2024 should be a remarkable year of achievements in the space industry. AI is benefiting the satellite industry by enhancing the on-orbit efficiency of platforms. Industry CollaborationNASA and the Space Development Agency (SDA) have played a vital role in nurturing a vibrant industrial base of collaborative commercial space companies in the United States. By looking beyond traditional large contractors to deliver technology rapidly, governments have helped transform the space industry. Strategic alliances will continue to develop and intensify in the space industry.

The PeninsulaPresident of the Presidential Council of Libya H E Dr. Mohamed Al Manfi with meeting Ambassador of Qatar to Libya H E Khalid Mohammed Al Dosari. During the meeting, the two sides discussed cooperation and ties between the two countries.

France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain ranked first with their passports that easily access 194 countries visa-free. One hundred ninety-nine passports were assessed, and countries’ passport positions ranged from first to 104th, with several nations tied in the same positions. Nigeria, together with Iran, Lebanon and Sudan, ranked 95th. Other African nations, including Ghana, which placed 76th; Benin Republic 79th, Togo 83rd, Nigér Republic 85th, all have better rankings than Nigeria. Last year, Nigeria ranked 180th of 199 nations and has consistently ranked lower in previous years.

LUNO A will replace the $60 million Economic Indicator Monitoring (EIM) contract awarded in August 2021. The original EIM contract was for $29 million and was expanded to $60 million due to strong demand for the unclassified analytics and services. “Because of the incredible success with the EIM contract, we’ve substantially increased our financial commitment to commercial capabilities with LUNO A,” Devin Brande, director of NGA Commercial Operations, said in a statement. Those areas are general change detection, climate security and natural resources, feature identification, infrastructure and high cadence transportation network monitoring, facility monitoring, incidental and fortuitous processing, and emerging products, data and services, NGA said. The current contractors that compete for task orders on the EIM contract are BAE Systems, Ball Aerospace, BlackSky Technology, Continental Mapping Consultants, and Royce Geospatial Consultants.

ABS (Agility Beyond Space) is now looking for a new CEO. In its latest full year results, the operator made the surprise announcement that CEO Amit Somani is leaving immediately for personal reasons. Somani was only appointed in September 2022, and gave his first interview in the role to Via Satellite in November last year. The company has undergone a huge amount of change recently and rebranded as Agility Beyond Space (ABS), moving away from its former name Asia Broadcast Services. In its financial results, ABS generated revenues of just under $69 million for the 12 months to the end of September.

Libya’s state National Oil Corporation (NOC) revealed today that Libya’s total exports of crude oil during 2023 exceeded 432 million barrels, or an average of 1.184 million barrels per day. These accrued over US$ 35.8 billion at an average price during the past year of US$ 83 per barrel.

Libya's Tripoli-based government plans to remove petrol subsidies, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah has said. He indicated that state petrol subsidies currently stand at 50 per cent, and are taking a toll on the nation's finances and exhausting its resources. However, cutting subsidies will heavily affect Libyans' petrol purchasing power, as the average public sector salary is $240, according to salary tracker Bdex. In response to the widespread anger regarding his decision, Mr Dbeibah repeated that the intention of his decision was to ensure subsidies benefit citizens, instead of smuggling networks. Mr Dbeibah also said smuggling to neighbouring countries had led to fuel shortages in Libya's border regions.

The European Union wants to send at least three warships to safeguard vessels in the Red Sea facing attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The attacks have forced ships, which travel up the Red Sea to the Suez Canal, to take long detours around the Horn of Africa. Over 2,000 diverted thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea, causing weeks of delays. Britain joined the United States in the attack against the Houthi targets as fighter jets from bases in the region and off the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower struck targets with precision-guided bombs. Thursday’s attack drew the United States more deeply into a conflict that ignited after Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, killing 1,200.

Recent protests with varying social and political demands have dealt a blow to Libya’s lifeline oil sector by halting production at one of the country’s largest fields and threatening to shut down key refineries and export terminals. The major disruptions and threats of further escalation are highlighting deep-rooted political divisions and raising concerns of a return to instability. They also undermine Libya’s ambitious 2mn b/d five-year target, with the country already struggling to maintain its current 1.2mn b/d capacity due to aging infrastructure, stalled development deals, and political divisions. (CONTINUED - 1466 WORDS)

SpaceX has made a move in the Asian broadband market as it looks to bring Starlink services and hardware to people across the world. It will partner with Malaysian satellite operator Measat in a deal that will see Measat sell Starlink hardware and services in markets that Measat serves. Measat will be an official authorized reseller of Starlink services and hardware, and the company believes this partnership will solidify its position as a one-stop provider for customers. Starlink will be able to benefit from Measat’s market presence and on-ground customer service and technical support, including a 24×7 help desk operated by in-country personnel and onsite support and maintenance. Measat’s customers benefit from end-to-end inclusive packages for last mile logistics and installation services, as well as repair and maintenance, and this will now extend to Starlink products offered by Measat.

People's rights are threatened everywhere, from wars to silence about abuses, rights group saysA leading human rights group says people's rights are being suppressed and threatened everywhere in the world, from wars to selective outrage about some abuses and silence about others

Just days after similar protests shut down the country’s largest oilfield, Sharara, new protests against corruption and distribution of oil wealth have erupted again in Libya, threatening to shut down two oil and gas facilities within 72 hours. There is scant reporting in Libya about the incident, with Energy Intelligence the first to report the incident, followed by Reuters on Thursday. Protester demands also include restrictions on Bengdara in the meantime to prevent him from concluding any further oil deals for the country, more job opportunities for youth near oil facilities, and stricter environmental controls. There is currently a legal case pending challenging the validity of the appointment of Bengdara as chairman of the NOC. In a Monday hearing, the Tripoli Court of Appeal said it would issue an urgent ruling on the matter on January 22, according to Libyan media reports.

Israeli satellite tech firm Gilat Satellite Networks debuted a new logo and brand identity on Thursday, which the company says emphasizes its commitment to the new space revolution. “In today’s space revolution, adapting to the changing needs and expectations of our partners is of paramount importance,” said Hagay Katz, chief product and marketing officer at Gilat. It includes integrated ground systems for commercial and defense, field services, network management software, and cybersecurity services. Its customers include satellite operators like SES, Intelsat, and Eutelsat; system integrators like Boeing and Airbus; and mobile network operators like T-Mobile, Telefonica, and Orange. Gilat has not released its full-year financial results for 2023, but its recent results forecast 2023 revenue between $265 million to $275 million.

Italian space logistics company D-Orbit raised $100 million euros ($110 million) in a Series C funding round announced Thursday. Japanese industrial conglomerate Marubeni Corporation led the round, solidifying a commercial collaboration between the companies on space logistics. D-Orbit has launched 13 ION orbital transfer missions, and its customers include Spire Global, AAC Clyde Space, and Alba Orbital. It propels us forward with unprecedented momentum, empowering us to expedite our vision and solidifying our commitment to revolutionize the space logistics industry,” commented D-Orbit CEO Luca Rossettini. Existing investors CDP Venture Capital Sgr, Seraphim Space Investment Trust, United Ventures, Indaco Venture Partners, Neva SGR Spa, and Primo Ventures participated as well.

Kuwaitis preparing for the friendly encounter. CAIRO, Jan 11: The Kuwaiti national soccer team is set to face the Libyan national team in a friendly match at Cairo International Stadium today at 6:00 pm as part of its training camp in Egypt. Kuwait conducted two training sessions in Cairo in preparation for the match against the Libya. In another development, the Libyan Al-Jamahir newspaper disclosed that “Kuwait covered the expenses of the Libyan national team in Egypt, causing discontent among many.”Meanwhile, Emilio Peixe, the Portuguese coach of the Kuwaiti Olympic team, has called up five players during the team’s training camp in Thailand. The summoned players include Saleh Al-Mahtab, Omar Al-Salim, Jarrah Al-Hilali (Kazima), Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi (Salmiya), and Talal Al-Hajraf (Jahra).