KUALA LUMPUR: The National Remote Sensing Satellite Development Programme (PSPJN) satellite is expected to commence operations in early 2028, later than the originally planned start date of 2026.
Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang said the slight delay was due to none of the companies that submitted proposals in response to the Request for Proposal (RFP) which opened in 2019 meeting all the mandatory technical requirements.
"Given the development and launch period of three years, the PSPJN satellite is expected to commence operations in the fourth year, with operations anticipated to begin no later than early 2028.
"The RFP for the PSPJN was opened in 2022, despite being approved in 2019. However, by the RFP closing date in 2022, four bidding companies had submitted proposals.
"But unfortunately, none of the companies met all the mandatory technical requirements. The Cabinet agreed to reopen the tender on Jan 31 this year, this is the reason for the slight delay," he told the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to Datuk Ahmad Amzad Mohamed @ Hashim (Kuala Terengganu-PN), who asked whether the ministry will use a public-private partnership model for the PSPJN without special allocation in the national budget.
Last year, Chang said the government agreed to approve the proposal for the PSPJN direction, with several improvements made to ensure a higher success rate for the programme.
He said these improvements aim to broaden the programme's impact on economic growth and strengthen the country's position as a regional leader in space technology.
Once operational, he said, the satellite will generate off-take payments that will be made periodically based on the volume of data received and certified by the government.
"This approach allows the government to ensure that payments are fair and proportional to the value of the data obtained, while also encouraging companies to maintain high-quality standards in satellite data delivery.
"These requirements will be further refined in detail with the bidding companies as the concession agreement document is finalised," he said.
On Sept 14 last year, Chang said Malaysia is setting its sights on the stars as the ministry spearheads an ambitious endeavour via the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) to explore the development of a space launch site.
He said the ministry's belief in Malaysia's untapped potential in the space industry had led to the initiation of guidelines for a comprehensive feasibility study.
Chang said the government's venture into the space industry was projected to yield substantial economic benefits.
By 2030, he had said it is estimated that Malaysia's involvement in the space sector could contribute up to RM10 billion to the nation's economy.