APRSAF was established in 1993 to promote space utilization in the Asia-Pacific region.

The SE4AWG focuses on providing space education opportunities for all ages, including higher education.

Panelists at the plenary session on the fourth day included Prof. Steven Freeland, astronauts Takuyo Onishi and Koichi Wakata, JICA's Atsuyuki Yamanaka, and Dr. Reinabelle C. Reyes from the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA).

The 31st Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-31) was held in Cebu, Philippines from November 18 to 21, 2025.

Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. visited the APRSAF venue, inspecting plenary sessions and satellite-related exhibition booths.

Cebu Island experienced a major earthquake in September and was hit by a large typhoon in November, leading to many individuals still living in evacuation situations.

The annual theme of APRSAF-31 was 'Empowering the Region through Space Ecosystems in Action,' addressing common issues such as disaster response and climate change in the Asia-Pacific region.

In September 2025, ArianeGroup announced that the 28-meter tall demonstrator had been moved to the launch pad for combined test campaigns.

ESA has not reported progress towards the initial low-altitude flight of Themis since the transfer to the launch pad.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is waiting for spring to launch a test of its reusable rocket demonstrator Themis in Sweden.

The additional funding will support an improved version of the single-engine demonstrator called T1E for medium-altitude jump tests.

ESA aims to conduct the first test of Themis in the first quarter of 2026.

In June 2025, ArianeGroup transported the first Themis demonstrator from its facilities in Les Mureaux to the Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden.

ESA began work on the Themis project in 2019 to develop reusable rocket technology for future European launch systems.

On January 8, Toni Tolker-Nielsen, acting director of ESA's Space Transportation program, stated that weather has been a determining factor for the initial flight test of Themis.

The test phase for T3 will include higher altitude jump tests and will significantly expand the flight envelope of the vehicle.

Following tests in Kiruna, tests are expected to begin for a more powerful three-engine variant of the demonstrator known as T3 at the Guiana Space Center.

In November 2024, ESA granted ArianeGroup an additional 230 million euros to expand the scope of tests at Esrange Space Center.

The first and second stages of the Long March 8A have a diameter of 3.35 meters, the boosters have a diameter of 2.25 meters, and the fairing's diameter is either 4.2 or 5.2 meters.

The GuoWang constellation includes two satellite variants, with larger ones launched on vehicles like the Long March 5B and smaller ones on the Long March 12 or Long March 6A.

The Long March 8A was carrying the eighteenth group of GuoWang satellites, deploying nine from its second stage.

The GuoWang constellation was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, which has launched over 600 spacecraft since 1970.

The Long March 8A can carry 3,500 kilograms to geostationary transfer orbit.

China Satellite Network Group plans to provide worldwide internet services, with a focus on China for the time being.

The core of the Long March 8A is 50.5 meters tall and weighs 371,000 kilograms when fully fueled.

The Long March 8A is projected to conduct a higher density of missions in 2026, with a potential of up to fifteen more flights this year.

The trapezoidal-shaped satellites of the GuoWang constellation feature two solar panels and use an electric propulsion system due to their operational altitudes above 1,000 kilometers.

The Long March 8A lifted off at 23:25 pm China Standard Time on January 13th from Commercial Launch Pad 1 at the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site.

The Long March 8A mission took place eighteen days after the previous launch, facilitated by optimized launch preparations.

The Long March 8A's first stage is powered by two YF-100 engines, producing a total thrust of 490 tons at liftoff.

By the 2030s, up to 13,000 GuoWang satellites could be operational.

After the latest launch, 145 GuoWang satellites are in orbit and moving to their operational orbits.

The Long March 8A has a payload capacity of 9,800 kilograms to low Earth orbit.

China plans to deploy 310 satellites this year, followed by 900 in 2027, and 3,600 annually starting in 2028 to expand the GuoWang constellation.

The GuoWang constellation is operated by China Satellite Network Group, a state-owned enterprise backed by the Chinese government.

The second stage of the Long March 8A is equipped with two YF-75DA engines that produce 20 tons of thrust.

The Long March 8A is launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site and the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site in Hainan province.

The January 13th launch was the 7th launch of the Long March 8A vehicle and the 625th launch in the Long March series.

The Long March 8A utilizes a two-and-a-half-stage design and is fueled by rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen in the first stage, along with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in the second stage.

The Long March 8A can carry 7,000 kilograms to a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit and 6,800 kilograms to a 900-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit.

The Long March 8A was on the launch pad for five days prior to the mission, compared to ten days previously for testing and preparations.

HyMS is designed to capture detailed internal views of the Earth’s atmosphere, measuring atmospheric variables including temperature, humidity, and precipitation.

HyMS is one of nine Spire payloads launched on the SpaceX Twilight mission.

The HyMS satellite is designed to advance global weather forecasting from space.

The launch of Myriota's satellites enhances the company's global space infrastructure and IoT connectivity for smart devices worldwide.

Microwave sounding is one of the most impactful satellite observations for weather forecasting models worldwide.

A Hyperspectral Microwave Sounder satellite demonstrator was launched for Spire Global on the SpaceX Twilight rideshare mission.

Spire Global launched eight satellites for Myriota on the same mission, expanding Myriota's IoT network.

Since 2021, Myriota has scaled its IoT connectivity platform by deploying its network software on Spire satellites.

The expansion of Myriota's constellation improves performance and resilience across its IoT network.