Elon Musk’s Starlink broadband by satellite internet service is looking to connect Royal Caribbean cruise ships with access for passengers and crew. The outline agreement will see Starlink provide an experimental service initially. However, the more modern Royal Caribbean vessels are already equipped with satellite-based internet services from SES and its O3b Networks subsidiary. SES […]
Cairo-based Nilesat has declared its worst set of results for four years. The satellite operator’s revenue has declined for the fourth successive year from $156.22 million (€149m) in 2017 to $111.76 million at the year-end December 31st 2021. This represents a Y-o-Y decrease of 10.66 per cent from US$125.1 million compared to 2020 and 28.46 […]
On June 8th at 5:04 p.m. Eastern Time, a SpaceX workhorse Falcon 9 rocket launched Egypt’s Nilesat 301 satellite to a geosynchronous transfer orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Flying this mission was a first stage booster making its seventh flight. After it completed its main […]
The Starlink broadband network has regained permission to operate in France following a public consultation in the country, with telecoms regulator Arcep granting a 10-year licence to operate. There have been a number of highly-vociferous objectors to the Elon Musk-owned service being allowed to operate in France. Arcep had previously approved in February 2021 Starlink’s […]
Elon Musk has confirmed that SpaceX has built the first Starlink 2.0 satellite, which will be much larger and more powerful than the original versions. However, Musk’s Starship mega-rocket is the only way SpaceX will be able to get volume production of Starlink 2.0 into their orbits. The new satellite design is 22 feet (7 […]
SpaceX’s Starlink broadband-by-satellite service is now officially available for RV and caravan owners. Earlier in May emails were sent customers that Starlink’s Portability scheme was about to be activated. The previous rules did not allow clients to move their kit more than 1 or 2 kms from their home base. The email said: “Starlink is […]
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is launching a new funding round and aiming for around $1.72 billion (€1.5bn) in fresh cash at $70 per share. It would take SpaceX’s valuation to about $127 billion. SpaceX is still a private company and despite numerous rumours of a potential IPO has – to date – steered clear of a […]
SpaceX’s Starlink broadband system has used Germany’s BNetZA (Bundesnetzagentur), the country’s Federal regulatory office for telecommunications, for a number of new satellite filings. The filings were made on behalf of Starlink’s German subsidiary. The German regulatory office will handle the applications with the International Telecommunications Union. The filings cover a total of 6,184 satellites working […]
SpaceX will launch the geostationary communications satellite NilesSat 301 on a Falcon 9 rocket on June 10th, subject to the usual weather considerations. Launch will take place from Cape Canaveral at 1am (Florida time). SpaceX says that at the request of the customer, the satellite will be inserted into a higher orbit that will need […]
Another SpaceX launch success and subsequent landing on May 18th was the fourth Starlink batch lifted into space in barely 10 days. The launch carried 53 satellites into their transfer orbit. It has also emerged that a planned launch of a Maxar-built heavyweight satellite will be launched by a SpaceX Falcon ‘Heavy’ rocket in order […]