The SSTL board of directors is currently led by Jonathan Hung as its current executive chairman, and includes an advisory council composed of representatives of stakeholders in the Singapore Aerospace industry.[5]
SSTL is Singapore’s administrator for the utilization of the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) on the International Space Station (ISS) for education and technical development. JEM, also known as Kibo (the Japanese word for "hope") is the Japanese science module of the ISS and the largest ISS module. The Japan Experiment Module (JEM) serves as a hub for experiments spanning scientific, medical, and educational domains. This includes experiments performed by Japanese astronauts, in-orbit trials of emerging technologies within the conditions of space, and the deployment of CubeSats along with other diminutive satellites.
Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF)[edit]
SSTL co-organizes the regional rotational APRSAF conference with JAXA whenever Singapore plays host to the annual conference. It co-organized the 18th and 25th edition of APRSAF in 2011 and 2018 respectively.[8][9]
Global Space and Technology Conference (GSTC)[edit]
SSTL organizes the Global Space and Technology Conference (GSTC) annually in February.[10] The GSTC is the Asia's premier space and technology event[citation needed], facilitating trade and regional collaboration for space and satellite businesses.
Speakers and Moderators for previous GSTCs have included:
SSTL works in collaboration with the National Trade Union Council (NTUC) Employment and Employability Institute to organise space exposure talks to bring the space industry to the general public.[12]
Each year, SSTL organizes the International Space Challenge (ISC)[13] – a global space design contest, invites student teams to apply space technology creatively to solve practical challenges on Earth. The initiative, known as the STL, seeks to build an interest in space technology and its earthly applications among the youth. It also seeks to discover future commercial products.
Initially launched as the Singapore Space Challenge (SSC) in 2007, the contest has since expanded and rebranded to the International Space Challenge (ISC) in 2021. The challenge encourages young people to work in teams to address problems devised in collaboration with industry experts. The 2021 edition witnessed the participation of over 2000 young individuals and attracted attention from more than 20 countries globally[citation needed].
SSTL co-ordinates Singaporean submissions for the Asian Try-Zero G Challenge sent to JAXA. In 2016, a Singaporean mission idea was successfully selected and the experiment was performed aboard the International Space Station.[14]
Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Challenge[edit]
Across the world, countries have recognized the need of utilizing remote sensing satellite technologies as a critical tool in real-time disaster management. SSTL launched the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) challenge[15] to invoice companies, start-ups, research groups or students and identify solutions to problems of coordination and technology usage within the context of HADR.
Current and previous participating organizations have included World Bank, GISTDA, and National University of Singapore.
In 2020, SSTL began a space-based accelerator programme[16] in Singapore to support space tech startups in the sector. The accelerator programme is supported by Enterprise Singapore (ESG). Through the programme, SSTL works with local and international startups of varying maturity levels from pre-seed up to Series B, who are working on space hardware products and services. It currently has over 30 international and local startups in its program[citation needed].
SSTL, in conjunction with Cap Vista, have developed a specialised track called Project Cyclotron,[17] which supports early-stage high-risk space hardware startups that are developing deep[clarification needed] technologies.
