News Analysis

A Promise Kept

New York City, NY,  June 4, 2021-- The 1960s ushered in an era of human space exploration that has never been equaled.  Humans traveled farther from our planet than ever before – not once but half a dozen times – and those journeys sparked the dreams and ambitions of millions.  And then we stopped.  We flew robots to other planets.  We put satellites and space stations into orbit.  But people never again answered the call to leave our planet far behind in a quest for knowledge and opportunity, to open new horizons for others to follow.  
Never – until now.  

From Earth to the Moon - Again

State of the Art: On-Orbit Services

by Elisabeth Tweedie

Los Angeles, Calif., June 4, 2021--Many years ago, when I was part of a team considering an investment in Teledesic, one of the engineers at Hughes, produced a computer model, of what would happen if one of the satellites ran into a piece of orbital debris.  The assumption was, that this would cause it to break-up, so the satellite behind would inevitably run into the fragments and similarly break-up and so on.  The space equivalent of a freeway pile-up, technically known as the Kessler Effect, after the NASA scientist who first modeled this happening.  
Teledesic, in common with many of the other Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) systems on the drawing board at the time, didn’t get off the ground, and general interest in space debris faded.  

TECHBrief on Mx-DMA MRC Technology for All Applications

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 Ban 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.

Hanwha Systems US$ 30 Mil. Investment in Kymeta Corp. Approved by CFIUS

Redmond, Wash, May 26, 2021--Kymeta Corporation announced today that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has approved a US$ 30 million investment by Hanwha Systems Co., Ltd. (HSC), a leading global solutions company that provides differentiated smart technologies in defense electronics and information infrastructure, in Kymeta.

Iridium Makes Strategic Investment in DDK Positioning, Provider of Enhanced GNSS Accuracy Solutions

Aberdeen, Scotland, May 24, 2021 –  Iridium (NASDAQ: IRDM) today announced that it has made a strategic investment in DDK Positioning (DDK), an Aberdeen, Scotland based provider of enhanced Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) accuracy solutions.  DDK uses the Iridium® network to provide global precision positioning services that can augment GNSS constellations, including GPS and Galileo, to significantly enhance their accuracy for critical industrial applications. 

Eutelsat Reports Decrease in Revenues in First Quarter 2021

Paris, May 11, 2021– Eutelsat Communications (ISIN: FR0010221234 - Euronext Paris: ETL) reports revenues for the Third Quarter and Nine Months ended March 31, 2021.  The company reported nine months operating vertical revenues down 3.5% year-on-year. Third Quarter Operating Verticals revenues were down 6.1% year-on-year, in line with expectations.

OneWeb to Acquire TrustComm and Create New Government Subsidiary

London, UK, May 10, 2021--OneWeb announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Texas-based TrustComm Inc., which will enable OneWeb to offer its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) network and connectivity services to U.S. government clients and TrustComm customers.

SES Reports Strong Start to 2021

Betzdorf, Luxembourg, May 6, 2021 -- Satellite operator SES S.A. announces financial results for the three months ending March 31, 2021. The company reported revenues of €436 million and Adjusted EBITDA of €268 million .  Highlights of the 1st qyuarter 2021 results include:

Better Satellite World: Is There a Satellite Inside?

New York City, NY, May 5, 2021--Every day, nearly everyone on Earth does something that involves a satellite.  Most of them never know it. That’s kind of cool – but also kind of frightening.   If people who benefit from your products and services don’t even know they exist, our commercial prospects are pretty dim.  Especially at a time like this, when satellite communications and earth observation are poised for the first time to break out into immense global markets, from IT, mobile and IoT to finance, insurance, and logistics. 

Intelsat Announces First Quarter 2021 Results

Tyson's Corner, Va., May 5, 2021-- Intelsat S.A.  (OTC: INTEQ), today announced financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The company reported total revenue was US $502.8 million and net loss attributable to Intelsat S.A. was US$ 174.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021.