Singapore to launch National Space Agency on 1 April to boost space economy

Singapore is set to formally establish the National Space Agency of Singapore (NSAS) on 1 April, marking a strategic shift to consolidate its space capabilities and capture a larger slice of the global space economy.

The announcement was made by Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science and Technology, Dr. Tan See Leng, on 2 February during the opening of the inaugural Space Summit 2026. The new agency will be overseen by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and will take over and expand the functions of the Office for Space Technology and Industry (OSTIn), which has been operating under the Economic Development Board (EDB) since 2013.

The move comes as the global space sector is projected to increase from $630 billion in 2023 to $1.8 trillion by 2035.  While Singapore does not focus on human space flight or launch services, it has other strengths valuable to the sector - Dr. Tan emphasised that Singapore’s existing strengths in advanced manufacturing, AI, and microelectronics make it an ideal launchpad for space services in the Asia-Pacific.  A key feature of the new agency will be a multi-agency operations centre. This centre will support government agencies with “satellite tasking”, requesting specific imagery for urban planning, maritime security, and disaster relief and advanced geospatial data analytics.

The government has already committed over $200 million since 2022 to space R&D through the Space Technology Development Programme, and the launch of the NSAS signals Singapore’s intent to transition from a participant in the space sector to a regional leader. The move should hopefully facilitate stronger international partnerships and attract further investment to the sector. 

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