TOKYO — Japan and Singapore on July 6 signed a landmark agreement to deepen cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space, marking the first bilateral deal for Singapore’s newly formed National Space Agency (NSAS) and expanding collaboration on technologies such as quantum satellite communications.
The agency-level pact with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was among a series of accords signed at SPACETIDE 2026, Japan’s leading space industry conference, that linked industry groups, private firms and academia. Officials said the arrangements will enable closer information exchange, joint projects and business ties that elevate the two countries’ space cooperation.
NSAS chief Ngiam Le Na described the agreement as a launch pad for accelerated collaboration, citing existing partnerships between Singapore startups and Japanese companies. She highlighted quantum communications trials conducted by Singapore firm SpeQtral and Japanese operator SKY Perfect JSAT as an early example of joint work to secure satellite-based links against emerging cyber threats.
SpeQtral founder Lim Chune Yang said quantum signals delivered via satellite are vital because terrestrial channels are increasingly vulnerable to cracking by powerful computers. He noted Singapore’s institutional support for basic “blue skies” research and said the NSAS formation demonstrates the city-state’s long-term commitment to the sector. The NSAS was established on April 1 under the Ministry of Trade and Industry to advance national space ambitions and contribute to the global ecosystem.
JAXA president Hiroshi Yamakawa said Japan and Singapore already have a history of cooperation, including prior satellite launches, space education initiatives and regional disaster-monitoring frameworks. Under the new agreement, Singapore becomes the third international partner to join JAXA’s Co-funded Business Promotion Framework after Britain and France, opening avenues for co-funded commercial projects.
Officials emphasized complementary strengths: Japan’s decades of aerospace experience and Singapore’s role as a financial, innovation and regional market hub. NSAS deputy chief executive Jonathan Hung said Singapore companies offer niche components and enabling technologies while accessing broader Southeast Asian markets, bolstered by the republic’s political stability, talent pipeline and venture ecosystem.
The July 6 signings trace back to a bilateral summit in Tokyo in March, where Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong marked 60 years of diplomatic ties and pledged space cooperation as a strategic pillar. Japan has also identified space as a strategic growth sector, with a government road map planning about 14 trillion yen in public-private investment by 2040.
Other partnerships announced at the conference included an industry tie-up between the Association of Aerospace Industries (Singapore) and the Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies to deepen corporate links across aerospace and unmanned systems. Singapore startups and universities also moved to strengthen technological ties: wireless laser firm Transcelestial partnered with Japanese inter-satellite startup Warpspace, and Nanyang Technological University signed with cloud firm Fusic to develop AI systems to manage large satellite constellations.
Researchers say AI automation is crucial as the orbital population soars, active satellites could rise from roughly 14,000 today to as many as 100,000 by 2030, creating a demand for automated fleet management. NTU’s Satellite Research Centre (SaRC), which has designed and operated 13 satellites since Singapore’s first home-grown launch in 2011, will contribute mission data to train those systems.
SaRC executive director Lim Wee Seng said space appeals to imagination and is increasingly drawing younger talent, while Singapore sharpens its focus on satellites and related technologies to benefit from Japan’s mature ecosystem.