Advanced Television

Low Earth Orbit

ESA wants initial €750m for EU constellation

The European Space Agency (ESA) will be asking its member governments, including the UK, to fund an extra €750 million for its planned work schedule between 2023-2025. The cash will help pay initial costs for the European Union’s low Earth orbiting (LEO) broadband scheme. Europe wants its own independent LEO communications system. But that sum […]

October 2, 2022

ESA wants initial €100m for LEO test system

The European Space Agency (ESA) is looking for its member states to fund an initial €100 million for a mini-constellation of between 6-12 low Earth orbiting (LEO) test satellites to launch during 2026. The cash will be used to build and launch the new constellation. If the tests work out then the bill will be […]

September 28, 2022

OneWeb to buy Astra Space engines

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 […]

August 31, 2022By Chris Forrester

Telespazio to build OneWeb satellite gateway

Telespazio, a joint venture of Leonardo (67 per cent) and Thales (33 per cent), through its subsidiary Telespazio Brasil, is to supply low Earth orbit satellite communications company OneWeb with infrastructure and services, for a new satellite gateway at the teleport in Maricà, in the State of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). The Maricà gateway is […]

February 15, 2022

Forecast: Satellite broadband SAM in 330m premises by 2026

According to global technology intelligence firm ABI Research, the serviceable addressable market (SAM) for global satellite broadband over geostationary (GEO), medium earth orbit (MEO), and low earth orbit (LEO) satellites will stand at 330 million premises, equivalent to 1.3 billion household members in 2026. SAM has grown by 5.3 per cent compared to 2021. Fibre-optic […]

November 30, 2021

Astra 1D, AsiaSat 3S go to graveyard orbits

Research from satellite-watcher Dr. D.S. Kelso at CeresTrak says that the past few days have been busy for the technicians at SES Astra and AsiaSat. Kelso says that Astra 1D has been shifted from its geostationary orbit to a higher ‘graveyard’ orbit as it reached the end of its operational life earlier in November. Astra […]

November 30, 2021By Chris Forrester

Eutelsat completes OneWeb equity investment

Satellite operator Eutelsat Communications has confirmed the closing of its $550 million €455.4m) equity investment in Low Earth Orbit service OneWeb announced on April 27th, 2021. Subject to completion of the subsequently announced investments in OneWeb by Bharti and Hanwha, Eutelsat will hold a 17.6 per cent stake. “We are delighted to close this investment […]

September 9, 2021

Telesat wins major Ontario order

Ottawa-based satellite operator Telesat has received a C$109 million (€74m) agreement to provide “futureproof” connectivity using Telesat’s Lightspeed Low Earth Orbit satellites, now under construction. The order comes from the Government of Ontario which says that it has partnered with Telesat to bridge the digital divide in Ontario by using Telesat Lightspeed. “This C$109 million […]

August 9, 2021By Chris Forrester