Eutelsat’s next-generation broadband-by-satellite Konnect craft, built by Thales Alenia Space, is in the final stages of readiness for launch today (January 16th). The satellite is a Very High Throughput (VHTS) craft, and will significantly boost Eutelsat’s broadband coverage over Africa in particular and the operator says it should materially bridge the digital divide for consumers […]

The C-Band Alliance (CBA, comprising Intelsat, SES and Telesat) filed a Fact Sheet on January 14th that – in essence – urges the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to move more quickly in the “monumental task of transitioning C-band spectrum from satellite transmissions to 5G mobile”. The Fact Sheet pulls no punches in its message to […]

OneWeb, which will launch its first major batch of 30 satellites on Februay 7th, has linked with UK-based SatixFy to add a digital technology pathway payload that will include a full digital payload into OneWeb’s launch schedule during 2021. This new technology will pave the way for satellites with a higher level of flexibility to […]

A research note from Deutsche Bank in anticipation of the upcoming end-of-year results from SES (due on February 26th) again talk up a merger between SES and its smaller rival Eutelsat. The bank’s media analyst Laurie Davison says he now sees the prospects of a merger between the two satellite operators as “higher” and cautions […]

In its latest analysis of satellite manufacturing and launch services, Euroconsult projects that the satellite market will experience a radical transformation in the quantity, value and mass of the satellites to be built and launched with a four-fold increase in the number of satellites at a yearly average of 990 satellites to be launched,

Early in February OneWeb is due to launch a batch of 34 satellites from the Kazakhstan launch facility at Baikonur. Arianespace is responsible for this launch and has contracts in place for about 20 further launches in order to place an initial 672 satellites into Low Earth orbit. Other launches will take place from Baikonur […]

Last week FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai posted a blog regarding the reallocation of C-band spectrum over the US. More news has now emerged. FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly has said that “the FCC will have to make policy cuts on some spectrum issues and then live with the consequences”. The comments have prompted analysts at investment […]

Hispasat has ordered its latest satellite, Amazonas Nexus, from Thales Alenia Space. The craft is said by Thales to be the first of a new generation of satellites with an innovative architecture and higher capacity. “The new satellite embarks a new generation Digital Transparent Processor (DTP), a technological breakthrough that substantially increases the flexibility of […]

SpaceX is due to launch one of its Falcon 9 rockets from a Cape Canaveral launch pad on January 18th.  So far, so normal. It will fly of some 88 seconds but then the plan is to explode the rocket. This deliberate move is designed to test SpaceX’s Crew Dragon accommodation capsule. The explosion will […]

Many in the satellite industry had been anticipating the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issuing some guidance this week as to its thinking – and possible decision timetable – regarding the reallocation of C-band spectrum over the US on January 30th. The FCC’s Chairman Ajit Pai, in a blog post, said that he had spent the […]