Direct-to-Smartphone satellite communications have been approved – with some conditions – by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for SpaceX. This permission applies to US consumers using T-Mobile’s services. The approval was granted on November 26th and covers 7,500 of SpaceX’s Second generation Starlink satellites which will operate at lower orbits (Very Low Earth Orbits, VLEO), […]
It was previously reported that would-be satellite operator Rivada Space Networks might have lost its important launch contracts with SpaceX. That is not the case says Rivada. A Rivada spokesman told Advanced-Television that the SpaceX contract is still valid and in place. “Final launch windows have not been set,” said Brian Carney, SVP/Corporate Communications. Rivada […]
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is reportedly set to mount a Tender Offer this December. The plan is to sell existing shares at around $135 (€128m) each. The end result would be to value SpaceX at around $250 billion. A Tender Offer, usually taken up by existing shareholders, means new shares are not issued. Therefore, the move […]
Rivada Spec Networks, already suffering much negative press about missed financial deadlines, is now reported to have lost 12 dedicated launch slots on SpaceX. It is not said whether Rivada has paid ‘deposits’ on the launches when the contracts were signed. If deposits were paid then it is said that they will have been forfeited. […]
SpaceX’s giant 400 ft tall Starship will make a sixth test flight on November 19th, subject to the usual weather and last-minute technical checks. The fifth flight saw the ‘super heavy’ booster stage captured by a pair of ‘chopsticks’ upon its return to Earth at Elon Musk’s Starbase. The next Starship flight test aims to […]
Starlink is pausing its subscriber drive in several African countries because of “soaring demand for its broadband service”. SpaceX says too many users are trying to access the Starlink service in those regions which are currently at network capacity. One local commentator said that Starlink demand has been “skyrocketing”. One source said that Starlink’s network […]
AST SpaceMobile has confirmed that each of their five BlueBird satellites launched by SpaceX in September have successfully unfurled their massive solar and transmission arrays. Each satellite carries 64 sq metres of array. AST is building follow-on satellites which are even larger in size and has ambitions to become a global connectivity supplier of satellite-to-cellular […]
Qatar Airways has taken the future of in-flight connectivity to greater heights by operating the world’s first Starlink-equipped Boeing 777 aircraft from Doha to London on October 22nd. Passengers can now stay entertained and connected throughout their journey, streaming their content and live sports, enjoying online gaming, or working seamlessly at 35,000 feet – all […]
Ben Longmier, Senior Director, satellite engineering at SpaceX (and a co-founder of Swarm Technologies), confirmed on October 21st that SpaceX’s New Zealand cellular partner, One NZ. had sent its first text message via the Starlink system. “[We are] planning to turn on commercial service in New Zealand soon, once Starlink receives FCC commercial authority shortly,” […]
Eutelsat Group has announced the successful launch and deployment of 20 satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO), further strengthening the OneWeb constellation. The satellites were launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 which lifted off at 10:13 pm PT (local) on October 19th from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. […]