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.

EchoStar prepares for key launch

EchoStar, a business owned by Charlie Ergen, has a crucial date on June 25th for a rocket and satellite launch. If the satellite is successfully put into orbit then Ergen will secure near-global rights to S-band licences. If it doesn’t work – and two previous attempts have failed – then Ergen’s permissions to use the […]

June 24, 2021

SpaceX to remedy overheating antennas

Heatwaves across certain US states have thrown up problems with SpaceX’s Starlink broadband by satellite system. Reportedly, Starlink’s pizza-sized antennas are over-heating under the summer sun and closing down. Meanwhile, Starlink OTT Gwynne Shotwell says that its global service will be in place by around September. As to the temperature problem, Starlink was exacerbated in […]

June 23, 2021

Spaceport Cornwall signs launch MoU

Spaceport Cornwall, the UK’s horizontal launch site, and Sierra Nevada Corp, which will be engaging through its wholly owned subsidiary Sierra Space, have signed an MoU to explore future collaboration opportunities following the completion of UK Space Agency funded Concept of Operations for Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane. Spaceport Cornwall and Sierra Space say they […]

June 22, 2021

Telesat testimony could be vital to SES

SES, in its assorted legal filings with Intelsat’s bankruptcy court, insists that it has sufficient proofs of Intelsat’s deliberate duplicity in how the end-game in the C-band allocation of the FCC’s $9.7 billion payments was managed. SES is asking the court for a Summary Judgement of its claim and the court has scheduled August 19th […]

June 21, 2021

SES demands Intelsat text message disclosure

SES continues with its legal onslaught on Intelsat and a $1.8 billion claim for a greater share of the FCC’s $9.7 million incentive payments, and for punitive damages to be levied by the bankruptcy court on Intelsat. Following on from the formal request for Summary Judgement in its case against Intelsat, SES has issued a […]

June 18, 2021

SES seeks Summary Judgement against Intelsat

An 80-page document from SES, filed on June 16th with Intelsat’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy court, lays out in historical detail why it wants the court to heavily penalise Intelsat for its alleged “wilful and intentional breaching of its fiduciary duties”. SES is asking the bankruptcy court to issue a Summary Judgement in favour of SES […]

June 17, 2021

Intelsat’s Chapter 11 exit delayed?

Intelsat’s exit from its Chapter 11 restructuring could be badly delayed and distributions to other creditors limited by the dispute between SES and Intelsat over C-band payments from the FCC. SES is claiming at least $420 million, and potentially $1.8 billion if the bankruptcy court awards punitive damages, over the way the FCC’s incentive payments […]

June 16, 2021

Branson’s ‘financing two-step’ for Virgin Orbit

Sir Richard Branson managed to handle a reverse take-over of his Virgin Galactic space tourism business by a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) and a stock market listing in October 2019. Now he is reportedly trying a similar scheme with Virgin Orbit. Branson is looking for another SPAC, this time targeting NextGeneration Acquisition II, which […]

June 15, 2021

Yves Feltes RIP

Yves Feltes, the former and well-known head of corporate communications at satellite operator Société Européenne des Satellites (SES), has died. Feltes looked after media and corporate relations for SES from 1990 to 2015, some 25 years of absolute professionalism in handling the press during a period when SES was on an unprecedented expansion growth trajectory. […]

June 14, 2021

Thuraya and Airbus wrap design of Thuraya-4

Abu Dhabi-based satellite operator Al Yah says that Airbus has wrapped the initial Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the company’s upcoming Thuraya 4-NGS. Thuraya 4-NGS will have an L-band ecosystem with the upgrade of Thuraya’s space and ground and user (products and solutions) segments. Complemented by a 5G-ready core network, Yahsat’s newest satellite system will […]

June 11, 2021