News Analysis

"Embalm, Cremate, Bury at Sea..."

by Lou Zacharilla

New York City, January 7, 2022-- A man receives a telegram reporting the death of his mother-in-law and asks for instructions. He immediately replies back: “Embalm, cremate, bury at sea. Take no chances!” One defining feature of the space and satellite industry is that it knows how to take risks but does not take chances. 

Hughes and Airtel Form Joint Venture to Provide Satellite Broadband Services in India

New Delhi, India, January 4, 2022 – Hughes Communications India Pvt Ltd, (HCIPL), a majority-owned subsidiary of Hughes Network Systems, LLC and Bharti Airtel Limited, India’s premier communications solution provider, today announced the formation of a joint venture to provide satellite broadband services in India.

NextGen Acquisition Corp.Stockholders today Approve Merger with Virgin Orbit

Long Beach, Calif., December 28, 2021--NextGen Acquisition Corp. II (NASDAQ: NGCA) ) stockholders today approved the previously-announced business combination with Vieco USA, Inc., the parent company of Virgin Orbit, at a special meeting of stockholders held today. A Form 8-K disclosing the full voting results is expected to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

TECHBrief on Multi-Band FlyAway Terminals for Military Applications

TECHBrief on Multi-Band FlyAway Terminals for Military Applications sponsored by ND SatCom

A summary of the innovative features of ND SatCom's latest multiband FlyAway terminal for military applications--the MFT 1500.

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

 

 

 

Taiwan: A Serious Up-and-Coming Player in the Space Industry

by Aurélie Gillet

Taiwan, a small island in the Pacific Ocean with a population of 23.5 million, is not the first place that comes to mind when thinking of space powers. With a historically limited domestic space sector, Taiwan’s space ambitions have been limited to a few technologically impressive, but still niche missions, with this despite an economy that has developed several world-leading high-tech sectors, and a world-leading supply chain for certain critical components. 

The Most Significant Storylines of 2021

by Virgil Labrador, Editor-in-Chief

We're finally near the end of 2021 and for most people, it couldn't come fast enough. It's been a very challenging   year not only for the satellite industry but for pretty much the global economy.

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.