The European Space Agency (ESA) is looking for its member states to fund an initial €100 million for a mini-constellation of between 6-12 low Earth orbiting (LEO) test satellites to launch during 2026. The cash will be used to build and launch the new constellation. If the tests work out then the bill will be […]
Launched in July 2021 to a location at 48 degrees East, the European Space Agency (ESA) says that Eutelsat’s Quantum satellite is not only busy, but filling up with 6 out of its 8 beams sold. Quantum is a fully-reconfigurable software-defined satellite with extremely sophisticated benefits. It mainly serves the Middle East and North African […]
Satellite business D-Orbit has terminated plans to merge with a US-based special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) in the form of Breeze Holdings. The pair say the decision was reached mutually. “Since this agreement was first announced in January, financial markets have changed substantially, and it is clear that the merger agreement is no longer viable […]
Viasat’s UK division has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to conduct a multi-layered Satellite Communication (SATCOM) study focused on evaluating the use cases, market segments and technical aspects of these future systems, which will be comprised of networks that span multiple orbital types including Geostationary Equatorial Orbit (GEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), […]
Operating satellites at orbital heights of less than 300 kms is seen as a solution to reduce the cost of satellite launching and making affordable performance. Thales Alenia Space and the Belgian team of the UK’s QinetiQ are backing the development of so-called ‘skimsats’. The pair are working with the European Space Agency (ESA) and […]
The European Space Agency (ESA) says that its first satellite to be built under its Eurostar ‘Neo’ programme has completed mechanical tests designed to demonstrate its ability to withstand the vibration that occurs during launch. The satellite is being developed by Airbus and will eventually be Eutelsat’s Hotbird 13F when launched but at the moment […]
Inmarsat has linked with the European Space Agency (ESA) with a contract to take its Iris air traffic modernisation programme global and drive the future of uncrewed aviation airspace integration in Europe. Iris has been developed in a public-private partnership launched by ESA. The service enables high bandwidth satellite-based datalink communications between air traffic controllers […]
The European Commission (EC) has paused making a decision on creating a rival mega-constellation of broadband satellites until later this year. The EC is looking to create a European rival to Elon Musk’s Starlink as well as other systems from Jeff Bezos (Kuiper), Canada’s Telesat (Lightspeed) and similar proposals from China and other satellite operators […]
The European Union (EU) has published an 80-page document which proposes a Public-Private partnership satellite communications system. The scheme is budgeted at €6 billion (€5.2bn) and would give Europe a secure and independent satellite constellation. The proposals have two prime objectives: 1/ to ensure governmental users access to a secure communication system for the protection […]
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) director general Josef Aschbacher has asked its 22-members to stump up an initial €750 million to fund a European low-Earth orbiting satellite constellation in order to secure broadband connectivity. The proposal, which will be discussed officially at ESA’s ministerial conference later this year, would be part of a wider budget […]