Apple’s iPhone 14 has already promised ‘emergency’ S.O.S. connectivity in remote areas in the US or Canada by using Globalstar direct-to-smartphone satellites. Now Iridium, already extremely active in supplying satellite-phone connections, says it will bring in “basic” S.O.S. for emergencies and casual use. Apple’s service will provide iPhone 14 users outside of a normal cellular […]
The October 20th launch of 54 Starlink broadband satellites takes the total number in orbit to more than 3,500 craft. It was mission 4-36 for SpaceX’s Starlink deployments. SpaceX successfully landed the Falcon 9 booster rocket on the waiting floating barge, A Shortfall of Gravitas, some 650 km downrange for reuse in the future. The […]
Elon Musk’s Starlink broadband by satellite system is aggressively pursuing airline ‘direct-to-seat’ in-flight services. Starlink Aviation is promising connection speeds of up to 350 Mb/s (per aircraft) which it says is fast enough for video calls, online gaming and other high data rate activity. Starlink says it is offering connectivity to the world’s private jet […]
The Defence Committee of the UK’s House of Commons has suggested that the planned merger between OneWeb and Eutelsat must be subject to the “most stringent” scrutiny. The Committee’s report, Defence Space: through adversity to the stars?, which contains recommendations to government, looks into the role of space within defence, and notes the complexities and […]
Starlink has formally applied for a GMPCS (Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite) licence from India’s Department of Trade (DoT). The service was previously ordered to refund potential subscribers after offering pre-orders before holding a licence. Starlink, once licensed, will join OneWeb (backed by Bharti Airtel) and Reliance’s Jio satellite division (which is working with […]
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 54 Starlink satellites today, October 20th, from Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The instantaneous launch window is at 10:50 am ET (14:50 pm UTC), and a backup opportunity is available on Friday, October 21st at 10:29 a.m. ET (14:29 UTC). The […]
The European Space Agency (ESA) has admitted that the delayed launched of Arianespace’s new Ariane 6 rocket is not now likely to make its debut flight for another year. The new hope is for a launch in Q4 2023. Ariane 6 was first planned to launch in July 2020. Covid hasn’t helped, but with the […]
Although the planned merger between satellite operators Viasat and Inmarsat faces the prospect of a lengthy competition probe in the UK, the pair have announced that the Australian Government’s Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) has confirmed it has no objections to the planned combination of their businesses. FIRB’s clearance of Viasat’s proposed acquisition of Inmarsat […]
UK-based Orbex Space has raised £40.4 million in C-round financing. The company says the new cash “led by a new investor, the Scottish National Investment Bank, will allow the company to scale up its resources as it counts down to the first vertical launch from UK soil, as well as unlocking additional funding to support […]
Rivada Space Networks (RSN) is planning to launch a mega-constellation of 600 satellites. It has announced that it has signed a partnership agreement with SpeQtral, which Rivada says is an emerging leader in quantum-secure communications systems. Quantum-secure communications systems and specifically Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology are seen as crucial elements in the development of […]