The Maltese Government has started talks with SpaceX as part of its consultation for the Malta Space Act which shall be published next year.
Parliamentary Secretary Keith Azzopardi Tanti, who is responsible for Malta’s Space Policy, initiated these discussions during a meeting which took place at the SpaceX Headquarters in California, US. The Parliamentary Secretary was accompanied by University of Malta Professor Joseph Borg, who has coordinated the recent Maleth programme, consisting of the first Maltese experiments in space.
SpaceX is a leading spaceflight company that has reached a series of milestones, including the reusability of rocket technology sent to Low-Earth orbit and back. It is also the first private company to take humans to and from the International Space Station.
During this meeting several topics were discussed, including Malta being a collaborator in enhancing satellite-based, international data connectivity. Discussions also touched on the possibility of Malta utilising Starlink to provide internet connectivity in order to further strengthen and diversify the services provided.
“I believe that our country’s geographical position, crop of varied world-class FDI and respected academia, provides Malta with a solid proposition in approaching specific niches within the space industry. This meeting served not only as a thorough consultation exercise towards establishing the country’s first Space Act but also as an opportunity to strengthen our strategic relationship with SpaceX with an intent to further widen Malta’s connectivity options,” stated Parliamentary Secretary Azzopardi Tanti.
The Maltese delegation also included entrepreneurs Gordon Grech and Justin Fenech from Spaceomix, who were directly involved in both missions under the Maleth programme, and Anthony David Gatt from Malta Enterprise, the government’s economic development and investment promotion arm.