Advanced Television

Inside Satellite

Chris Forrester

Chris Forrester is one of the most experienced and highly regarded journalists in the field. His insight and analysis, particularly in the satellite and pay-TV arena, is highly prized. He has written for all the major business journals in the sector as well as several national newspapers.

Space Machines clever in-orbit servicing scheme

Space Machines Company and Orbit Fab are joining forces to advance on-orbit servicing of satellites. The partnership joins together innovative technologies, most notably the installation of Orbit Fab’s space fiducial alignment markers on Space Machines Company’s Orbital Servicing Vehicle, Optimus. These markers will act like QR Codes in space, allowing Space Machines Company to work […]

December 11, 2023

Analyst: Can SpaceX start Starship launches at scale?

Analysts at Quilty Space pose the question of whether Elon Musk’s plans for SpaceX’s all-new Starship giant rocket can achieve scale. For example, after November’s launch of its second-ever Starship vehicle, Musk posted a picture of four more Starships lined up in one stage or another of assembly, and which he described as “the last […]

December 8, 2023

Starlink will attack the D2D market

Starlink is definitely going after the satellite ‘direct-to-device’ (D2D) market and this includes providing a cellular connection service for telephony. Details are still sketchy but what is known is that Starlink has been licensed by the FCC for testing of connections. Starlink is reportedly planning to include connectivity for users from 840 new satellites to […]

December 7, 2023

Starlink failure report

Having launched more than 5,000 satellites it is inevitable for SpaceX’s Starlink that some will fail. SpaceX has filed to the FCC its latest report on those failures over the past couple of months and gives the reasons. Starlink reference number 3337 suffered failed software. Remedial action was taken and the software updated but ultimately […]

December 5, 2023

Kuiper shocks with rival SpaceX bookings

Amazon’s Project Kuiper mega-constellation has surprisingly ordered three rocket launches from rival SpaceX. It seems the SpaceX launches are needed to ensure that Kuiper meets its ITU obligations to orbit 50 per cent of its 3,236 fleet by July-2026. Coincidentally, the order comes at the same time as a lawsuit from an institutional investor is […]

December 4, 2023

Germany’s ISAR planning IPO?

Munich-based Isar Aerospace, which specialises in small satellite launches, has modified its formal registration from a GmbH (‘Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung’, meaning ‘company with limited liability’) to an ‘SE’ (Societas Europaea) registered business. Rumours suggest the move could be a precursor to a move to an IPO. Isar Aerospace has raised significant funds over the […]

December 1, 2023

South Korea showcases latest satellite

A media delegation from South Korea visited the Thales Alenia Space satellite production facility in Toulouse, France, to examine Koreasat 6A and its payload. The visitors heard that the launch is on schedule for the winter of 2024-2025. The satellite uses Thales Alenia’s flight-proven Spacebus 4000 system, and will replace Koreasat 6 currently in orbit. […]

November 30, 2023

Bank trims SES expectations

A report on satellite operator SES from investment bank Berenberg maintains its ‘BUY’ recommendation, but the report has cut the bank’s share price target from €9.20 to a much more modest €7.20. The SES share price on November 28th was €5.40. The Berenberg report, Rebase done; Now on to returns, says it expects SES too […]

November 29, 2023

Terran Orbital sues CTO over coup attempt

A few weeks ago Terran Orbital was facing calls to fire the CEO and replace members of its Board of Directors. Terran is now suing former CTO Austin Williams and alleging his involvement in the attempted coup. Terran’s lawsuit, made on November 13th and a year after Williams left the company, alleges that Williams failed […]

November 28, 2023

Analyst: Dish bankruptcy “overwhelmingly probable”

Charlie Ergen is in the process of – in effect – merging Dish Network with sister business EchoStar in a strategy to tap into EchoStar’s cash war chest and in order to further build out Dish’s near-national 5G cellular spectrum in the US. The problem, according to analysts at MoffettNathanson, is that the moves might […]

November 24, 2023