TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 15, 2026--
Axelspace Corporation (“Axelspace”), a leading developer and operator of microsatellites dedicated to realizing its vision of “Space within Your Reach,” has made a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jethi Software Development PLC (“Jethi”), an Ethiopian technology company, to cooperate on addressing social and development challenges through the utilization of satellite-based Earth observation (EO) data.
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The MoU was signed by Naol Debele, Chief Executive Officer of Jethi, and Yuya Nakamura, President and CEO of Axelspace. The signing ceremony, held in Ethiopia on January 13 (local time), was attended by representatives of the Space Science and Geospatial Institute (SSGI) of Ethiopia, members of the Jethi Board of Directors and invited guests, in an official and protocol capacity.
Axelspace positions the expansion of EO data utilization in emerging markets, including Africa, as a key medium- to long-term strategic priority. Through this collaboration, Axelspace aims to support locally driven, data-informed solutions.
Under the MoU, Axelspace will provide EO data and know-how for its utilization across priority sectors, including agriculture, environmental and forest conservation, disaster risk management and climate resilience, urban planning and infrastructure development. Jethi will lead the establishment of a local framework for EO data utilization in Ethiopia, coordinating with relevant stakeholders to integrate satellite data with local information and institutional requirements. The partnership aims to identify priority challenges, develop scalable solutions that combine EO data with local information, and foster the growth of a sustainable ecosystem for satellite data utilization in Ethiopia.
Axelspace is participating in the “Emerging Countries Working Group”, which was launched in 2024 by Cross U, a general incorporated association, to promote space business co-creation between Japan and African countries.
“With the economic development of emerging countries, including those in Africa, the demand for satellite data utilization is expected to increase significantly,” said Yuya Nakamura, President and CEO of Axelspace. “We will work to build win-win relationships that create new value with local public and private sector partners, leveraging Japan’s advanced technological capabilities and expertise to contribute to the long-term development of a platform for satellite data utilization.”
For the full press release, please visit: https://www.axelspace.com/news/mou_ethiopia/
Naol Debele, Chief Executive Officer of Jethi (left), and Yuya Nakamura, President and CEO of Axelspace, at the signing ceremony on January 13 in Ethiopia
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An ailing astronaut returned to Earth with three others on Thursday, ending their space station mission more than a month early in NASA’s first medical evacuation.
SpaceX guided the capsule to a middle-of-the-night splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego, less than 11 hours after the astronauts exited the International Space Station.
“It’s so good to be home,” said NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, the capsule commander.
It was an unexpected finish to a mission that began in August and left the orbiting lab with only one American and two Russians on board. NASA and SpaceX said they would try to move up the launch of a fresh crew of four; liftoff is currently targeted for mid-February.
Cardman and NASA’s Mike Fincke were joined on the return by Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. Officials have refused to identify the astronaut who had the health problem or explain what happened, citing medical privacy.
While the astronaut was stable in orbit, NASA wanted them back on Earth as soon as possible to receive proper care and diagnostic testing. The entry and splashdown required no special changes or accommodations, officials said, and the recovery ship had its usual allotment of medical experts on board. It was not immediately known when the astronauts would fly from California to their home base in Houston. Platonov’s return to Moscow was also unclear.
NASA stressed repeatedly over the past week that this was not an emergency. The astronaut fell sick or was injured on Jan. 7, prompting NASA to call off the next day’s spacewalk by Cardman and Fincke, and ultimately resulting in the early return. It was the first time NASA cut short a spaceflight for medical reasons. The Russians had done so decades ago.
The space station has gotten by with three astronauts before, sometimes even with just two. NASA said it will be unable to perform a spacewalk, even for an emergency, until the arrival of the next crew, which has two Americans, one French and one Russian astronaut.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
This screengrab from video provided by NASA TV shows the SpaceX Dragon departing from the International Space Station shortly after undocking with four NASA Crew-11 members inside on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP)
This photo provided by NASA shows clockwise from bottom left are, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui gathering for a crew portrait wearing their Dragon pressure suits during a suit verification check inside the International Space Station’s Kibo laboratory module, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP)
This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows recovery vessels approaching the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 capsule to evacuate one of the crew members after they re-entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)
This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 members re entering the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)
This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 members re entering the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)
