Thai roadmap for space tech development

[akampa]

To go where no man has gone has gone before !

[carlpipe]

Oh dear, I really don't know where to start with that article!

[DoctorD]

Developing a space program does not necessarily include launch capabilities. It's not that far-fetched to suggest that Thailand could build and operate its own communications satellites within, say, a 5 year time frame. The technology in this area has become commoditized; it doesn't have to be developed from scratch, and costs have dropped dramatically.

GISTDA has a lot of money and expertise. Thailand had the first satellite receiving station in southeast Asia (early eighties) and continues to be at the forefront of earth monitoring from space in the region.

That being said, I always worry about Thai government "roadmaps", which often seem to be an excuse for real work.

[alant]

Rice powered rockets

[bangkokheat]

i cant understand why you people are so negative towards a thailand nasa, <deleted> i mean they have been building rockets and some do actually go vertical, but of course thru development stages your gonna blow <deleted> up, and people etc

[inzman]

Nuclear power, submarines, and now a Thailand NASA. You gotta give them credit for thinking big. Or at least big, I really don't think they have evolved to the thinking part yet. This is truly a case of misplaced priorities. But with all the graft that will be involved they have that priority right.

[MilesofSmiles]

Why not just pay one of the many countries or private groups capable of launching satellites into orbit to do it ?

This is ridiculous.

1. Talk about going into space

2. Imagine launch vehicles into existance via press conferences and photo ops

3. ??????

4. Spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace!

[ChoakMyDee]

No way.

[simon43]

The knowledge currently available in Thailand isn't even enough to build a small airplane.

Although Thailand has some in-house knowledge in satcomms technology, there is no way that they can do this without international co-operation and foreign experts.

And there is the problem ==> Thainess

When I relocated to Thailand 12 years ago, after a 15 year-career as a designer in the satcomms industry, I applied for a senior position with the Thai Space Research Programme. I was summarily turned down because I was not Thai....

Edited December 25, 2014 by simon43

[anon022]

It's a long way off from becoming a second NASA, but if you have paid attention, some Thai auto manufacturers are surging ahead In terms of innovative technology, This in itself is quite a surprising development. However, Space technology is a different story. The best candidates would have to come from Bang Fai Valley, where rocket technology has been in development since long before NASA even considered a Moon landing.

[emilymat]

The Next Altogether Stupid Article.

[rickirs]

"We need to build the technology on our own to move us up to the same league as foreign countries in the field ..."

You mean like Thailand buying Chinese technology and hardware for the dual high speed rail system? Might as well buy Chinese satellite technology as well and pay the Chinese to launch it. Then you don't have to wait ten years.

[jesimps]

Space programs requires sophisticated knowledge and resources, more over millions are dollars are involved. And they have to start with missile programs, and launch pads, etc. It is achievable in 25-30 years for sure if delicately working. But Thailand should not enter in this industry for fancy name and it is not tourist attraction anyway. Definitely migrant labors will not help in this matter, except manually skills are required.

At the moment every satellite operated in Thailand is fully owned by Thaksin company which is Thaicom. That's why Thai's are paying Baht 3/call while rest of the world is paying less than 1 baht. First experiment they should start with is, build a powerful communication satellite(For Telephones and Internet) and launch through foreign space agencies, and control from Thailand and sell the bandwidth to all telecom companies in Thailand and use the revenue to invest in space research.

At the moment most of the telecom revenue goes to Thaksin's family pockets, because Thaicom is monopoly in Thailand. That's how Farangs are paying B.1500/month for watch less than 5 worth English channels, and rest of Thailand is paying Baht.3 per minute calls.

And still they are debating about 3G/4G revenue sharing etc, because Thaicom is controls everything here. I doubt the big revenue making companies and politicians will allow Thailand to research on space programs.

Just when I thought that there was nothing else Thaksin could be accused of someone comes out and blames him for holding back the space program!

[Strangebrew]

Well good plan hope it turns out better than the paratroop thing, Does that mean There will soon be a soi cowboy on the moon?

[monkeycountry]

I feel sorry for the pilot on the first Thai spaceship :-)

[konying]

If pilots would be as efficient and effective as most staff in most businesses I am certain spacecraft will enter another universe and when they do bump into aliens not only they will address them by "farang " but most likely start negotiations by opening line "up to you"

[monkeycountry]

Space programs requires sophisticated knowledge and resources, more over millions are dollars are involved. And they have to start with missile programs, and launch pads, etc. It is achievable in 25-30 years for sure if delicately working. But Thailand should not enter in this industry for fancy name and it is not tourist attraction anyway. Definitely migrant labors will not help in this matter, except manually skills are required.

At the moment every satellite operated in Thailand is fully owned by Thaksin company which is Thaicom. That's why Thai's are paying Baht 3/call while rest of the world is paying less than 1 baht. First experiment they should start with is, build a powerful communication satellite(For Telephones and Internet) and launch through foreign space agencies, and control from Thailand and sell the bandwidth to all telecom companies in Thailand and use the revenue to invest in space research.

At the moment most of the telecom revenue goes to Thaksin's family pockets, because Thaicom is monopoly in Thailand. That's how Farangs are paying B.1500/month for watch less than 5 worth English channels, and rest of Thailand is paying Baht.3 per minute calls.

And still they are debating about 3G/4G revenue sharing etc, because Thaicom is controls everything here. I doubt the big revenue making companies and politicians will allow Thailand to research on space programs.

Have you checked out the ownership lately? The main shareholder of Thaicom is Intouch (41%), which is controlled by the investment arm of the Singaporean government, both directly and through a couple of holding companies. Thaksin's family may still have a tiny share in Thaicom, I would not know, but they have absolutely no control of it.

http://www.set.or.th/set/companyholder.do?symbol=THCOM&language=en&country=US

[bangon04]

Oh dear, I really don't know where to start with that article!

Maybe start here:

"If the project gets off the ground,"

Another day, another announcement to enhance Thai credibility on the world stage...

4G ready yet?

[DLock]

I think what happens is that Government Ministers are just trying to outdo each other and get congratulations and praise.

One says he will bring the F1 to Thailand. Gets press, praise and congratulations.

Next says he will bring Tour De France to Thailand. Press, praise and congratulations.

Vaccine for HIV and Ebola. Done.

What option did he have left but to say Thailand will have a space program?

You know he is sitting back in Parliament with a huge shit eating grin saying "beat me now m***********s".

It's just a game. No basis in reality.

[DM07]

Makes total sense to me: they live in their own Universe, anyways!

So why not visit Planet Earth sometimes!

[davehowden]

Phase 1:

Design and produce a plug that does not constantly fall out of the power socket.

Phase 2

Investigate and provide a detailed report on what uses can be found for the third pin hole in some sockets.

Phase 3

Design and build sockets that do not have an inbuilt buzzing sound.

[cmsally]

"Thailand's Nasa"

NO please....... too many funny stories today I havent stop laughing since 6am

Talk about Freudian slip, I was speed reading and read it as "Thailand's Nessy"

Whoops!

[crobe]

Just to put people clear on this - from someone who actually knows.

The reference to NASA is to have an integrated organisation to manage the space program - at the present time there are three organisations - GISTDA the largest is under the Ministry of Science and Technology and came out of the GIS and mapping area so concentrates mostly on Earth Observations but is now getting into Navigation and Science, the Space Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of ICT is the one that regulates Thaicom, and the military have a department called DIST (department of intelligence and Space Technology).

Putting these three together into a civil/military structure like NASA is the idea.

Most people do not know that Thailand has already its own satellite (Thaichote or THEOS-1) in orbit for monitoring the earth (not Thaicom), but this is now over 6 years old and needs replacing

It was built by Astrium (now Airbus) of France who are one of the international companies at the space center in Sri Racha. Other international companies are migrating there and there may be shortly an announcement of one of the major US Aerospace companies moving in - the challenge is to get the partnerships working so that this international expertise can be transferred to Thailand with new projects.

As to not allowing people to work there because they are not Thai - I know of a least one falang who is working there at the moment.

Thailand will never replicate NASA, or ESA, or the Chinese space program, because t does not have the budget to do so, but it can, like many other emerging nations make a contribution.

The Indians recently built a Mars probe for around $29m, Dubai is launching a Mars program, I am not saying that Thailand should try to put a Thai on the moon or go to mars, but they could participate in some interesting programs.

The value of such a program is not so much in the spacecraft built, but in the encouragement of students to go into science, software, higher technology careers otherwise it will be surpassed, not just by Singapore, but by Indonesia, Malaysia and even Vietnam who are all investing in space programs to drive their technology standards upwards.

[emilymat]

Phase 1:

Design and produce a plug that does not constantly fall out of the power socket.

Phase 2

Investigate and provide a detailed report on what uses can be found for the third pin hole in some sockets.

Phase 3

Design and build sockets that do not have an inbuilt buzzing sound.

and light switches the right way round.