THOUSANDS OF SATELLITES now orbit Earth – the first, Sputnik 1, was launched in 1957. Tens of thousands more are expected to begin orbiting in the coming years[1]. According to the 12th Malaysia Plan, Malaysia considers its aerospace industry[2] to be the key to hastening the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Ong Siou Woon, Chief Operating Officer of Penang Institute, spoke to Dato’ Dr. Sean Seah, Co-founder of Angkasa-X, a company investing in low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, on how Malaysia can progress in this area.
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OSW: According to your website, Angkasa-X is a “technology-social inclusion” company. What does this mean?
DSS: We created the term “technology-social inclusion” to denote that we aim to use the most advanced satellite technology to achieve social inclusion. We believe that satellite and space technology will improve the quality of life of those living in rural areas. Governments may want to develop rural parts but lack the means to orchestrate it. We know that the only way to improve the standard of living is through connectivity. By providing easier access to education or e-commerce using satellite technology, we can connect locations where the current hard-core cables have failed.
