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NTU unveils three space projects under national space program
NTU Singapore is launching three space projects under the Singapore Space Access Programme (SAP), part of the national Space Technology Development Programme (STDP), to accelerate local space technology commercialization.
One project features a 3U nanosatellite built by Satoro Space with onboard AI for data processing and tests lightweight perovskite solar cells developed by NTU and startup Singfilm.
A second project uses a 16U nanosatellite weighing up to 30 kg, with a MUSIC engine propulsion system from NTU spin-off Aliena and an atomic oxygen detector from NTU Temasek Laboratories studying corrosive effects in space.
The third project will validate LEOCAM, an optical imaging payload with a unique triple-mirror design by LightHaus Photonics, on the International Space Station.
These projects will run for three years starting this year and reflect a shift toward smaller, faster, and more agile satellites.
NTU’s expertise in AI and space tech positions it to lead onboard data processing and support Singapore’s growing space ecosystem.
🔗 Source: Nanyang Technological University
🧠 Food for thought
Implications, context, and why it matters.
Singapore backs space technology with targeted grants
- The projects fall under the Singapore Space Access Programme (SAP), a government initiative within the Space Technology Development Programme (STDP) that helps teams test technologies in orbit to earn “Space Heritage” 1.
- In 2024, the Office for Space Technology & Industry (OSTIn) secured an additional S$60 million under STDP to push technological innovation 1.
- One early milestone came from the NTU spin-off Aliena, which says its propulsion system reached space in January 2022 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 mission 2.
- Outside public funding, Aliena has raised US$11.7 million over four rounds, according to CB Insights (a market intelligence and venture funding database) 3.
A blueprint for a space economy without running a launch program
- These efforts outline how non-spacefaring nations can build space businesses without paying for expensive, heavy-lift launch capabilities 4.
- Public money goes toward proving higher-value parts such as Aliena’s engines, optical imaging payloads, and nanosatellite subsystems, with the goal of growing a network of specialist suppliers for the global satellite market 1.
- The plan channels national strengths in AI, robotics, materials science and life sciences into space uses, which can spin up new commercial ventures from existing expertise 1.
- Satellite data can also support work on Earth, including urban planning and environmental monitoring 5.
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