Report on the Space Frontier Working Group (SFWG) at the 30th Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF)

Experiment at Kibo
Kibo Utilization Office for Asia (KUOA)

The 30th Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-30) was held in Perth, Australia, from November 25 to 29, 2024. The Kibo-ABC Workshop was held on Monday, November 25, the Space Frontier Working Group meetings on Tuesday, November 26 and Wednesday, November 27, and the Plenary Meeting on Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29, with 560 participants from 36 countries/region.

Click the link below for more information on APRSAF-30

Space Frontier Working Group

The Space Frontier Working Group (SFWG) was held on November 26 and 27, chaired by Dr. Alessandra Monerris Belda, Director, Space Science and Innovation Division, Australian Space Agency (ASA), and Dr. SHIRAKAWA Masaki, Director, Space Environment Utilization Centre, JAXA. Including online participants, 82 people from 37 organizations in 15 countries/region participated in the meeting.

The SFWG discusses opportunities to utilize the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo for future space exploration and space science experiments, as well as the possible utilization of space environment and further development of space activities in the Asia-Pacific region.
This year also saw presentations from many organizations on the Kibo-ABC programs for STEM education, the use of Kibo inside and outside, and international space exploration. JAXA Astronaut FURUKAWA Satoshi, who oversaw the 4th Kibo-RPC and conducted Asian Try Zero-G 2023 on orbits part of the Kibo-ABC program, also participated as a special guest, delivering a presentation accompanied by in-orbit footage.

Figure 2: JAXA astronaut FURUKAWA Satoshi's Mission Report

Reports on space science and technology activities were presented from 10 countries and a region (Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and UAE). The reports covered the launch, operation, and utilization of small satellites, plans for future space exploration, space-related conferences, events, and activities using Kibo, as reported by each country and region.

Kibo Onboard Activity Session

The Australian Space Agency reported on the Kibo Utilization Workshop held on December 5, 2023, in Sydney, Australia. The Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) experiment and Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF) were presented by JAXA. It was noted that ELF is being utilized by researchers and private companies in various countries, including Turkey and the United States.

Kibo Exposed Facility Activity Session

The session featured presentation on KiboCUBE, a collaboration between UNOOSA and JAXA, and J-CUBE, an initiative by UNISEC and JAXA, both serving as CubeSat deployment frameworks using JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD). As recent examples, updates were provided on the CubeSat development of the Binar-2, 3, and 4 by Curtin University in Australia and their release from Kibo using the J-SSOD. In addition, JAXA introduced applications for the Kibo's Exposed Facility.

Use of the ISS as a Technology Demonstration Site for Lunar and Mars Exploration Session

Reports were presented by JAXA and Thai researchers on the health support during space missions, focusing on the effects of different gravity environments on the human body obtained from rodent research mission on the ground and in space. New projects on space agriculture targeting Lunar and Mars discussed during the Kibo-ABC workshop were also introduced.
Furthermore, the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) provided an update on the development of a lunar rover and lander payload for lunar exploration. A workshop designed for students was presented by the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) Advisory Committee for the Next Generation in Space (SGAC) Philippines. Lastly, the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) introduced the demonstration of a multi-resolution scanner using NASA’s Astrobee robot.

International Space Exploration Session

Representatives from JAXA, the International Space Exploration Cooperative Group (ISECG), the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA), the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) of Thailand, and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) introduced their respective initiatives. The latest version of ISECG's Global Exploration Roadmap was introduced to Asian countries and region, along with updates on international exploration activities. A round table discussion was held on the role of the Asia-Pacific in international space exploration, which led to lively discussions and a meaningful exchange of perspectives among participants.

Results of the SFWG were reported at the plenary session of APRSAF-30 in the following documents:

SFWG Summary ReportPDF

SFWG meeting Information

Date and Time	November 26 and 27, 2024 9:00 to 16:00 (Australian Western Standard Time, UTC+8)
Agenda	SFWG Agenda
Number of participating countries/region	15 countries/region, 37 organizations
Number of participants	82 participants (including online participants)

Kibo

Experiment at Kibo

KUOA

Kibo Utilization Office for Asia

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