News Analysis

SES Reports Solid Results in 2021

Luxembourg, February 24, 2022--SES S.A. announces financial results for the year ended 31 December 2021. The company reported solid performance delivering revenue of €1,782 million and Adjusted EBITDA of €1,091 million at top end of financial outlook.

Intelsat Successful Emerges from Bankruptcy Proceedings

McLean, Va., February 23, 2022 – Intelsat S.A. announced today that it has successfully completed and emerged from its financial restructuring process as a private company with a substantially strengthened capital structure to support its growth as the leader in satellite communications. This final milestone follows receipt of regulatory approvals, completion of certain corporate actions, and satisfaction of other customary conditions.

New Whitepaper Highlights Ground Segment's Pivotal Role as the Enabler of a New Era in Satellite Connectivity

Paris, France, February 22, 2022–The satellite industry is set for unprecedented transformation, with the impact of cloud-based systems, the introduction of next-generation NGSO broadband constellations, and convergence towards a unified 5G network architecture. However, ground segments will also have to play a pivotal role to allow the industry to fully embrace and benefit from these changes.

Iridium Reports 2021 Results and 2022 Outlook

McLean,  Va., February 17, 2022--Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2021 and issued its full-year 2022 guidance. Net loss was US$ 5.9 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2021, as compared to net loss of US$ 7.9 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2020. This improvement was primarily the result of higher commercial service revenue and lower interest expense. Operational EBITDA for the fourth quarter was US$ 93.4 million, as compared to US$ 84.8 million for the prior-year period, representing a year-over-year increase of 10% and an OEBITDA margin of 60%.

World Teleport Association Publishes Top Operator Rankings for 2021

New York City, NY, February 2, 2022– The World Teleport Association (WTA) today published its annual rankings for the Top Teleport Operators of 2021. The annual rankings of companies by revenue and revenue growth are compiled by surveying teleport operators around the world as well as referencing the published results of publicly-held companies.

Satellogic Completes Merger with CF Acquisition Corp. V to Become Publicly Traded Company

New York, NY, January 25, 2022 – Satellite imaging company Satellogic Inc. today announced that it has completed its previously announced merger with CF Acquisition Corp. V (Nasdaq: CFV) (“CFV”), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) sponsored by Cantor Fitzgerald. The merger was approved at a special meeting of CFV stockholders on January 24, 2022. Beginning January 26, 2022, Satellogic’s Class A ordinary shares and warrants will trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbols “SATL” and “SATLW,” respectively.

Network Innovations Acquires STS Global

Stony Brook, NY, January 20, 2022--Network Innovations has acquired ground systems integrator STS Global Inc., Over the years, STS Global has provided services to connect clients in remote locations, transmit crucial data, provide secure networks, and more to ensure reliable services anywhere on earth.

Rocket Lab Closes Acquisition of SolAero Holdings

Long Beach, Calif., January 18, 2022–Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“ today announced it has closed the previously-announced transaction to acquire SolAero Holdings, Inc. (SolAero), a supplier of space solar power products and precision aerospace structures for the global aerospace market, for US$ 80 million in cash.

Regulatory Imperatives in the Disaster Response Ecosystem

by Martin Jarrold

London, UK, January 15, 2022--My choice of title for this month’s column is but a mirror to the complexities of what is to many, but certainly not to all, the rather remote topic of satellite regulation. If perhaps rather obscure, satellite regulation is something we certainly cannot do without; utter chaos would follow from its absence.

Satellite Industry Trends to Watch in 2022

by Virgil Labrador, Editor-in-Chief

Los Angeles, Calif., January 15, 2022--We begin 2022 entering the 25th month of the global COVID-19 pandemic, with yet a new variant of the virus wreaking havoc on recovery plans worldwide.  I can only describe the times we live in as Charles Dickens did in a "Tale of Two Cities" that "these are the best of times and these are the worst of times. " And yet there is a lot to be optimistic about 2022 and beyond.  Just to provide some perspective, the number of satellites launched in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic is almost equal to all the satellites launched in the previous three decades.