The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is the latest NASA astrophysics flagship observatory supported by BAE Systems, following Hubble and Webb

BROOMFIELD, Colo., Aug. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — BAE Systems (LON: BA) is celebrating the successful launch of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope today from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which will support critical astrophysics discoveries as the latest flagship observatory.  

BAE Systems designed and developed the Opto-Mechanical Assembly on the Wide Field Instrument (WFI), the primary scientific instrument on the Roman mission. The Opto-Mechanical Assembly provides the stable structure and thermal environment that enables the WFI to meet performance requirements. It includes the optical bench, thermal control system, precision mechanisms, optics and electronics. BAE Systems also provided integration services and testing for the assembly.

“Today’s launch of the Roman Space Telescope marks a significant achievement for furthering astrophysics discoveries,” said Bonnie Patterson, vice president and general manager of Civil Space for BAE Systems. “Roman will provide unparalleled views of the cosmos, helping to further advance our knowledge of the universe, the physics of our galaxy and the demographics of exoplanets.”

The Roman Space Telescope’s Wide Field Instrument will provide a field of view at least 100 times greater than the Hubble Space Telescope, allowing scientists to survey the sky up to 1,000 times faster. Roman will study billions of cosmic objects to explore how planets, stars, and galaxies form and develop over time.

BAE Systems has provided significant support for every NASA’s astrophysics flagship mission, from the Hubble Space Telescope to the James Webb Space Telescope. These missions complement the Roman Space Telescope through enhanced shared technologies, enabling science and supporting decades of discovery through innovative instrument delivery.

Looking ahead, BAE Systems is already contributing to NASA’s next astrophysics flagship mission concept: the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). This mission would build upon the work of previous astrophysics programs and is in the early stages of development. BAE Systems’ Ultra-Stable Large Telescope Research and Analysis (ULTRA) studies are developing a picometer-capable mirror actuation system to provide greatly enhanced optical stability and performance.

The HWO mission would be focused on imaging Earth-like planets orbiting other stars and searching them for signs of life. The observatory would also be equipped with a powerful lens to explore stars, the planets of our solar system, different galaxies, and the evolution of the universe with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution.

For more information, please contact:

Brian Rantala, BAE Systems
Mobile: 720-995-8253
brian.rantala@baesystems.us
www.baesystems.com/US
@BAESystemsInc 

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SOURCE BAE Systems, Inc.

BEIJING, Aug. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This year, the 47th Bangkok International Motor Show was held at the IMPACT Arena, Exhibition and Convention Center. BYD’s booth was packed, with crowds lining up to check out the vehicles on display. Increasingly, Chinese new-energy vehicles (NEVs) are winning over consumers around the world.

In Southeast Asia, consumers are willing to wait in long lines to buy popular Chinese NEV models. In Europe, five Chinese automakers sold a combined 138,000 vehicles across 31 countries in May, up 64 percent year-on-year. For the first time, Chinese automakers surpassed Japanese carmakers in monthly new vehicle registrations in Europe. In South America, Brazil has become the largest destination for China’s NEV exports. In July, BYD’s plant in Brazil rolled its 100,000th vehicle off the production line.

These developments illustrate how China’s auto industry is embracing a new development pattern: strengthening domestic production cycle while promoting better interaction between domestic and international markets, with the two markets always reinforcing each other.

Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers shows that China exported 977,300 and 7.098 million vehicles in 2013 and 2025, respectively, marking an increase of more than sixfold in 12 years. From 2021 to 2025, China’s vehicle exports saw explosive growth, increasing by about 1 million units annually. And, in the first seven months of this year, China’s vehicle exports reached 6.14 million units, surging 66.8 percent year-on-year.

The strong growth of NEVs has played a major role in propelling China to become the world’s largest automobile exporter.

From 2020 to 2025, China’s NEV exports rose from 69,000 units to 2.615 million units, an increase of more than 36-fold in five years. In June of this year, China’s monthly automobile exports exceeded 1 million units for the first time, up 75.1 percent year-on-year. Of the total, NEV exports reached 523,000 units, up 160 percent year-on-year and accounting for more than 50 percent.

Racing into global markets

Chery, BYD and SAIC, among the earliest Chinese automakers to expand into overseas markets, have emerged as the frontrunners in the global push. Now, Geely, Chang’an and Great Wall Motor are accelerating globalization, expanding their overseas market footprints.

And, emerging electric vehicle makers including NIO, XPeng and Leapmotor are leveraging their strengths in smart technological innovation to make inroads into premium overseas markets.

Behind the surge in export volume is the significant leap in vehicle production quality. In terms of product mix, the vehicles exported are primarily middle to high-end car models that have been tested in China’s highly competitive domestic market.

On July 16, XPeng held the global launch of its MONA L03 in Munich, Germany, with the model launched simultaneously in China and Europe. And, in terms of retail prices, they generally sell at higher prices overseas than in the domestic market. BYD’s ATTO 3, known as the Yuan PLUS in China, sells at around 120,000 yuan in China, while its price in Europe exceeds 300,000 yuan.

Regarding brand reputation, Chinese NEVs have become synonymous with premium quality and high-end products in the global market. As Chinese NEVs gain ground abroad, they are helping reshape the global brand value of “Made in China.”

Over these years, China’s NEV expansion overseas has undergone three major shifts: from vehicle exports to the globalization of the industrial chain, and then to the globalization of the broader ecosystem. 

For example, SAIC has set up localized R&D, operations and after-sales teams overseas. “We adhere to the principle of ‘global thinking, local action,’ developing tailored strategies for different markets based on local regulations, road conditions and consumer preferences,” a SAIC executive said.

BYD has established an extensive presence in Brazil, covering R&D, production, sales, services and supply chains. Its operations include manufacturing of electric bus and truck chassis, as well as integrated production capabilities such as lithium iron phosphate battery material processing.

In markets like Europe and the US, many multinational companies are proactively adopting and adapting Chinese technologies. Stellantis has partnered with Leapmotor on electric powertrains. In July, CATL and Octopus Energy, the UK’s largest energy supplier, announced the establishment of a joint venture to introduce China’s Qiji battery-swapping technology to Europe and jointly develop battery-swapping hubs there.

Overcoming challenges

Going global has never been an easy journey, as the overseas policy environment has become increasingly volatile in recent years.

In 2023, Turkey imposed an additional 40 percent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. In 2024, the EU imposed countervailing duties of up to 35.3 percent on Chinese EVs, while the US imposed a 100-percent tariff on China-made EVs. In 2026, Mexico imposed tariffs of up to 50 percent on passenger vehicles from countries with which it does not have free trade agreements.

“Chinese companies face different challenges in different regions. This is an inevitable stage in their global expansion, a comprehensive test as well as an opportunity to gain experience,” said Luo Hao, assistant to the general manager of BYD’s branding and public relations department.

Chinese automakers have managed to achieve impressive growth despite headwinds in the global market. For instance, Geely has invested in Malaysian national carmaker Proton, providing support in technology, management and supply chain resources.

The going-global of China’s NEV industry has followed an inclusive approach to economic globalization, providing consumers around the world, particularly in Global South countries, with high-quality, cost-effective vehicles that suit local economic conditions, everyday needs and purchasing power.

In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, office worker Lucas used to buy second-hand cars. Now, after switching to a Chinese NEV, he finds its compact and agile design well suited to the narrow streets of the city’s older neighborhoods, while its low charging costs have significantly eased his living expenses.

In South Africa, Shane, a local resident who runs a roadside assistance business and relies heavily on his vehicle, previously struggled with frequent breakdowns of his older cars. After switching to a Chinese NEV, its reliable quality and stable performance resolved his transportation problems, helping him keep his business running smoothly.

Forging ahead at full speed

At the end of 2025, China’s auto industry reached some major milestones: FAW-Volkswagen rolled its 30 millionth vehicle off the assembly line, Chang’an Automobile produced its 30 millionth Chinese brand vehicle, and in 2025, China’s annual auto production and sales both surpassed 31 million units.

“We need to establish spare parts centers, service centers, and call centers to build up our service system and take root in the local market,” said Jia Lishan, vice president of Chang’an Automobile. And, Chang’an plans to establish more than 1,000 sales and service outlets in Europe by 2030.

In 2025, BYD overtook Tesla to become the world’s largest seller of electric vehicles. On June 9 this year, BYD founder, chairman and president Wang Chuanfu reiterated at the company’s shareholders’ meeting his ambition to make BYD truly “No. 1 globally” in terms of scale within five years. Notably, BYD plans to set up 6,000 flash-charging stations overseas by March 2027.

As more NEVs take to roads around the world, and smarter mobility benefits more people in the world, the global expansion of China’s NEVs represents not only an achievement of industrial development, but also a vivid illustration of the green low-carbon development and the concept of ecological civilization.

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SOURCE Global Times

The new registration system, built on Joget DX Enterprise, brings farmer and land information together across all 10 districts, giving the Ministry a stronger foundation to serve farmers.

MOYENI, Lesotho, Aug. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition (MAFSN) has officially launched the Lesotho Farmers Portal, the country’s first national digital platform bringing farmer and land information together in one central registry. The Honourable Selibe Mochoboroane, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, led the launch in partnership with Vodacom Lesotho. Field officers across all 10 districts will use the platform to register farmers and their land parcels, and to capture information about households, farming activities, livestock, assets and support services.

Prior to the portal, farmer information was held in paper files, spreadsheets and separate district-level records that did not connect to one another. Built by FiscalAdmin Ltd on Joget DX Enterprise platform, the new system replaces that patchwork, giving the Ministry a clearer picture of the country’s agricultural community.

Field officers use the portal to register farmers against their national identity number, capture household, farming, livestock and asset information, and record land parcels with GPS boundaries. Ministry staff can then search and review that data centrally, giving the government a live, national view of the farming population for the first time.

For farmers, formal registration means the Ministry can identify who they are, what they grow or raise, and what support they may need, laying the groundwork for future services such as targeted subsidies and input distribution. For the Ministry, the registry replaces incomplete and scattered records with one verified source of data to guide policy and budget decisions.

The wider platform already includes capabilities for programme applications, eligibility evaluation, decision management and entitlement issuance, which can be introduced as the programme progresses beyond this initial registration phase.

The Farmers Portal is an important step in strengthening how the ministry understands and supports farmers across Lesotho. Having reliable information in one place will help the Ministry better understand the needs of the farmers, plan agricultural programmes and improve the way services are delivered. Transitioning from development into a national service enables the platform to benefit farmers across all 10 districts.

Built for the needs of a public-sector team

The Farmers Portal was delivered by FiscalAdmin Ltd using Joget DX Enterprise, with several partners contributing to the programme. MAFSN owns the registry, the data and the process; the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) provided the programme framework and digital-government methodology; GovStack supplied the Registration Building Block specification and reference architecture; the World Food Programme supported the implementation, including the Joget DX Enterprise licence; and Vodacom Lesotho partnered on the launch and on reaching officers in the field.

The portal was built with the realities of a small public-sector ICT team in mind. Much of the application is managed through configuration rather than traditional software development, including forms, lists, workflows, user access and reference data. This means Ministry staff can maintain information such as districts, villages, crops, livestock types and document types through the system itself, without needing a developer for every change.

“We wanted to build a service that could work at a national scale and still be practical for the people using it every day. The Farmers Portal brings together a number of processes that would otherwise remain separate, while giving the Ministry greater control over its own data.

We built this as a live implementation of the GovStack Registration Building Block, so it needed to hold up under real conditions in the field, not just on paper. Joget’s enterprise application platform enabled a very small team to turn a working prototype into a national service the Ministry can run and maintain on its own, and that is what made the two-year timeline possible.”  said Aare Lapõnin, Founder and CEO, FiscalAdmin Ltd, Technical Delivery Partner.

The delivery approach also used what FiscalAdmin describes as LLM-assisted spec-driven development. An LLM assistant worked against a written specification rather than the live system directly, with each result pushed through the platform’s own API and checked by an automated test suite before release. When something did not work, the fix went back into the specification, not into the system directly.

Raveesh Dewan, President and CEO of Joget Inc., said the project shows how technology can help public-sector organisations build practical digital services while keeping them adaptable as their needs evolve.

“What makes this project meaningful is the real-world problem it addresses. The Ministry needed a better way to understand its farmers and manage information that can support agricultural services across the country. We are proud that Joget could provide the foundation for that work.

The portal also shows how an agentic AI application platform can help a small team build and maintain a national service while leaving room to expand it as new needs emerge.”  continued Raveesh Dewan, President & CEO, Joget Inc..

As registration reaches full national coverage, the Ministry expects to introduce further services building on the registry, including programme applications and input distribution, extending support to farmers across Lesotho.

About Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition (MAFSN)

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition (MAFSN) was first established in 1935 as the Department of Agriculture. Since its inception, like any other government Ministry and/or department, the Ministry has not been immune to transformations and structural changes that have been occurring.

Following a government wide reorganisation and restructuring of Ministries and Departments, the Ministry was renamed Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in 2003.

Today the Ministry is now known as the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition. The Ministry’s principal responsibility is to facilitate sustainable production and productivity of agricultural outputs and promotion of food and nutrition security in the country.

About FiscalAdmin

FiscalAdmin is a software engineering and consulting company established in 2015 in Tallinn, Estonia.

We focus on assessment, modernisation and development services and technologies for tax administrations, ministries of finance, the public sector and international organisations.

Our Tallinn Office, located in the middle of the Nordic startup scene, is focused on the development of products for the new digital age. We develop new operational models for the public sector to help tackle the complexity of digitalisation through the creation of platforms and ecosystems for public finance, revenue management, marketing, e-commerce and public transport.

About Joget

Joget offers an open-source, enterprise Agentic AI application platform that converges no-code/low-code development with AI agents to help organizations rapidly build and customize enterprise applications at scale. By combining AI agents with visual app builders, not raw code, Joget makes app generation faster, safer, and more accessible for business users and developers alike.

With Generative AI and Agentic AI capabilities, Joget Intelligence enables organizations to automate and enhance processes while maintaining oversight and compliance.

Through Vibe Composition, Joget enables AI-assisted application development where AI interprets business intent and assembles applications using governed, pre-validated composable components. Unlike typical AI code generation, Joget’s visual-first approach ensures applications remain maintainable and governed within collaborative human workflows.

As an Application and Integration Fabric, Joget connects legacy and modern systems seamlessly. Its extensible, open-source core and plugin architecture offer unmatched flexibility, and its White Label solution allows OEMs and digital solution providers to fully rebrand the platform.

Trusted by startups, global enterprises, and government agencies, Joget delivers the speed of AI with the control of visual development for scalable, intelligent digital transformation.

Visit www.joget.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or YouTube.

Media contact: 

FiscalAdmin: info@fiscaladmin.com

Joget Inc: pr@joget.com 

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