CONNECT WITH US
Aug 13
Japan's H3 rocket launches Michibiki 7 into orbit
Japan's H3 rocket No. 9 lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at around 4:23 a.m. on August 11, successfully placing Michibiki 7, part of the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), into orbit. QZSS is often called Japan's GPS. The mission marked H3's first successful launch of a major operational satellite since its failed launch in late 2025.
Vietnamese aerospace startup VinSpace has signed a contract with SpaceX to launch its first satellites in 2027. Bloomberg reported that the payloads will fly on a SpaceX Transporter mission, a rideshare service that carries multiple customers on a single launch.
International tungsten prices have risen 666% year-on-year amid China's export controls, while the US Department of Commerce recently announced restrictions on exports of tungsten scrap and battery black mass. Tungsten is used across a broad range of strategic industries, including semiconductors, aerospace and defense.
Taiwanese aerospace manufacturer Aerospace Industrial Development (AIDC) stated that its AIxVNAV vision-based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation and positioning system has passed another test through a competition, following a successful live flight demonstration in May. AIDC, together with partner US spatial intelligence company Vantor Holdings, completed a 2-kilometer autonomous flight mission under GPS-denied test conditions at Taiwan's recent 2026 Presidential Cup Drone Competition.

Amid escalating geopolitical tensions, defense awareness is rising rapidly worldwide, with drone and counter-drone technologies becoming key areas of development for governments and defense industries. Taiwan is also continuing to upgrade technologies for radar detection, missile defense, and other military systems.

DIGITIMES expects SpaceX to further accelerate Starlink satellite deployments in 2027, expanding network capacity and supporting faster rollout of its direct-to-cell (D2C) services.
China's Long March 7A Y18 rocket exploded in mid-air shortly after launching from Wenchang, Hainan, on the evening of August 10, with its ChinaSat-4B satellite payload believed to have been completely lost. Chinese authorities later confirmed that the mission had failed because of an in-flight anomaly but have yet to disclose the cause, leaving uncertainty over whether the incident stemmed from a system malfunction or the activation of the flight termination system.

Foxconn is extending decades of expertise in electronics manufacturing, system integration, and assembly, integration and testing (AIT) into the space industry. Through its Pearl satellite missions, the Foxconn Research Institute (FRI) is collecting first-hand data on communications links, orbital operations, and the space environment while giving group-developed hardware an opportunity to establish flight heritage.

Demand for low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications continues to expand, supporting growth at satellite communications component supplier Universal Microwave Technology (UMT).
South Korean solar polysilicon supplier OCI Holdings is capitalizing on its increasingly scarce position as a non-China supplier, benefiting not only from growing solar demand from US AI data centers but also from a supply partnership with SpaceX that is extending its reach from terrestrial solar projects into space applications.

In the US Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) latest processing round for Ku-, Ka- and V-band spectrum, established and emerging satellite operators alike are seeking to enter the non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) market. But as giants including SpaceX and Amazon continue to expand, the barriers facing latecomers seeking a foothold in satellite broadband are rising rapidly.

Demand for non-China drone supply chains is clear in Europe and the US, while calls to reduce reliance on Chinese suppliers have recently emerged even in Southeast Asian countries friendly to China. The opportunity comes as Taiwan's drone exports have posted explosive growth for two consecutive years, underscoring the competitiveness of Taiwanese drones in international markets.