Chris Forrester is one of the most experienced and highly regarded journalists in the field. His insight and analysis, particularly in the satellite and pay-TV arena, is highly prized. He has written for all the major business journals in the sector as well as several national newspapers.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX will attempt the fourth test flight of its massive Starship rocket on June 6th. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued its permission for the flight on June 4th. The FAA authorisation was modified from previous Starship flights, and the end result is that future launches will find an easier route to flight. […]
The high-flying geostationary satellite business is in the doldrums. Worse, Boeing Satellite Systems, which with its then popular 701 and 702 models (developed from its acquisition of Hughes Electronics back in 2000), once played a vital part of many major satellite operator’s fleets. However, in 2023 – according to Marc-Henri Serre SVP at Thales Alenia […]
SpaceX has confirmed it is working with T-Mobile in the US to launch its Starlink direct-to-cell (DTC) service commercially “this autumn”. This suggests that Starlink will be available – albeit in limited applications – while its rival AST SpaceMobile will only have just started to launch its satellites into orbit. Starlink has a global broadband […]
Recently it was asked if AST SpaceMobile, the would-be Direct-to-Cellular satellite business, could beat off competition from Space X’s Starlink and other rivals. It now seems that Verizon, along with AT&T, believes AST can make a very major impact on North American cellular connectivity. Verizon put $100 million into AST’s business and in the process […]
The EU is reportedly looking to “haggle down” the cost of its planned IRIS² mega-constellation of broadband satellites. Reports suggest that the EU Commission looking after the already delayed project wants the end costs to be around €8 billion instead of the current rumoured €12 billion. But tough as this decision is, there are also […]
AST Space Mobile has just one satellite currently in orbit which itself something of a test prototype for a planned global satellite-based ‘direct-to-cellular’ service. AST’s follow-up BlueWalker 3 satellites are expected to be ready for launch in batches of five craft starting in July or August (according to the company) and continuing in batches throughout […]
May 23rd saw Amazon announce that it had reached the ‘final milestone’ with its Project Kuiper prototype satellites, and is deorbiting the two craft. “That mission achieved a 100 per cent success rate and helped us practice safe satellite operations,” says the company. “Now, we’re gradually bring those prototypes down as part of our commitment […]
Europe’s very much-delayed Ariane 6 rocket should enjoy its debut test flight in the first two weeks of July. Good as this news is, it represents yet another delay by about one month. ESA, in its latest update, says that the actual target launch date would be unveiled at the major ILA Berlin Airshow on […]
Elon Musk congratulated his staff and SpaceX technicians on May 20th for topping 3 million Starlink customers in 99 countries. But behind the scenes there could be serious problems ahead for Starlink, and in particular for its ‘direct-to-smartphone’ ambitions. The background focuses on recent transmissions carried out on a UK-registered satellite by SpaceX. The satellite […]
Elon Musk’s Starlink broadband-by-satellite system has now equipped the entire Carnival Corporation cruise fleet of more than 90 ships with its equipment. Carnival operates its ships under its own name and also AIDA Cruises, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises, Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises and Cunard. Carnival Corporation CEO Josh Weinstein said Starlink’s […]
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