News Analysis

ST Engineering’s Corporate Venture Capital Unit Invests in hiSky

Singapore, December 8, 2021-ST Engineering today announced that its Corporate Venture Capital unit, ST Engineering Ventures Pte Ltd led a US$ 30 million Series A round in Israel-based hiSky Ltd., a  developer and provider of affordable and agile satellite Internet of Things (IoT) networks and solutions, with participation from SDF (Strategic Development Fund), the investment arm of Tawazun Holding, and hiSky’s existing shareholders.

In Skynet We Trust

By Robert Bell
 
In the Terminator films, an artificial intelligence system called Skynet is put in charge of the US nuclear deterrent.  After some consideration, it reaches the not-unreasonable conclusion that human beings are dangerous.  Cue Armageddon, followed by a long mopping-up operation to ensure that humans will never pose a threat to a world now run by machines.  

Trending: A Year to Remember and A Year Ahead

by Martin Jarrold

As I began writing this column news was filtering over media about the decision of the World Health Organization to designate the latest mutations to the spike protein of the Sars-Cov-2 virus as a “variant of concern”, and to use the Greek letter Omicron to name it (rather than the original designation of B.1.1.529). Thanks to the skills of scientists at South Africa’s Medical Research Council Genomics Centre the exact sequencing of the new variant was speedily completed and its details promulgated quickly to their colleagues in sister agencies around the world.

Rocket Lab Acquires Planetary Systems Corporation

Denver, Colo., December 2, 2021--Rocket Lab acquires space hardware company Planetary Systems Corporation (“PSC”).  Crux CFO Advisors was the exclusive financial advisor in the transacation.

Videos from CABSAT 2021 in Dubai, UAE

Dubai, UAE, November 11, 2021--View videos from the CABSAT 2021 show held in Dubai, UAE from October 26-28, 2021 including:  Satelite Markets and Research Editor-in-Chief Virgil Labrador's presentation at the SatExpo Summit at CABSAT on the "Key Trends to Watch in the Satellite Industry;" A demonstration of ND Satcom's new MFT 1500 Flyaway Terminal for Military Applications; and a interview with Spacebridge CEO David Gelerman

 

Voyager Space Announces Intent to Acquire Majority Stake in Space Micro Inc.

Denver, Colo., November 22, 2021-- Voyager Space Inc.  today announced its intent to acquire a majority stake in San Diego-based Space Micro. Space Micro is a highly innovative engineering-driven business focused on advancing high-performance satellite communications, digital, and electro-optical systems with over 2.7 million hours of space flight heritage.

Telesat Becomes a Public Company

Ottawa, Canada, November 19, 2021--November 19, 2021 – Telesat Corporation announced today that it is now a public company and will begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“NASDAQ”) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) under the ticker symbol “TSAT”. This follows the closing of Telesat’s previously announced transaction with Loral Space & Communications Inc. and Public Sector Pension Investment Board in which Loral’s stockholders and Telesat Canada’s other equityholders have exchanged their interests for equity in Telesat’s new public holding structure.  Telesat did not issue new equity to raise additional cash financing as part of the Transaction.

Viasat Aquires Inmarsat

Carlsbad, Calif., Nov. 8, 2021-- Viasat Inc., (NASDAQ: VSAT) and Inmarsat, a today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Viasat will acquire Inmarsat in a transaction valued at US$ 7.3 billion, comprised of US$ 850.0 million in cash, approximately 46.36 million shares of Viasat common stock valued at US$ 3.1 billion based on the closing price on Friday November 5, 2021, and the assumption of US$ 3.4 billion of net debt.

The November 2021 issue of the Satellite Executive Briefing magazine focusing on the African Satellite Market

The November 2021 issue of  the Satellite Executive Briefing magazine focusing on the African Satellite Market sponsored by iKO Media Group is now available Featuring:

Update on the African Satellite Market by Omkar Nikam

Satellite Data Analytics Market by Prateek Yadav

Dead Ringers by Lou Zacharilla

Ground Segment:  All Change for a new Satcoms Era by Martin Jarrold

Better Satellite World: Satellites by the Dozen

PLUS Products Spotlight, Mergers and Acquisitions, Executive Moves, Market Briefs, Vital Statistics, Satellite Markets Stock Index and many more. Click here to read or download the file