Debated in Parliament on 6 Mar 2024.
Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what contributions will Singapore make to the Artemis Accords' space exploration programme and whether there are any particular (i) technologies (ii) expertise or (iii) resources that Singapore aims to provide; (b) whether there are any specific projects or missions within the Artemis programme that Singapore is interested in and is committed to contribute; and (c) how will involvement in these projects align with Singapore's capabilities and interests in space technology.
Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how will the Government involve local industries and research institutions in its participation in the Artemis Accords' space exploration projects; (b) whether there are any initiatives or programmes currently in place to foster collaboration between the Government, academia and private sector; and (c) what economic opportunities does the Government anticipate from Singapore's participation in the Artemis Accords and space exploration.
Singapore signed the Artemis Accords on 28 March 2022. The Accords are non-binding commitments to promote the peaceful and sustainable use of space for all humankind. As a signatory, Singapore hopes to cooperate more closely with like-minded partners to shape the international conversation on space norms and foster collaborations with companies, officials and researchers between Singapore and the United States (US), as well as other signatories to the Accords. For example, Singapore and the US convened the first bilateral Space Dialogue on 10 October 2023 to strengthen bilateral cooperation in a range of areas, such as the use of satellites for earth observation and space-related use cases in the maritime and aviation domains. We also jointly organised an industry roundtable to discuss business opportunities for our companies in these areas.
We are committed to helping our companies seize the opportunities in space. For example, the Office for Space Technology & Industry's Space Technology Development Programme brings the Government, local companies, Institutes of Higher Learning and research institutions together to build technical capabilities, translate research into commercially viable solutions and nurture competitive companies.
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