Advanced Television

ESA

EU backs €6bn satellite system

The European Union (EU) has published an 80-page document which proposes a Public-Private partnership satellite communications system. The scheme is budgeted at €6 billion (€5.2bn) and would give Europe a secure and independent satellite constellation. The proposals have two prime objectives: 1/ to ensure governmental users access to a secure communication system for the protection […]

February 16, 2022By Chris Forrester

OneWeb launches another 34 satellites

OneWeb, the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, has confirmed the successful deployment of 34 satellites by Arianespace from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. This launch, the Company’s first in 2022 and 13th overall, brings OneWeb’s total in-orbit constellation to 428 satellites. It represents 66 per cent of OneWeb’s planned 648 […]

February 11, 2022

ESA mulls €750m commitment to satellite broadband

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) director general Josef Aschbacher has asked its 22-members to stump up an initial €750 million to fund a European low-Earth orbiting satellite constellation in order to secure broadband connectivity. The proposal, which will be discussed officially at ESA’s ministerial conference later this year, would be part of a wider budget […]

January 20, 2022By Chris Forrester

Avanti, ESA launch INSTANT5G

Avanti Communications, a provider of high throughput satellite capacity across EMEA, has announced the launch of INSTANT5G, a new research project endorsed by the European Space Agency, UK Space Agency and the Romanian Space Agency. The 5G via INtegrated Satellite and TerrestriAl CommuNicaTion (INSTANT5G) project aims to extend 5G coverage for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) […]

December 6, 2021

OneWeb looks at de-orbiting failed satellite

A OneWeb satellite (numbered SL41) orbiting at about 1200 kms, has failed because of a software problem and the satellite operator is looking to de-orbit the craft and is considering how best to remove it from orbit. The satellite is the only one of the 358 OneWeb craft to have failed, which is itself an […]

November 26, 2021By Chris Forrester

Isotropic Systems brings superfast broadband to trains

Isotropic Systems, a developer of transformational broadband terminal technologies, has joined the consortium led by CGI, which has been selected by the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the UK Space Agency, and the European Space Agency (ESA), to develop a demonstration of a hybrid satellite communications and terrestrial network for use on […]

November 17, 2021

Eutelsat’s Quantum enters service

Eutelsat’s latest – and highly versatile – Quantum satellite has entered service following a period of testing and validation. The satellite was launched on July 30th on board an Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana and reached its final orbit position a few days later at 48 degrees East covering a wide angle […]

November 12, 2021By Chris Forrester

Full speed ahead for Mk 2 OneWeb system

With more than half of the OneWeb initial plan for 648 satellites now in orbit, the company says it has allocated $350 million (€301m) to develop an upgraded Mk 2 version of its satellites. OneWeb has 358 satellites in orbit including 36 launched on October 14th. OneWeb says all are operating nominally. In November, OneWeb […]

October 20, 2021By Chris Forrester

Forsway targets connected vehicles in European Space Agency

Forsway, a provider of innovative solutions tapping satellite and existing terrestrial technologies to enable cost-efficient broadband services, has announced  Phase II of its co-funded ARTES Core Competitiveness development project Satellite Assisted 5G for vehicles with European Space Agency to develop a complete hybrid satellite hub for connected vehicles. Using the benchmark “network-of-networks”, Cloud-Native approach, a […]

October 12, 2021

ESA approves Ariane-6 expansion roadmap

The European Space Agency (ESA) has given its approval on Europe’s exploitation of the new Ariane 6 rocket as well as the smaller Vega-C launcher. A meeting on September 6th saw approval given for a roadmap for new and innovative space transportation solutions for the next decade and a framework for associated short cycle demonstrations. […]

September 8, 2021By Chris Forrester