A regional meeting point for the space sector
Thailand Space Expo 2026 was held from 28 to 31 October 2026 at ICONSIAM, Bangkok. It was organised by the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) under Thailand's Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. Opened by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the expo ran alongside the exhibition of the 32nd Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-32). It brought together space agencies, companies, universities and investors from across the region.
Building connections for the launch port
During the expo, Air Vice Marshal Kotakadeniya met representatives of leading universities and space companies from Japan and Korea. He introduced the Lanka Space Nexus vision and explored potential avenues for technical collaboration, research partnerships and investment.
Learning from the global space community
The expo's conference programme covered the space economy, rocket technology and spaceports, with speakers from NASA, the European Space Agency, JAXA and Rocket Lab. These sessions offered valuable insight into how emerging launch sites are planned, regulated and financed. That knowledge is directly relevant to developing a commercial launch port on Sri Lanka's southern coast.
What comes next
The connections made in Bangkok will help shape the next phase of the project. Lanka Space Nexus continues to build the international partnerships, investment and technology collaboration needed to establish Sri Lanka as a strategic gateway to the global space economy.
