In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) has proven to be the hottest of hot topics in the satellite industry during 2025. Panasonic Avionics reports that its Astrova in-flight entertainment (IFE) system has now been selected by more than 30 airlines and is in use on more than 100 individual airline programmes. Other, older, Panasonic in-flight systems take the […]

Northern Jet has announced the successful integration of Starlink high-speed inflight connectivity on seven aircraft, with additional installations planned throughout 2026. With its low-Earth-orbit satellite network, Starlink delivers fast, stable, low-latency internet that supports connectivity from the ground through cruise altitude, across domestic and international routes. “This isn’t just faster Wi-Fi,” commented Chris Bull, CEO of Northern Jet. […]

AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird #6 is due to launch on December 24th on an India Space Research Organisation (ISRO) rocket. But news has emerged that many of the follow-on satellite fleet are now firmly in production. Production of satellites 8-to-19 were known about. That portfolio has now been extended to a total of 25 of these […]

A report from analysts at BNP Paribas looks at the prospects for Europe’s two satellite operators: SES of Luxembourg, and Eutelsat of Paris. Both now play a truly global role – with SES having acquired Intelsat, and Eutelsat firmly backing OneWeb and its global appeal to telcos, commercial enterprises and government/military users. The bank, which […]

Moment, a specialist in passenger experience, has released the Inflight Connectivity Benchmark 2025, a data-driven analysis of connectivity deployment, pricing structures and satellite provider dynamics. The report analyses 106 airlines worldwide, covering connectivity deployment, pricing models, and technology suppliers across Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa. Traditional airlines eager to be at the forefront […]

New Zealand-originated RockletLab, founded by Sir Peter Beck, has secured a contract from the US Space Development Agency worth $816 million (€695.5m). This is the largest single contract RocketLab has ever received. RocketLab is quoted on the Nasdaq exchange and has its formal headquarters in Long Beach, California. The order covers the supply of 18 […]

On December 17th, Starlink experienced an anomaly on one of its 9,000 orbiting satellites (official reference satellite 35,956), resulting in loss of communications with the vehicle at 418km altitude. The anomaly led to venting of the propulsion tank, a rapid decay in semi-major axis by about 4km, and the release of a small number of […]

SpaceX has reportedly told staff it is entering a regulatory “quiet period”, a standard step toward a potential 2026 Initial Public Offering (IPO). Bloomberg reports that SpaceX is exploring a listing that could raise more than $30 billion (€25.6bn) at around a $1.5 trillion valuation, though timing and terms can still change. In an internal […]

AST SpaceMobile now has a fairly dependable launch date for its BlueBird 6 satellite, the first of its ‘second generation’ craft. It will be launched by India’s Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on December 24th from ISRO’s Satish Dhawan Space Center. The India launches have been something of a moveable feast, with assorted dates supplied ranging […]

French investment bank, Exane BNP Paribas, has initiated coverage of Europe’s two giant satellite operators SES and Eutelsat. The news comes as Moody’s downgraded SES (to ba2 from ba1) on its Baseline Credit Assessment, and the ratings agency withdrew its corporate rating and changed its overview from “Stable to Negative”. Exane ranks SES as ‘Outperform’ […]