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Editorial
Hong Kong need not wait to help Chinese space ambitions take off
As a leading hub for finance and law, the city has the ‘right stuff’ to be proactive in drawing up solid action plans for the space economy
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Editorials represent the views of the South China Morning Post on the issues of the day.
The global space industry has rapidly evolved from the days when nations raced to the heavens in a quest for glory. Now space is a venue for competition to forge the world’s technological future. Hong Kong must follow these developments with solid planning if it hopes to tap into the opportunities of China’s “NewSpace” ambitions.
NewSpace is an emerging industry where private firms are involved with satellite manufacturing, launch services, space law, tourism and other ventures concentrated in low Earth orbit. Next-generation 6G communications is but one example.
Last month, a Chinese company announced a breakthrough in satellite-to-ground laser links that could pave the way for faster broadband worldwide through a satellite network that would rival Elon Musk’s US-based Starlink.
Sceptics might ask if financial hub Hong Kong has a role in such pursuits, but the city is already home to universities developing critical mission tools and to at least one payload specialist being trained for China’s national space missions.
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