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Wednesday 3 December 2025
As Starlink satellites multiply, scientists warn of mounting risks to Earth and space

In recent years, the global space industry has entered an unprecedented period of acceleration, driven in large part by the rapid expansion of low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellations. Chief among them is SpaceX's Starlink network, which is swiftly reshaping the world's communications infrastructure.

Tuesday 2 December 2025
Taiwan's space sector gains momentum with milestone missions
A series of recent mission successes has drawn global attention to the fast-growing space sector across Asia. South Korea's homegrown Nuri rocket completed another smooth launch, Taiwan's private aerospace startup TiSPACE carried out a successful test flight in Australia, and the first satellite of Taiwan's government-led Formosat-8 program has entered its planned orbit.
Tuesday 2 December 2025
Taiwan PCB makers ride LEO satellite boom
The race to claim a stake in the space economy is accelerating. As nations around the world ramp up plans for low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, roughly 70,000 satellites are expected to launch within the next five years. LEO systems promise to solve persistent gaps in connectivity—from remote communities and ocean routes to aviation corridors and disaster zones—while competition for limited orbital slots has drawn intense interest from governments and commercial operators alike.
Tuesday 2 December 2025
Google CEO maps out quantum future and space data center plan

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has dismissed concerns that the company's rapid expansion of its proprietary artificial intelligence infrastructure threatens Nvidia's market dominance. He argued that global demand for AI compute is growing fast enough for multiple chipmakers to prosper.

Monday 1 December 2025
Taiwan weighs long-term space strategy as scientists push for greater role

The Taiwan Space Union (TSU) recently convened a Satellite Science Workshop, where participants noted that the high cost of space research and development has led to a shift in government space policy toward mission-driven goals, leaving limited room for science-led initiatives. Taiwan's updated Phase III 2.0 national space program, they said, is now anchored even more tightly to two priorities: national security and industrial development.

Monday 1 December 2025
Taiwan’s AIDC turns to thermoplastic composites to meet aviation demand

The Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) of Taiwan says the global aerospace sector is facing twin pressures: robust market demand and the push toward net-zero carbon emissions. These forces are driving two key priorities: high-speed production and structural lightweighting—trends that are boosting the prospects for thermoplastic composites. Meanwhile, the rise of eVTOL aircraft and drones is accelerating the adoption of these advanced materials.

Monday 1 December 2025
Beijing’s new frontier for AI computing is 800 kilometers above Earth

As global demand for AI computing power surges, conventional ground-based data centers are increasingly constrained by limits in energy supply and cooling capacity.

Monday 1 December 2025
Rapidtek's Black Kite-1 CubeSat joins Taiwan's FORMOSAT-8A in successful orbit launch

Taiwan successfully launched its first FORMOSAT-8A (FS-8A) satellite, nicknamed the "Zeppelin," on November 29, accompanied by five domestically developed CubeSats that also entered orbit. The CubeSats include Bellbird-1, Black Kite-1, and TORO-2, created through the Taiwan Space Agency (TSA)'s NewSpace accelerator program by Tron Future Tech, Rapidtek Technologies, and Pyras Technology, as well as Lilium-2 and Lilium-3, jointly developed by NCKU, NTU, NTUST, and TKU, with support from the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).

Monday 1 December 2025
Taiwan puts Formosat-8A in orbit, opening a new chapter in its space ambitions

SpaceX's Transporter-15 rocket carried the satellite, code-named FORMOSAT-8A (FS-8A), at 2:44 a.m. Taipei time on Nov. 29 and was deployed into its planned orbit at 5:04 a.m.

Friday 28 November 2025
Amazon rebrands Kuiper as 'Amazon Leo' and begins satellite network trials
Amazon has accelerated its push into satellite communications, launching a preview program for enterprise customers as it rebrands its long-delayed Project Kuiper network under a new name: Amazon Leo. The move underscores the company's shift from years of planning to actual deployment, as it races to narrow the gap with SpaceX's Starlink in the fast-growing market for low-Earth-orbit (LEO) connectivity.
Thursday 27 November 2025
Honda's reusable rocket test signals Japan's entry into the space race

Honda, long known for its automobiles and motorcycles, is steadily extending its engineering ambitions beyond Earth's surface. Nearly a decade after the HondaJet entered commercial production in 2015, the Japanese manufacturer has marked another aerospace milestone: the successful launch and landing of a reusable micro-rocket in Hokkaido on June 17, 2025.

Thursday 27 November 2025
South Korea's late-night Nuri launch marks leap toward commercial space sector
South Korea successfully launched its domestically developed Nuri rocket for the third time early Thursday morning, sending a multi-mission satellite into low Earth orbit and marking a major step toward cultivating a commercial space industry. The launch, Korea's first conducted late at night, was timed to minimize solar interference for the mission's main payload, the Compact Advanced Satellite 500-3, which will study auroras and atmospheric light.
Thursday 27 November 2025
Taiwan's FORMOSAT-8A satellite launch delayed again, rescheduled for November 29
Taiwan Space Agency announced a second postponement in the launch of its first domestically produced optical remote sensing satellite, FORMOSAT-8A (FS-8A). The satellite was initially set to launch aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 Transporter 15 mission at 2:18 a.m. Taiwan time on November 27.
Wednesday 26 November 2025
Taiwan to launch first satellite in FORMOSAT-8 constellation aboard SpaceX Falcon 9
Taiwan's first domestically built satellite constellation, FORMOSAT-8, is set to take a major step forward this week. The inaugural satellite in the series, FORMOSAT-8A (FS-8A), is scheduled to lift off at 2:18 a.m. Taiwan time on November 27, 2025.
Wednesday 26 November 2025
Japan sets new strategic tech priorities, tightens cyber rules for chip plants
Japan is preparing to designate artificial intelligence, nuclear fusion, space, and other advanced sectors as "national strategic technologies," while moving to require stricter cybersecurity protections at semiconductor plants that receive government subsidies, according to reports from Nikkei and financial news outlet Minkabu. The dual initiatives highlight Tokyo's push to strengthen technological competitiveness and reduce supply chain risks amid intensifying global competition.
Tuesday 25 November 2025
Taiwan expands list of core national technologies to strengthen trade secret protection
The Taiwanese government has expanded its list of core national technologies from 32 to 42 items to enhance the protection of trade secrets and prevent unlawful infringements. The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) coordinated efforts among various ministries, industry associations, and academic experts to update the list in accordance with the National Security Act.
Tuesday 25 November 2025
SpaceX Starship booster suffers structural failure during Texas ground test
SpaceX's latest prototype of its Starship rocket system suffered a structural failure during a ground test in South Texas, the company confirmed, marking a setback for the program as it prepares for its next launch attempt.
Sunday 23 November 2025
Taiwan launches homegrown satellite constellation to replace aging defense comms
After several postponements, Taiwan's first domestically assembled optical remote-sensing satellite of the Formosat-8 program—nicknamed the Zeppelin Satellite (FS-8A)—is now scheduled for launch at 2:18 a.m. Taiwan time on November 27, 2025.
Saturday 22 November 2025
South Korea's KT Sat calls for a national sovereign network amid megaconstellation dominance
As control of the low-Earth-orbit satellite market consolidates among a small number of global operators, KT Group's satellite arm, KT Sat, has issued a warning that South Korea must develop an autonomous "sovereign network" and secure influence in future standard-setting.
Wednesday 19 November 2025
Jeff Bezos returns to frontline leadership with AI startup Project Prometheus
Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, has reentered corporate leadership as co-CEO of a new artificial intelligence (AI) startup named Project Prometheus, alongside former Google X scientist Vik Bajaj. The company is reportedly focusing on applying AI to aerospace, automotive engineering, and manufacturing sectors.
Tuesday 18 November 2025
Vingroup founder sets sights on the skies with aerospace startup VinSpace

Vietnam's richest man and founder of Vingroup, Pham Nhat Vuong, is pushing his business empire into its most ambitious frontier yet: aerospace. The billionaire founder has established a new company, VinSpace, marking the conglomerate's formal entry into aviation and space technology, an expansion that underscores how Vingroup is steadily evolving beyond its roots in real estate and EV.

Tuesday 18 November 2025
Taiwan applies chip-making prowess to satellite manufacturing, eyes global space supply chain
As the global space race intensifies, Taiwan's ambitions in orbit are evolving rapidly. What began as an industry focused primarily on supplying components is now advancing toward full satellite system design and integration. The Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) has been central to this shift. Over more than three decades, the agency has progressed from purchasing foreign-built satellites to absorbing external technologies and, eventually, to designing spacecraft independently—an effort to translate Taiwan's strengths in semiconductors and ICT into an entry point to the global space supply chain. Its latest mission, Formosat-8, stands as a pivotal test of that strategy.
Monday 17 November 2025
Weekly news roundup: Musk advances US chip-fab plans; SpaceX shifts industry economics; memory shortages continue into 2026
These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories in the week of November 10 to November 16, 2025.
Monday 17 November 2025
Research insight: NTN emerges as a disruptive force in the 6G era
With the advent of 5G-Advanced (5.5G) in 2024, the journey toward 6G is swiftly approaching. Non-terrestrial networks (NTN) have become a key transformative force in the future of communications. By expanding network coverage from terrestrial to aerial and space domains, NTN not only paves the way for "ubiquitous connectivity," a central objective of 6G, but also signifies a crucial milestone in the convergence of the telecommunications and aerospace sectors.
Monday 17 November 2025
Research insight: SpaceX rivals differentiate through cloud integration and direct-to-device services in LEO satellite market
SpaceX continues to dominate the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications market, but other US companies are advancing with distinct strategies aimed at capturing emerging opportunities in the rapidly evolving space connectivity sector.