New Hope For Malaysia’s Space Industry

Norilmi Amilia Ismail, Founder at SpaceIn, NGO Malaysia Space Initiative, tells my.iT how better connectivity can help improve the lives of Malaysians in far o , remote areas and those in the region. The new space economy will see more private industries involved in the upstream sector and working closely with universities in terms of human capital and R&D.

my.iT: Please tell me about MiSI and SpaceIn – how it started and its goals.

Norilmi: MiSI was founded by ve young space enthusiasts in 2017 looking for a platform to gather all space enthusiasts to push forward the space agenda. We met at an international conference and were introduced to each other. We realised there was no signi cant space programme by the Government after the launch of RazakSat in 2009.

We formed MiSI a year after meeting each other. I was its rst President. Our mission, was for Malaysians to learn more about space; to promote entrepreneurship in the space industry; to promote understanding of issues concerning the space industry; and to promote collaboration between government, industry and academia to advance the space industry.

Meanwhile, as a lecturer, I found that my students didn’t have the opportunity to work in the space industry. The industry is small and few private Malaysian companies are involved in space activities. With USM’s blessings and seed funding, I created SpaceIn in 2020. SpaceIn aims to spearhead space exploration activities in Malaysia. We believe in the liberty of space discovery through low cost and commercially accessible technologies. SpaceIn is focusing on developing a PocketQube satellite weighing less than 1kg for IoT application. We also provide High Altitude Balloon Service for space photography and near-space experiment. In order to make space accessible to everyone, we provide space education to the younger generation through CanSat Kit for Education (CaKeD).

my.iT: What sparked your interest in space?

Norilmi: I challenged myself to take on Aerospace engineering in my undergraduate days despite knowing that the eld was new for Malaysia at that time. I was the third batch who graduated from USM. I worked in the automobile industry for two years and then decided to move back to the space eld by furthering my studies in Space Mission Analysis and Design. It was then that I fell in love with space. I met many people in the space industry and found similarities between myself and them.

my.iT: What has MiSI and SpaceIn achieved thus far?

Norilmi: MiSI is a good platform for space enthusiasts. In our rst year, we were recognised by Malaysia Space Agency. We organised Space Entrepreneurship Symposium and got involved in the start-up festival to introduce space entrepreneurship. We also successfully organised the Malaysia-Singapore space summit in 2018 to foster collaboration in space organisations between the two countries. Within a year Malaysia’s USM and UPM were working with Singapore’s NTU in near-space programmes. MiSI also hosted a series of webinars during the pandemics and attracted many space enthusiasts in Malaysia to participate. I can say proudly, MiSI has now become a signi cant platform for academia, industry and government to sit together to plan, discuss and have space activities together.

SpaceIn, meanwhile, managed to create revenues and hired fresh local talents to get involved in Pocketqube projects and space education. We have been selected to be part of the Singapore Space and Technology Ltd (SSTL) Space Accelerator Program. SSTL works with local and international start-ups of varying maturity levels from pre-seed up to Series B working on hardware products and services through the programme.

My.iT: What do you think about the Angkasa-X project?

Norilmi: The Angkasa-X project gives new hope to the space industry in Malaysia. All ASEAN nations stand to bene t from this project. It provides the solution for the connectivity problem in ASEAN and should be fully supported.

My.iT: How will it improve the lives of Malaysians?

Norilmi: The project will improve the lives of Malaysian as connectivity is a necessity. We live in a digital era but sadly, some places in Malaysia do not bene t from it due to the lack of infrastructure for internet connectivity. By having satellite broadband internet connectivity, people in remote areas can be served with better connectivity for their educational activities and get involved in the gig economy.

My.iT: In this decade how do you see Malaysia’s space story developing?

Norilmi: Malaysia is following the trend of the new space economy. We will see more private industries involved in the upstream sector and working closely with universities in terms of human capital and R&D. Malaysia will have a clear direction set by the Government. Malaysian will see that this space industry will provide more jobs and contributes to Malaysia GDP.

my.iT: What could prove to be a hurdle for this growth?

Norilmi: Lack of political will can be a hurdle for growth. Even though the involvement of private sectors now shapes the industry, less government support can jeopardise the space program. The Government as a regulator shall protect their interest but at the same time should not implement regulations that will be a burden on the private sector. It should be a win-win situation for both parties.

my.iT: What should we do to accelerate this growth?

Norilmi: All the stakeholders in the industry should collaborate to accelerate the growth. The Government must have a clear direction to drive the space programme in Malaysia.

my.iT: How can the commercial/ private sector play a stronger role in developing space technology?

Norilmi: The new space economy opens more opportunities for space exploration. Before this, funding for space exploration was limited, and what we had came from the Government. Hence the space project was less risky. In contrast, with the various funding resources utilised by private players, we can explore high-risk and high return projects. At the same time, we can also contribute to innovation in SpaceTech by working together with academia conducting R&D.

my.iT: How will Malaysia’s space activities provide socio-economic value for the country?

Norilmi: The daily life of almost every individual now depends on satellite applications such as navigation, the use of credit cards and weather updates. These satellite applications can develop a good business model for private industries. The business will generate income, create more jobs, solve any related problem, and provide socio-economic value. For example, satellite applications such as IoT and remote sensing images can help the agriculture, and oil and gas industries increase their productivity.