Report on Kibo Utilization Workshop in Thailand

Experiment at Kibo
Kibo Utilization Office for Asia (KUOA)

The Kibo Utilization Workshop was held in Bangkok, Thailand, from February 26th to 27th, 2025 with 54 participants, including online participants.

The purpose of the Kibo Utilization Workshop is to introduce and share information on space environment utilization, experiments, and activities conducted in Kibo to researchers and private companies in the host country. The workshop was also held with the hope that it would lead to new applications of the space environment.

This time, the event was held as a hybrid, with online and in-person participation in Bangkok, Thailand. The workshop featured presentations from space agencies, including the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) of Thailand, and the Thailand National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA). Additionally, researchers from universities and representatives from private companies gave lectures on topics such as educational activities and research aimed at future utilization of the space environment.

Information about this workshop and the facility tour on the next day can be found on the NSTDA homepage.

Figure 1: Participants who attended the Kibo Utilization Workshop in person (Image by NASTDA)

Education and Outreach

The session featured introductions to several space education programs in Thailand, in addition to the Kibo-ABC activities taking place in Japan and Thailand. The program which calls the School Satellite Competition allows students to learn everything from the design of small satellites to their actual assembly and testing. In addition, various programs were introduced, including CanSat Rocket Competition and Space Youth Challenge that utilize space-themed games. A discussion of the efforts of companies that are promoting space media in Thailand was included in the workshop.

Space Biology and Microgravity Research

During this session, researchers gave a progress report on the latest developments concerning the JAXA and GISTDA's collaborative Post Flight Rodent Tissue Sharing. The workshop also included presentations on the development of space food in Thailand and research into future space agriculture.

Opportunities in Space Industry

The session included presentations on how Japanese and Thai private companies are putting the space environment to work and their ideas for the future. Participants from Japan included DigitalBlast Inc. (DB), Japan Manned Space Systems Corp. (JAMSS), Mitsui Bussan Aerospace Co., Ltd. (MBA), and Space BD Inc., who shared information on current space environment utilization and their efforts towards the post-ISS. NB Space Co,. Ltd. from Thailand showcased their development and utilization of small satellites that have been successfully deployed.

Figure 2: Kibo Utilization Workshop Presentation Highlights (Image by NASTDA)

NSTDA Technical Tour

A visit to the NSTDA Thailand Science Park took place on February 27, 2025. The technical tour included presentations on the research carried out at the Science Park, as well as tours of the laboratory facilities and equipment. Researchers actively working on lithium battery development explained their plans to integrate these batteries into satellites, with the goal of future space utilization. Additionally, several educational programs for students hosted by NSTDA were introduced, reaffirming the wide range of student-focused initiatives available in Thailand.

Figure 3: NSTDA Technical Tour (Image by NASTDA)

Through the workshop and the facility tour, information was actively shared among Thai and Japanese space agencies, researchers, and companies. We hope that these activities will develop into new space cooperation including Kibo utilization.

Kibo

Experiment at Kibo

KUOA

Kibo Utilization Office for Asia

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