32nd Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-32)

About APRSAF-32

APRSAF-32 is a four-day regional forum for organisations developing and using space capability across Asia and the Pacific. It runs from 27 to 30 October in Bangkok. Plenary and Space Industry Connect activities take place at ICONSIAM, while working groups meet at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Riverside Hotel. Thailand’s GISTDA co-organises the meeting with Japan’s MEXT and JAXA.

The 2026 theme is “Bridging the Asia-Pacific: Advancing a Trusted and Inclusive Space Future”. The format combines agency-level plenaries with sustained working groups on satellite applications, capability, education, space frontiers, policy and law, space science and technology, and industry. Initiatives such as Sentinel Asia, SAFE, Kibo-ABC and the National Space Legislation Initiative give the forum practical continuity between annual meetings. Space Industry Connect provides a distinct commercial route, while exhibitions, side events, posters and tours broaden professional exchange. This structure makes APRSAF more than a general conference: participants contribute to regional programmes, policy discussions and capacity-building relationships that continue after Bangkok. Registration and access vary by activity, so delegates should follow the official instructions for their working group or side event.

Event history and organisers

The Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum was established in 1993 after a regional space-agency conference held the previous year. It has since met annually in different Asia-Pacific countries, connecting agencies, ministries, international organisations, universities and industry. Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and JAXA provide continuing secretariat and co-organising support, while a host-country institution joins for each edition. GISTDA is the Thai co-organiser for APRSAF-32. The forum adopted the Nagoya Vision in 2018 to guide regional cooperation toward 2030, giving its working groups a shared long-term frame. APRSAF-31 in 2025 preceded the Bangkok meeting, but its participants and outcomes should not be presented as the 2026 programme. APRSAF-32 uses two neighbouring riverside venues for different formats, so neither venue is the organiser. The series’ value lies in continuity: working groups and initiatives develop activity between annual meetings rather than restarting each year.

Topics and themes

APRSAF organises regional cooperation through working groups with defined remits. The Bangkok meeting connects long-term initiatives with new agency priorities and commercial participation. APRSAF connects these themes with evidence, delivery choices and the needs of its professional community. APRSAF connects these themes with evidence, delivery choices and the needs of its professional community.

• Societal applications: Earth observation and satellite data support disaster response, agriculture, environmental monitoring and other public priorities across the region.
• Capability development: agencies and technical organisations share approaches to missions, infrastructure, workforce and access to space.
• Education: school, university and Kibo-related activities help countries widen participation and build future technical capability.
• Policy and law: national legislation, governance, responsible activity and international coordination are discussed through a regional perspective.
• Industry connection: Space Industry Connect links public programmes with companies, startups, investment and cross-border commercial partnerships.

Who should attend?

APRSAF-32 is primarily for space agencies, government ministries and public programme teams from Asia-Pacific countries. International organisations and development bodies can connect regional initiatives with wider technical or policy support. Scientists, engineers and university researchers participate through working groups aligned with applications, science, technology and capability. Companies, startups and investors should focus on Space Industry Connect and relevant exhibition routes rather than assume every agency session is commercial. Educators and outreach specialists have a dedicated space-education community, while legal and policy professionals can contribute to governance work. New participants should identify the appropriate working group before registering because the forum is distributed across several formats and venues. General visitors should not assume open access to all plenaries, side events, tours or institutional discussions without confirmation.

Practical information

APRSAF-32 uses ICONSIAM for plenary and industry activity and the Royal Orchid Sheraton for working groups. Both venues are on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya riverfront.

Confirm registration, venue assignment, side-event eligibility, technical-tour access and the current daily programme. International delegates should also check Thai entry requirements and local transfers. Confirm current access instructions and local travel arrangements before departure for APRSAF.