Nasa agrees to share space expertise and data with Thailand
US space agency Nasa is ready to assist Thailand’s space programme to help tackle climate change and natural disasters, a House committee said on Thursday.
The House panel on communications, telecommunications, and digital economy and society on Wednesday met with Nasa officials led by Karen St Germain, director of the Earth Science Division.
Parliament president Chuan Leekpai was also present to welcome US delegates, said committee vice chairman Col Settapong Malisuwan.
Nasa officials and Thai lawmakers discussed the SERVIR-Southeast Asia programme, a collaboration between USAID and Nasa to help Asean countries deal with climate change issues at the national and regional levels.
Settapong said the committee also proposed more collaboration with Nasa to boost Thailand’s space technology laboratory in the North; to establish a space port; utilise non-geostationary satellites for communication, climate operations, and natural disaster alerts; develop human resources in space-related fields; and to promote the local space industry.
Nasa agreed to help Thailand with space research and study, provide academic assistance and to allow Thailand to use its space-related data, Settapong said.
“We have set clear goals for Thailand’s space industry, but we need support from government and private sectors, as well as from an international agency like Nasa,” he added. “Space is no longer a distant issue for Thais.”
