SINGAPORE: Singapore will set up a national space agency in April, Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science and Technology Tan See Leng announced on Monday (Feb 2).
The National Space Agency of Singapore (NSAS) will provide decisive leadership for Singapore to seize opportunities in the expanding space economy and the new possibilities posed by democratised access to outer space, he said at the inaugural Space Summit.
“For Singapore, our journey in space technology dates back over 50 years,” said Dr Tan, who is also manpower minister.
The NSAS will allow Singapore to “unlock the full potential of space technology applications for Singapore’s national and regional needs”, while keeping its assets safe in an increasingly congested space environment, he added.
SATELLITES AND LEGISLATION The government currently co-owns three Earth observation satellites with ST Engineering.
“We will establish a multi-agency operations centre that will support government agencies with satellite tasking and bespoke geospatial data analytics,” he said.
This could benefit areas such as port operations, urban planning, environment monitoring and food security, he said.
“Looking ahead, Singapore will explore further developing our constellation of satellites to meet national needs as well as use cases across the Equatorial Belt – as our geographical location positions us to do more in this region,” said Dr Tan.
In an increasingly congested space domain, Singapore will also ensure the safety of its space assets by progressively building up and operating space situational awareness capabilities, he said.
Mockups of earth observation satellites on display at the ST Engineering booth at the Space Summit 2026 at the Marina Bay Expo and Convention Centre, on Feb 2, 2026.(Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon) The NSAS will also develop legislation and regulation for the space sector, aimed at being pro-innovation and pro-business, while meeting high standards for space safety and space sustainability, said Dr Tan.
Guidelines for Singapore-related space activities were first established in 2024, covering the registration of space objects and ensuring space safety and sustainability.
“Building on this foundation, the agency will engage our space ecosystem on plans for national space legislation,” he said.
The NSAS will expand on the work of the Office for Space Technology and Industry (OSTIn) under the Economic Development Board, which since 2013 has been leading efforts to build up Singapore’s space technology sector.
Moving forward, Singapore will invest in emerging areas, such as climate and sustainability technologies, particularly satellite remote sensing for carbon monitoring; space sustainability technologies, including space situational awareness and approaches to debris remediation; and microgravity research in space to advance human health sciences..
