Thales Alenia Space has bought capacity on Eutelsat’s new Konnect VHTS craft for its SpaceGate high-speed broadband service across Europe. The satellite is due for launch on September 6th. Thales Alenia developed the Konnect VHTS (for Very High Throughput Satellite) for Eutelsat and it had been expected to take capacity on the craft. The satellite […]
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 […]
Northern Sky Research (NSR) has cast its eye over a new scheme which brought together mega-satellite operator SpaceX along with cellular giant T-Mobile to deliver two-way connectivity between SpaceX and mobile users around the world. NSR, in a note to clients, said “this will be an innovative additional feature for the network, but also asks […]
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 […]
Arianespace has finished its pre-launch preparation for the upcoming lift-off for Eutelsat’s important Konnect VHTS satellite. The craft will carry the most powerful satellite digital processor in the world. Thales Alenia Space built the satellite and the current plan, subject to the usual weather and last-minute technical glitches, is to launch the Konnect ‘Very High […]
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. […]
Rwanda is backing a scheme to launch 300,000 satellites into low Earth orbit. The project, E-Space, is being advised as CEO by serial satellite entrepreneur Greg Wyler (who was instrumental in forming O3b and OneWeb). E-Space is now hiring senior staffers. Production of the satellite fleet is due to commence next year. E-Space has now […]
Wars and international conflicts are increasingly targeting orbiting satellites, says a report from Aerospace Corp. The report says that as space-based services become ever more integrated with life and society on Earth, the international community will have to consider how commercial actors affect and are affected by crisis and conflict in space. Unfortunately, there are […]