SpaceX has filed an ambitious application with the FCC to launch and orbit 1 million new satellites. The filing was dated January 30th. The new fleet, if approved, would orbit at between 500 and 2,000 kms altitude and be spaced 50 kms apart from one another. Each satellite would be equipped with laser links for […]
Satellite operator SES, which has in the past has bought its geostationary satellites from US and European vendors, says it wants to build its own craft. At the base of the SES comments are concerns that the merger of three European space businesses – Airbus, Thales and Leonardo – would remove competition from the sector. […]
Blue Origin, the Jeff Bezos–backed rocket business, has generated plenty of publicity for carrying passengers such as Katy Perry and William Shatner, but has decided to pause these flights on its New Shepard rocket and to shift resources onto its Moon plans. These include establishing a Lunar base and getting the astronauts to the Moon. […]
Would–be global cellular connectivity supplier AST SpaceMobile, now with six satellites in orbit and a seventh planned to launch later in February, is forecast to see revenues growing to $685 million (€573.8m). The estimates come from wealth management and investment firm William Blair in a report on January 27th. William Blair has rated AST as […]
The 12th edition of Novaspace’s Space Economy Report states the global space economy is now on a significant growth trajectory, positioned to expand from $626.4 billion (€525.3bn) in 2025 to $1.01 trillion by 2034, a significant 12 per cent CAGR. While growth continues to be supported by innovation, new business models, assertive government policies and expanding demand for […]
The overwhelming comments from just about anyone in the space industry is that a SpaceX initial public offering (IPO) cannot happen soon enough. “Everyone would benefit” is the general consensus. However, there are opposing views. One negative comes from Mark Boggett, CEO of Seraphim Space, which is a leading global space-tech investor and with its […]
Jean-François Fallacher, speaking at the European Space Conference, said that the IRIS2 highly-secure satellite constellation was the result of years of work and came at a “critical moment for Europe”. He told delegates that the project had a clear objective: “To provide Europe with its own next-generation satellite capabilities – autonomous, resilient, and delivering its […]
The Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azercosmos and the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Posts of the Republic of Chad (ARCEP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the fields of digital transformation, innovation hubs, and the export of digital products. The primary objective of the Memorandum is to […]
Russia’s rival to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, its Amur vehicle with its recoverable first-stage, is reportedly now unlikely to make its debut flights much before 2030. One comment from Eric Berger, an acknowledged industry expert, suggested that the project, initially announced in a 2020 proposal, is now comically late. Berger said: “This indicates that Russia’s […]
Recent headlines have outlined a highly public feud between Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary and Starlink’s Elon Musk. O’Leary has said that his airline didn’t need Starlink, and that passengers travelling for an hour or so didn’t need specialised connectivity. Musk responded by saying that he might buy Ryanair. Calmer heads are now prevailing with Ryanair’s […]