News Analysis

by Hub Urlings

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, April 6, 2021--Will 2021 be the year that a new generation of smallsat Internet of Things (IoT) networks take off?  Smallsats offer ubiquitous low-cost and low power connectivity for the global IoT industry. If it is up to some of the new operators, it sure will be, as the launch activities in the first quarter of 2021 demonstrate.

by Omkar Nikam

Strasbourg, France, April 5, 2021--The dream of today is the reality of tomorrow, and space tourism is a classic example of how the human race is unlocking the full potential of its capabilities to learn and explore outer space. A decade ago, space tourism consisted of a handful of companies, with Space Adventures at the forefront of this emerging market. One of the early triggering factors of the space tourism investment was the joint success of Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities (Roscomos) and Space Adventures. In the early 21st century both Space Adventures and Roscomos achieved success in short tourist flight to the International Space Station (ISS). And these commercial movements developed huge interest among the investors, which also ultimately led to the rise of companies like the Virgin Galactic.

Cypress, Calif., April 5, 2021–Mission Microwave Technologies, LLC, a manufacturer of highly efficient Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs) and Block Upconverters (BUCs) has moved from their original offices in Santa Fe Springs to a larger facility in Cypress, California.

by Robert Bell

New York City, NY, April 2, 2021--The pandemic has made those of us lucky enough to still have jobs wince at the word “virtual.”  We take part in virtual meetings and virtual cocktail hours.  We attend virtual conferences, receive virtual medical care and see virtual versions of our adult children and young grandchildren.  It is virtually impossible to escape from our screened-in lives.  On the other hand, I have to point out that we are very short on gratitude when it comes to appreciating all that virtualization has allowed us to preserve.  

Tyson's Corner, Va., April 1, 2021--. For the year ended December 31, 2020, Intelsat reported total revenue of US$ 1.91 Billion and net loss attributable to Intelsat S.A. of US$ 911.7 million.  Intelsat reported total revenue of US$ 482.8 million and net loss attributable to Intelsat S.A. of US $271.6 million for the three months ended December 31, 2020.

Houston, Tex., March 26, 2021--Marlink, a provider of smart hybrid network solutions, has announced the acquisition of customer contracts and assets from Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE), which has emerged from Chapter 11 restructuring. As part of this deal Marlink has taken over more than 450 VSAT sites in five continents serving large humanitarian/NGO, Embassy, Oil and Gas and Mining customers as well as GEE’s African fixed site land business.

Jacksonville, Fla., March 25, 2021--Redwire, a provider of mission-critical space solutions and high reliability components for the next generation space economy, and Genesis Park Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: GNPK), a publicly traded Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), announced today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement that will result in Redwire becoming a publicly traded company.

Santa Ana, Calif., March 23, 2021--Global Eagle Entertainment today announced that it has successfully completed the sale of substantially all of the Company’s assets to a group comprising the Company’s first-lien investors and its operations have emerged from the Chapter 11 restructuring process.

TECHBrief on Mx-DMA MRC Technology for All Applications sponsored by ST Engineering iDirect

A summary of the innovative features and benefits of ST Engineering iDirect's new Mx-DMA Multi-Resolution Coding (MRC) Technology.  Featuring:

No Compromises: Mx-DMA MRC Technology for All Applications  by Elisabeth Tweedie

Interview with Bart Van Poucke, Vice-President-Product Management, ST Engineering iDirect

Case Study: BIRDSAT-Netting the Benefits of Mx-DMA MRC 

To read or download the pdf of full report click here.

Paris, France, March 19, 2021--Global space business development firm TerraMetric and Euroconsult, a global consulting firm focused on space, and satellite-enabled markets, have entered into a Preferred Strategic Partnership agreement. As part of the cooperation, TerraMetric and Euroconsult will collaborate in a wide range of comprehensive capabilities.