SES has signed an agreement for a geostationary (GEO) satellite life extension mission with Infinite Orbits. The companies said the deal marks Europe’s first commercial satellite life extension mission. Endurance, a 750kg docking vehicle designed for life extension missions, will launch in late 2027 and dock with an unnamed SES GEO satellite following an in-orbit […]

Three more airlines are reported to have chosen to equip their aircraft with Starllnk-supplied in-flight connectivity. Virgin Atlantic has already confirmed it has chosen Starlink on its Boeing 787s, Airbus A350s, and A330neos aircraft from Q3 2026. The installations will be complete by the end of 2027. Singapore Airlines said during its half-year trading results […]

EchoStar-owned Hughes Satellite Systems has admitted it does not have funding in place to cover its next 12-months activity. It has a $1.5 billion (€1.29bn) borrowing obligation to repay in August, and says one option is to declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Hughes has a declining asset in the form of 783,000 subscribers to its Jupiter […]

GSOA has released its new paper, Promoting Synergy Among Communications Services, exploring how the unique strengths of different technologies contribute to broader, more inclusive connectivity when supported by a framework that encourages investment, innovation and fosters diverse networks solutions. At a time when the ITU’s World Telecommunication Development Conference 25 (WTDC25) is renewing global commitments […]

Analysts and researchers from Bryce Tech say that Iran is planning to launch 23 satellites this coming year. Bryce says that Iran already has 31 satellites in low Earth Orbit and has four active launch rockets at its disposal (Simorgh, Zuljanah, Qased, Qaem 100) and can use three launch sites (Semnan, Shahroud, Chabahar (in development)). […]

Starlink would appear to be getting ready for vigorous competition from rival Amazon Leo, and is consequently discounting the costs of receiving its broadband-by-satellite system. The latest target is telco and fibre-rich Germany. Starlink now offers its Residential Lite plan in Germany for €29 per month with no contract term and the Starlink Standard Kit […]

Amazon’s Project Kuiper mega-constellation of broadband satellites has been renamed as Amazon Leo. The company has also showcased its latest terminals (Leo Nano, Leo Pro, and Leo Ultra). Rajeev Badyal, VP at Amazon Leo, said in a press statement explaining the change that Project Kuiper started out as the code name for the project when […]

South Africa’s Vodacom Group has signed what it described as a “pivotal” agreement with SpaceX’s Starlink. Starlink is not yet approved to launch its direct-to-device activity in the country. “Integrating Starlink’s satellite backhaul into Vodacom’s mobile network will accelerate network coverage expansion while increasing network performance in rural areas,” Vodacom said in a statement. Vodacom […]

A new satellite manufacturing factory has been opened in Abu Dhabi, capable of turning out 50 satellites annually. Orbitworks, a company formed as a partnership between Abu Dhabi’s Marlan Space and San Francisco’s Loft Orbital, has opened a satellite assembly, integration and testing centre in the Emirate’s Kezad economic zone. The company is focusing on building […]

Eutelsat, in partnership with regional satellite solutions provider Neptune Communications, has announced the donation and deployment of emergency satellite communications services to support the Government of Jamaica following the impact of Hurricane Melissa, which resulted in significant disruption to national communications infrastructure. Under this initiative, Eutelsat is providing GEO satellite capacity and VSAT remote kits […]