Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM)  today reported financial results for the third quarter of 2021 and updated its full-year 2021 outlook. Net loss was US$ 2.1 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2021, as compared to net loss of US$ 4.0 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2020.

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (NASDAQ: CMTL), a leading global provider of next-generation 911 emergency systems and secure wireless communications technologies, today announced a US$100 million investment by current shareholder White Hat Capital Partners LP, an investment firm focused on sustainable value creation in technology companies serving mission-critical applications, and Magnetar Capital, a leading alternative investment manager with approximately US$ 13.8 billion of assets under management.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB), a launch services and space systems company, today announced it has completed the acquisition of Advanced Solutions, Inc. (ASI), a Colorado-based aerospace engineering firm delivering mission proven space software, mission simulation and test systems, and Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) solutions, for US$ 40 million plus the potential for an additional US$ 5.5 million performance earnout based on CY 2021 results.

Hungaro DigiTel Kft. (HDT), a joint subsidiary of 4iG PLC (75%) and Antenna Hungária Zrt. (25%), has entered into a final agreement with Space-Communication Ltd. (Spacecom) to acquire a 51% stake in the company. Spacecom, listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, is a satellite operator and service provider with a global coverage, consisting of four geosynchronous satellites, which provides its services in Hungary and the Central and Eastern European region via the AMOS 3 satellite.

As facilitated by GVF, the editor-in-chief of this publication, Virgil Labrador, will be presenting a business outlook analysis during the SatExpo Summit at CABSAT 2021 and asking, “What are satellite operators betting on?” With the digitalization of all industries, and changes in the way we live, work, learn, communicate and consume entertainment, Virgil Labrador will examine how satellite operators can make sure they are developing the right offerings and targeting the right sectors to compete and thrive in an increasingly crowded market, a market which continues to thrive in GEO, expand in MEO, and evolve in LEO.

Satellite operator SES recently announced that it was seeing strong uptake for its Cloud Playout service, as customers embraced it for management and playout of linear TV channels over satellite.  Creating the service was a shrewd move for a satellite operator that generates 60% of total sales from its video business.  After initial resistance, US and European broadcasters have been shifting media management and playout to the cloud to take advantage of its robust content management and scheduling applications and the scalability of the cloud.  In its press release, SES cited an Ethiopian b

The world’s most pivotal names in satellite, me edia, production, entertainment and technology are set to reconnect, live, in-person at  CABSAT 2021 this month in Dubai, UAE. More than 160 companies and brands from 38 countries will present their latest innovations and ideas that will alter the course of the content journey – in a transformed world. 

As we are all aware the satellite industry is in a state of flux, maybe a state of transition.  The low earth orbit (LEO) constellations have been grabbing headlines for several years now, and many of us, have pointed to the lessons of the 1990s and predicted that few, if any of them would last long enough to become viable businesses.  And that still may be the case. 

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) has exercised a call option on a portion of the latest OneWeb funding round subscribed by Bharti, for a consideration of $165 million, taking its shareholding from 17.6% to 22.9%, making it the second largest shareholder in OneWeb.

The transaction was undertaken on identical financial terms to Eutelsat’s initial investment of $550 million announced in April and completed on 8 September. The completion of this latest transaction is expected around year-end 2021 subject to regulatory authorisations.

The September 2021 issue of  the Satellite Executive Briefing magazine  is now available.  Featuring:

The Satellite Industry in a Post-Pandemic World by Virgil Labrador

The Military Satellite Market by Omkar Nikam

TechBrief: Reliable Battlefield Network Automation by Juan Manuel Martinez

Prospects in the Satellite Data Services Market by Lalit Katare

Interview with Cynthia Harty, Vice-President-Strategic Business Development, ST Engineering iDirect

Company Spotlight: AVEALTO's High Altitude Platform

Show Report: Space Symposium 2021

National Harbor Your Way: In-person or Virtual by Martin Jarrold

PLUS Products and Services Spotlight @SATELLITE 2021, Mergers and Acquisitions, Executive Moves, Market Briefs, Vital Statistics, Satellite Markets Stock Index and many more. Click here to read or download the file.