The government has embarked on talks with SpaceX as part of its consultation for the Malta Space Act which is to be published next year. 

Parliamentary Secretary Keith Azzopardi Tanti, who is responsible for Malta’s Space Policy, initiated the discussions during a meeting at the SpaceX Headquarters in California.

He was accompanied by University of Malta professor Joseph Borg, who has coordinated the recent Maleth programme, consisting of the first Maltese experiments in space. 

SpaceX is a leading spaceflight company that has reached a series of milestones, including the reusability of rocket technology sent to Low-Earth orbit and back. It is also the first private company to take humans to and from the International Space Station.

During the meeting, several topics were discussed, including Malta being a collaborator in enhancing satellite-based, international data connectivity.

Discussions also touched on the possibility of Malta utilising Starlink - a high-speed, low-latency broadband internet - to provide internet connectivity to further strengthen and diversify the services provided.