For decades, Asia’s ambitions in outer space were closely associated with scientific discovery, technological prestige and national symbolism. Space programmes were designed to demonstrate engineering capability, economic modernisation and geopolitical influence.Today, outer space is undergoing a deeper transformation. It is no longer viewed merely as a frontier for exploration; increasingly, it is seen as a strategic domain tied to sovereignty, economic security and geopolitical competition.The rapid expansion of the “NewSpace” economy reflects this shift. Commercial satellite systems, low Earth orbit communications networks, Earth observation technologies and private launch industries are growing rapidly across Asia as governments invest heavily in orbital…