While much of the Airbus Group results released this week are focused on its aircraft business, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury told analysts that the past year represented the most challenging crisis to hit the aerospace industry. However, the satellite and rocket business figured in its end-of-year numbers (to December 31st 2020). The pressures from across […]
The European Court has suspended a massive $1.8 billion (€1.47bn) manufacturing contract with Airbus and Thales Alenia for production of Galileo sat-nav satellites. The Court is looking at allegations of trade secret thefts. An objection to the Court from Germany-based satellite builder OHB-System which had pitched with the UK’s Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) on construction […]
Airbus has confirmed that it has received an order from Intelsat for two satellites. Intelsat had requested permission from its Bankruptcy Court to go ahead with the contract. Intelsat has ordered the paid of Airbus ‘OneSat’ craft which are highly flexible satellites with next-generation software giving Intelsat a variety of technical options including frequency adaptability. […]
Intelsat, currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy reconstruction, is asking its bankruptcy court to formally approve two new satellites for broadband In-Flight Connectivity. The craft are needed following on from its $500 million purchase last year of the commercial aviation assets of Gogo. Intelsat wants to order the pair of satellites from Airbus Defence & Space […]
OneWeb, the would-be broadband-by-satellite constellation backed by the UK and India, is contemplating switching its current Florida satellite production line to the UK. The Mail on Sunday reported that “executives behind OneWeb briefed civil servants” on the merits of moving satellite production from Florida to the UK. Currently satellite production takes place under a joint-venture […]
The European Commission (EC) is looking to build a global Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) broadband-by-satellite system to help bridge – and solve – the digital divide in connectivity. The European Commission has selected a consortium of European satellite manufacturers, operators and service providers, telco operators and launch service providers to study the design, development and […]
Arianespace will use Russia’s ’Far East’ cosmodrome at Vostochny to launch 36 OneWeb satellites into orbit today (December 18th), at 12:26 GMT (21:26 Russia Vostochny time). Arianespace is depending on a Soyuz rocket, often called the workhorse for the frequency of its use, for its Flight ST29, and the rocket was rolled out to its […]
OneWeb Satellites, the joint-venture business set up in Florida and owned by OneWeb itself and Airbus, has appointed a new CEO, promoting the current COO James Hinds to the role. He takes over from Tony Gingiss who has headed the business since 2017. OneWeb’s latest batch of 36 satellites are due for launch on December […]
SpaceX has been awarded a satellite launch contract for a Turkish craft, Turksat 5A. Ali Taha Koç, head of the country’s Presidential Digital Transformation Office, said the satellite is being built by Airbus Defense and Space, among the pioneers in aerospace technology. “With Turksat 5A, Turkey will have a coverage area that encompasses the Middle […]
Most satellites that depend on chemical propulsion once in orbit are designed with an orbit lifetime of some 12-15 years. However, electrical propulsion can dramatically extend that life in orbit. Turksat is using Airbus Defence & Space to build its latest craft, Turksat 5A which is scheduled for launch in later this year by SpaceX. […]