The FCC, on September 25th, issued permission for a rescue attempt on Intelsat’s ‘drifting’ Galaxy 25 satellites with a Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV/Space Tug) over the next few days. The FCC is keen on the whole exercise being seen as an experimental mission. In its permission, the FCC stated: “After an extended period of drifting, […]
Eutelsat Group has announced that Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, has selected Eutelsat’s OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) network for integration into its NexusWave fully managed bonded connectivity solution. The companies says that the addition of Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO connectivity to Inmarsat’s maritime network “underscores a shared commitment to delivering cutting-edge connectivity solutions that address […]
Rivada Space Networks has had an eventful couple of years, filled with litigation between various parties over ownership, frequency rights and disputes between CEO Declan Ganley and former business partners. To its credit it has managed to sail through these challenges, but one has to read between the lines to ascertain whether it can proceed […]
Satellite communications specialists Iridium is funding $500 million (€448.7m) to buy back its own shares for cancellation. The move, approved by its directors on September 19th, is the largest-ever for the company which supplies satellite-based connectivity to government agencies, NGOs, the military and emergency ‘first responders’. It is the fourth buyback from Iridium in the […]
Eutelsat CEO Eva Berneke, speaking to FT, candidly admitted that developing its ‘next generation’ of OneWeb satellites would take time, unless it could bring partners on board. “We could fund the development of Gen 2 on our own,” she insisted. But it would be “a stepwise approach over years”. OneWeb already has 630 satellites in […]
The overwhelming message from last week’s Paris World Satellite Business Week was that of uncertainty over future demand. The sentiment was most pronounced in the Direct-2-Consumer (D2C) panel, where the operators talked of their plans and ambitions, but which were also tempered by anxieties of ‘if we build it will they come’. Scott Wisniewski, president […]
The ambitious IRIS2 satellite proposal for a constellation of European low Earth orbiting satellites is facing further challenges, not least from the German government. While not confirming the reported final cost of some €12 billion, a response last week to a question in Germany’s parliament (from the CDU/CSU group) talked about the break down in […]
Vodafone and Intelsat, the integrated satellite and terrestrial network operator, have extended their partnership to offer wider coverage of temporary and on-the-move satellite connectivity services to organisations operating in hard-to-reach areas or disaster zones. The expanded agreement will complement Vodafone’s terrestrial networks by providing enterprises with broadband connectivity in remote and underserved areas. This means businesses, […]
Eutelsat Group and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) have announced the signature of an agreement for multiple launches. Under the terms of the agreement, MHI will provide multiple launches by an H3 launch vehicle from 2027. This is the first agreement between Eutelsat and MHI, and the announcement cements the growing partnership between both companies. Arlen […]
Novaspace, the space consulting and market intelligence firm, has announced the release of the 27th edition of Satellites to be Built and Launched, forecasting a record-breaking surge in satellite demand through 2033. This edition forecasts an average of over 3,700 satellites launched annually between 2024 and 2033 – equivalent to 10 satellites per day and […]