In October 2021, the UK Space Agency (UKSA) commissioned the ClearSpace UK-based subsidiary to perform a feasibility study for a mission to remove at least two UK-registered derelict objects from low Earth orbit (LEO). In this study, the team explored different mission scenarios, defined the mission and system requirements and selected the technologies necessary for the […]
The United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) giant Atlas V531 rocket is making its final preparations to send two SES satellites into orbit. The two craft, SES-20 and SES-21 are both part of the SES obligation to provide TV broadcasting over the US for many US cable and head-end retransmission operators. The satellites are part of the […]
SpinLaunch, a company that wants to launch satellites using a giant centrifuge (an ‘orbital accelerator’), has announced that it has raised some $71 million in Series B funding. SpinLaunch’s new cash comes in a funding round led by ATW Partners. SpinLaunch is currently based at Long Beach, California. The new cash means that the company […]
Satellite constellation operator OneWeb is reportedly seeking to raise “billion of pounds” in fresh funding. This cash-raising exercise is additional to the recently announced merger between OneWeb and Paris-based Eutelsat. The fresh cash is needed to fund the cost for building and launching OneWeb’s second-generation satellites, which will be more powerful. Reports suggest that OneWeb […]
Arabsat has selected SpaceX’s Falcon 9 to launch its new satellite, Arabsat 7A – the first Arabsat 7th generation satellite harbouring the latest satellite technologies in terms of manufacturing, payload, efficiency of performance, and coverage flexibility. This announcement marks the third time that Arabsat has selected SpaceX for launch: first in 2019 with Falcon Heavy’s […]
More and more satellite operators are using electric propulsion for their orbit raising and keeping the craft on station. The market, according to a study from Reportlinker, is set to be worth more than $1 billion by 2032. The report, titled Satellite Electric Propulsion Market – A Global and Regional Analysis, says today’s value of […]
Rivada Space Networks, with offices in the US, Germany and Ireland and licensed by Lichtenstein, is asking the ITU regulator to give it more time to launch its laser-linked satellites into orbit. Currently, Rivada is obliged to launch 10 per cent of its planned 600 low Earth orbiting satellites by September 2023. Shareholder disputes at […]
SES and Microsoft have extended their existing agreement and which will see a new initiative designed to make the satellite industry more responsive to evolving customer needs through cloud-native service delivery architectures that are more open, virtualised and programmable. Called the Satellite Communications Virtualisation Programme, the effort will focus on creating fully-virtualised satcom ground network […]
Shortly after revealing changes to its management team, LEO satellite constellation operator Rivada Space Networks has joined the EU Secure Connectivity Programme. According to Rivada, the need for secure and resilient global connectivity increases with the digitisation of the economy and society and increasing geopolitical and cybersecurity threats. The European Commission is proposing an ambitious […]
Thales Alenia Space has won a contract to deliver Koreasat 6A for delivery in Q4/2024. Korea Telecom’s (KT) Koreasat 6A will have 20 fixed satellite service (FSS) and six TV broadcast transponders to replace Koreasat 6, which launched to geostationary orbit at 116 degrees East in December 2010. Thales has enjoyed a long relationship with […]