.

Sheldon also noted that since neither China nor the US had restricted countries from joining both initiatives, Thailand’s announcement was unsurprising. A common misconception, he said, was that the Artemis Accords, a set of best practices for space exploration, and the Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the moon and eventually Mars, were one and the same.

“They are not,” he said. “Being a signatory to the Artemis Accords does not automatically mean that a country is also part of the Artemis programme. As a result, it’s possible for a country to be a part of the ILRS initiative and a signatory of the Artemis Accords without there being any contradiction or conflict of interest.” The ILRS seeks to establish a permanent human base at the moon’s south pole by the mid-2030s.

“What would be interesting is a country that seeks to be a part of both the ILRS and the Artemis programme,” Sheldon said. US officials often assert that China is welcome to sign the Artemis Accords, and China has also extended cooperation offers to the US, though US legislation – such as the Wolf Amendment passed in 2011 which bans Nasa from cooperating with China unless authorised – complicates such collaboration.

“My personal opinion is that once Chinese and American astronauts are on the moon, cooperation between the two countries will become an imperative as the sheer survival of everyone on the lunar surface will depend upon it,” he said.

The Artemis Accords have 47 signatories, with Thailand awaiting its official status. Artemis programme members include the US, Canada, the European Space Agency and Japan. Meanwhile, the ILRS has attracted more than a dozen state-level partners, as well as research institutions, universities and companies worldwide.

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