Advanced Television

Astranis’s space tug helps out Spacecom

A rescue satellite is being moved from coverage of Alaska to serve a Middle East operator. The Astranis craft had plans to beam broadband to Alaska but cut short by a solar array issue and is now on is on its way to a geostationary position over Asia for a very different mission. Astranis will […]

February 29, 2024

Starlink #2 needed 17 corrections

The FAA has detailed and listed the 17 technical corrections that need to be carried out of the giant SpaceX Starship rocket before the third test flight can take place. The FAA says that its investigation into the rocket’s November 17th 2023 explosion has concluded. All updates are underway. SpaceX issued its own comments and […]

February 28, 2024

US outlines satellite phone framework

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has published its proposed framework which could allow satellite operators to use spectrum from terrestrial cellular businesses for their smartphone connections, and when beyond the reach of conventional mobile towers. Jessica Rosenworcel, FCC chair, says the final draft of rules have been sent to the regulator’s other four Commissioners that, […]

February 26, 2024

Ariane 6 unloaded in French Guiana

The central core of European Space Agency’s (ESA) giant Ariane 6 rocket has arrived in French Guiana, shipped from France on ESA’s own specialised vessel, Canopée. In time for its summer test-launch this year, Ariane 6 has arrived at the port of Pariacabo in Kourou, French Guiana – home of Europe’s Spaceport – and is […]

February 23, 2024

SpaceX’s 300th successful mission

Last weekend there were multiple launches made by SpaceX with its Falcon 9 rocket making its 300th successful mission. However, the company has also started de-orbiting some of its Starlink satellite while at the same time explaining its plans for its work with T-Mobile and telephony. A tweet from company President, Gwynne Shotwell, said: “Falcon […]

February 22, 2024

Space insurance market facing challenges

2023 was not a stellar year for the space insurance market. The second half of the year saw losses totalling $826 million (€764.9m) according to analysts and the year’s total claimed losses will be around $1.2 – $1.3 billion. More than 85 per cent of those losses, including those from Viasat-3 and Inmarsat 6-F2, stemmed […]

February 21, 2024

Bank: “Eutelsat not out of the woods yet”

Investment bank BNP/Paribas, in its review of Eutelsat’s half-year results, praised the satellite operator saying it was making “good progress” and reducing its balance sheet risks, but warned it “is not out of the woods yet”. BNPP, in its note to clients, stated: “While we remain cautious on the shares in the context of management […]

February 20, 2024

IRIS2 in trouble already?

The EU’s giant IRIS2 broadband by satellite plan is already facing challenges. IRIS2 (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite) is the European Union’s answer to “pressing challenge of tomorrow, offering enhanced communication capacities to governmental users, businesses, while ensuring high-speed internet broadband to cope with connectivity dead zones.” But there are problems for […]

February 19, 2024

AST SpaceMobile could challenge Starlink

AST SpaceMobile wants to cover the planet with satellite signals that supply ‘direct-to-cellphone’ connectivity. It already has one satellite in orbit (BlueWalker 3) but says its next craft will be “100 times more powerful” in terms of processing bandwidth. AST recently struck agreements with AT&T, Vodafone and Google and says it has terrestrial links with […]

February 16, 2024

Falcon 9 vs Starship: Launch cadences

Each very well established and highly reliable Falcon 9 rocket can carry 23 Starlink satellites into their transfer orbits. The much larger – but as yet unproved – Starship rocket can carry about 50 satellites. Satellite watcher Ken Kirtland, an industrial designer at Formation Design Group, has compared and contrasted the cost vs effectiveness equation […]

February 15, 2024