Following on from the slightly delayed but successful launch by SpaceX of Eutelsat’s latest Hotbird satellite (13F) on October 15th, Airbus has also confirmed that Eutelsat’s next-in-line satellite, Hotbird 13G, another of its latest ‘Eurostar Neo’ designs, has been flown to an airstrip at the Kennedy Space Centre from Toulouse in France. SpaceX launched 13F […]

Airbus OneWeb Satellites (AOS), the joint-venture between constellation operator OneWeb and Airbus Defence & Space, have contracted with Astra Space to use and integrate Astra’s spacecraft engines into its Arrow small satellite portfolio. Financial details, nor delivery obligations were revealed. The AOS joint-venture is based near Merritt Island, Florida, very close to the Cape Canaveral […]

Airbus has launched a connectivity services business through the creation of a dedicated HAPS (High Altitude Platform Station) services business based around Zephyr, Airbus’ HAPS technology platform. Airbus says this new business will help enable it to industrialise rapidly and begin serving a substantial total addressable market, providing low-latency connectivity services from the stratosphere for […]

The European Space Agency (ESA) says that its first satellite to be built under its Eurostar ‘Neo’ programme has completed mechanical tests designed to demonstrate its ability to withstand the vibration that occurs during launch. The satellite is being developed by Airbus and will eventually be Eutelsat’s Hotbird 13F when launched but at the moment […]

Airbus has won an order for 42 satellite platforms along with their support services. The order comes from Northrop Grumman which will use add its own payloads to the platforms. The ultimate customer is the US Space development Agency. The Airbus/Northrop concept is to use the bulk supply order to provide more power within a […]

Airbus-built MEASAT-3d telecommunications satellite is in Kourou, French Guiana and is ready for its launch on an Ariane 5 on June 22nd 2022. MEASAT-3d is the 57th E3000 satellite built by Airbus and will be positioned at the 91.5°E orbital slot and collocated with MEASAT-3b, also built by Airbus. This new satellite will significantly enhance […]

When the UK made its $500 million investment in the – then bankrupt – OneWeb satellite constellation, much was made of the prospects for production of the actual satellites, with UK officials talking optimistically about satellites being built in the UK. Alok Sharma, then business secretary in the UK government, spoke at the time of […]

Airbus has won a series of contracts for a number of new satellites which will be built at its joint-venture (with OneWeb) Florida factory. The first couple of craft will be built at the Airbus facility in Toulouse prior to shifting construction to the Florida production base. The 15-unit order comes from San Francisco-based Loft […]

Dataxis has published its latest report on the Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) civil communications market. After years of significant growth, the decline in traditional video activity in the most developed countries is being sustained, resulting in a limited but steady decline in the turnover of FSS operators. The outlook for the future is equally becoming […]