Apple is reportedly contemplating entering the ‘mega-constellation’ satellite race and joining SpaceX, Amazon, OneWeb and others in launching craft into orbit. It remains unclear whether Apple is preparing to construct and have its own satellites launched, or alternatively using capacity on existing satellites. A Bloomberg report says that Apple has quietly assembled a team of […]
The FCC has permitted SpaceX to adjust its planned orbits for its Starlink mega-constellation. SpaceX had asked for permission to create orbits in 72 rings around the planet at orbital heights of 550 kms, and this is three-times the previously allowed plan. Each ring will now contain 22 satellites instead of the previous 66 and […]
Gilat Satellite Networks linked with a Telesat satellite (Telstar-19 Vantage) and used Gilat’s ESA aircraft-mounted terminal on a Boeing test aircraft to achieve what is claimed to be a milestone development in providing high-throughput in-flight connectivity. The test used Honeywell’s Boeing 757 test aircraft. Key to the test is an electronically steered antenna that fixes […]
Kazakhstan’s government says it will invest $233 million (€209.5m) in upgrading the Baikonur spaceport. News agency TASS says Kazakhstan’s cash will mean a new space launch facility (“Baiterek”) at Baikonur. Kazakhstan’s Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry, Askar Zhumagaliev explained to journalists how the project would be managed: “In this project, the work […]
The hope that the C-Band Alliance might get Congressional support for its 5G/C-band plan failed when US legislators disagreed and determined there was no longer time to further discuss the proposal ahead of Congress having their Christmas break. The failure means that the FCC will now likely determine how the proposed auction revenues are divided […]
Amazon’s massive Project Kuiper scheme to launch 3236 satellites into a mega-constellation serving the plant with a low-latency broadband service is moving ahead rapidly. In a blog the company said it was renovating two huge factories in Redmond, Washington States, measuring 219,000 sq.ft. and which will contain Research & Development space, prototype manufacturing as well […]
The past few weeks has seen the share prices of the two main satellite operators – Intelsat and SES – hammered by the market, anxious that an FCC-controlled auction of C-band spectrum is going to mean minimum revenue benefits for the operators. Bloomberg, in a report, says that a “catastrophic” November which led to Intelsat […]
China wants to launch a global competitor to the satellite mega-constellations proposed by OneWeb and Elon Musk’s Starlink system. The Hongyan system now calls for 864 satellites as part of what could be an even-larger national satellite Internet scheme. The satellites are intended to orbit at 1175 kms high and carry in total a potential […]
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket performed a textbook launch from Florida on December 16th carrying a Boeing-built ‘condominium’ satellite serving Japanese and Pacific islands clients. In what is now very much a routine event, the rocket landed on a floating barge, Of Course I Still Love You, after the launch. Lift-off was at 7.10 pm […]
The FCC held a meeting last week part of the agenda was the planned auction of C-band spectrum over the US and offered up by four satellite operators; Intelsat, SES, Telesat and Eutelsat. Some of the FCC all-important Commissioners have now been quoted favourably supporting prompt action on getting the auction up and running. Commissioner […]