Satcom
Stories about the satellite communication industry.
Starlink and Kuiper Trying to Prove Proliferation is Profitable
Payload Research’s Starlink revenue estimate for 2024 is $6.85B.
The State of Satcom
We’re more connected than ever, and we have the growth of satellite communications technologies to thank. In the past year alone, the satcom industry has made major advances in internet coverage, in-flight connectivity, technology development for direct-to-device, and emergency broadband services…the list goes on.
Canadian Government to Back Telesat With $1.6B Loan
Telesat ($TSAT), a Canadian satcom provider, announced it received a loan proposal of $2.1B CAD ($1.6B) from the Canadian government to help finance its 198-bird Lightspeed LEO constellation.
Viasat and Rocket Lab Team Up on NASA Comms Demo
It’s the first time the legacy comms giant has chosen a “new space” company to build an on-orbit asset.
SpaceX Will Deorbit 100 Starlink Satellites For Safety Reasons
The world’s largest satellite constellation is about to get a little bit smaller.
The Cost of Satcom Has Fallen Dramatically Thanks to Starlink
The cost of data from space has fallen 77% since 2019.
Viasat Is Still In Building Mode After Inmarsat Deal
Less than a year after acquiring European rival Inmarsat, ViaSat ($VSAT) management told investors Tuesday night that the two companies’ operations had been integrated successfully.
A-Rod Will Take Satellite-to-Phone Firm Lynk Public
Lynk, which operates satellites that connect directly to mobile phones to provide emergency connectivity, laid out its plans to go public later this year by merging with a blank check firm run by former baseball star Alex Rodriguez.
Quantum Reveals First Mission, Sentry
Quantum Space is building a mesh communications infrastructure that spans from LEO to cislunar space and beyond to meet growing data needs as humanity expands its reach into the cosmos. This morning, the company unveiled details of Sentry, its first mission. Sentry will launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-10 rideshare, currently slated for no earlier than March,…
Chinese Satellite Achieves High-Speed Space-to-Ground Laser Comms
Chang Guang, a Chinese satellite operator, successfully achieved 10 Gbps satellite-to-ground laser communication via a Jilin-1 satellite, the company announced last week. The downlink speed surpassed a previous record of 1 Gbps via radio frequency connectivity. The first laser demonstration downlink included a satellite picture of Doha, Qatar. Beam me down, Scotty: Laser communication’s higher…
AST SpaceMobile Raises $59.4M, Stock Craters
AST SpaceMobile ($ASTS) stock plunged nearly 30% this week after the cash-strapped company announced Tuesday it had raised $59.4M in a steep discount public offering. The satellite manufacturer sold 12.5M shares at ~$4.75 a pop, well below the ~$6.50 price tag the shares were trading at before the offering. Space → Mobile: The Odessa, TX-based…
Airbus, SES, Eutelsat, Hispasat, and Thales Band Together for IRIS2
In the ultimate example of competitors coming together, Europe’s largest satellite companies announced yesterday that they are joining forces to bid on the EU’s IRIS2 program contracts. Airbus, SES, Eutelsat, Hispasat, and Thales said the partnership will “leverage the expertise and capabilities in the field of secure satellite communications solutions,” according to a joint press…
FCC Launches Space Bureau
The FCC opened its new space office on Tuesday to help the agency better consider the thousands of applications it receives each year for satellite approval and authorization of novel space activities. The agency is currently considering more than 60,000 applications for new satellites—the largest backlog in the FCC’s history. “This effort is part of…
