Advanced Television

Satellite

Rivada loses Liechtenstein rights

Rivada Space Networks is a busy enthusiast for its ‘OuterNET’ satellite-based super-secure mega constellation. Company executives are regular speakers on the conference circuit. The problems that are never discussed are the project’s funding which is not yet in place, or contracts with a builder of its 600-craft fleet. The position has been exacerbated by a […]

July 18, 2025By Chris Forrester

SES closes Intelsat acquisition

SES has announced the completion of its acquisition of Intelsat, creating a strengthened global satellite operator with an expanded fleet of 120 satellites across two orbits. SES says the newly combined company will “leverage its skilled teams with deep vertical expertise to deliver integrated multi-orbit, multi-band satellite and connectivity solutions to businesses and governments around […]

July 17, 2025By Chris Forrester

SpaceX’s Starship to try again in August

Elon Musk says his troubled Starship giant rocket is on track to launch again in early August. Starship has had a challenging gestation. The massive rocket, which comprises the ‘Super Heavy’ lower booster stage and the Starship upper stage, has launched nine times to date. The rocket has at its key aim the lowering of […]

July 17, 2025

Kuiper launch success

A launch of a batch of Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband satellites took place today [July 16th], on a SpaceX rocket from Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral. The launch (Mission KF-01) was handled on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, and carried another 24 Kuiper satellites into orbit. The 27-minute launch window opened at 2:18am EDT. […]

July 16, 2025By Chris Forrester

Starlink sees “amazing growth”

A study from Dr Tim Farrar’s TMF Associates talks of Starlink’s “amazing revenue growth” in the context of a satellite industry that does not grow fast. “In fact,” Farrar said, “Starlink’s near $2 billion of international broadband service revenues reported in 2024 compares to about $3 billion for all other satellite operators combined, a roughly […]

July 16, 2025

Alphabet ups AST SpaceMobile investment

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, Waymo self-driving cars and dozens of other subsidiaries, is further investing in would-be satellite direct-to-consumer cellular activity AST SpaceMobile. Google is already a strategic investor in AST SpaceMobile, having participated in a $155 million (€132.6m) investment round alongside AT&T and Vodafone in January 2024. The investment supported AST SpaceMobile’s […]

July 15, 2025By Chris Forrester

FCC approves Intelsat sale to SES

July 11th saw the clearest indication that the long wait for SES to receive its permissions to acquire rival Intelsat is coming to an end, with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) giving its approval to the transfer “of the control of licenses from Intelsat to SES”. This, in effect, ends the FCC’s oversight of the […]

July 14, 2025By Chris Forrester

Bharti ups stake in OneWeb

On the heels of the UK’s confirmation that it is topping up its capital investment in Eutelsat’s OneWeb (by €163.3 million), Eutelsat’s Indian partner Bharti Space is making a similar top-up worth €120 million. The smaller amount reflects a €30 million capital injection made in June by Bharti. Following the fresh investment, Bharti Space’s stake […]

July 14, 2025By Chris Forrester

Viasat IFC for Aeromexico

Embraer, Viasat and Aeromexico have announced the installation of advanced in-flight internet connectivity on Aeromexico’s E190 jets, further integrating the airline’s fleet with fast Wi-Fi for its customers. High speed satellite connectivity via Viasat’s global Ka-band network will allow Aeromexico passengers on these aircraft to stream movies and television, watch live sports, access the internet, […]

July 14, 2025

AST SpaceMobile adds ‘Sat-Mod’ request to FCC

Would-be global satellite broadband operator AST SpaceMobile has made a satellite modification request to the FCC regarding its operational fleet of satellites. The modification was submitted a month ago by its AST & Science subsidiary and proposes two new 14-satellite shells (98.13° inclination @ 685 km) alongside its already approved 520 km & 690 km […]

July 11, 2025By Chris Forrester