SpaceX launched another batch (Mission 4.20) of Starlink satellites late on September 4th at 10.09pm Florida-time. Fifty-one satellites were launched on this particular flight, and it established a new record for SpaceX and its 40th mission so far this year. Also onboard was Spaceflight’s Sherpa-LTC orbital transfer vehicle. This was the seventh flight for the […]
According to a research report from specialist IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, the global satellite IoT communications market is growing at a steady pace. Despite the impact of the pandemic, the global satellite IoT subscriber base grew to surpass 3.9 million in 2021. The number of satellite IoT subscribers is forecast to increase at a […]
The SpaceX contract with the Royal Caribbean Group to equip all its vessels with Starlink broadband means that SES and its much-lauded O3b/mPOWER technology now has what looks like serious competition. The SES mPOWER satellites are due to start coming into service by the end of Q1/2023. SES is using SpaceX to launch the first […]
SpaceX launched its latest Falcon 9 and carrying a batch of Starlink satellites (Mission 3.4) on August 30th from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, placing 46 extra craft into their transfer orbits. However, the day brought good news and bad news for SpaceX. The bad news covered its global satellite service suffering a problem […]
Royal Caribbean Group has revealed its plan to implement SpaceX’s Starlink – making the Group the first in the cruise industry to adopt its high-speed, low-latency connectivity for a better onboard experience for guests and crew fleetwide. The broadband internet service will be installed on all Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships, […]
SpaceX continues to populate its mega-constellation of orbiting broadband craft continues. Its mission 4-23 Falcon 9 rocket took off on Aigust 27th from Landing Complex 40 from Cape Canaveral, Florida carrying 54 satellites weighing a combined 16 tonnes – the heaviest payload ever launched. Following launch the booster rocket landed flawlessly on to the ‘A […]
SpaceX and US cellular provider T-Mobile will launch a direct-to-phone satellite connection using SpaceX’s second-generation Starlink craft. At an event August 25th (dubbed ‘Coverage: Above & Beyond’) T-Mobile’s CEO and President Mike Sievert and SpaceX’s Elon Musk announced what they described as a breakthrough new plan to bring cell phone connectivity everywhere on the planet. […]
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is planning its next Starlink launches on August 19th and August 27th. First up is mission 4.27 on August 19th that 3.24pm Florida time from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Then, late on August 27th – although this might slip by 24 hours to August 28th – another batch […]
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket placed 46 Starlink satellites into one of five orbital shells in SpaceX’s internet constellation on August 12th. SpaceX began launching dedicated missions into one of the network two polar orbit shells last month. SpaceX has previously launched satellites into the other three shells at inclinations of 53 degrees, 53.2 degrees, […]
The FCC has turned down Elon Musk’s SpaceX request for an $886 million (€860m) grant as part of the US government’s massive $20.4 billion rural broadband subsidy scheme. The FCC had previously awarded the sum back in 2020, but that move has now been rejected. In a statement, the FCC said the FCC said that […]