News Analysis

Satellogic to Go Public Through Merger with Cantor Fitzgerald’s CF Acquisition Corp. V

New York City, NY, July 6, 2021--Satellogic, a provider of high-resolution satellite data collection, and CF Acquisition Corp. V (Nasdaq: CFV) (“CFAC V”), a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by Cantor Fitzgerald, announced today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement that will result in Satellogic becoming a publicly traded company.

The Satcom Industry in China: Accelerating to ‘China Speed’

by Blaine Curcio

Hong Kong, July 5, 2021--Having lived in Shenzhen for a handful of years, I would hear time and time again about things developing at “Shenzhen Speed.” In local parlance, the peak of Shenzhen Speed coincided with the early-1990s to mid-2000s building boom, when some buildings went up at a rate of 4 floors every 9 days. In the broader Chinese context, the phrase “China Speed” also gets used often, referring to industries developing quickly or infrastructure being built in the blink of an eye. 

The Asia-Pacific Satellite Market

by Omkar Nikam

Strasbourg, France, July 5, 2021--In the recent years, the Asia-Pacific region has become a bright spot for connectivity solutions. One of the reasons is its huge population, which represents approximately 60% of the humanity (4.6 billion people as of 2020). 

“I Think You Are On Mute”

by Lou Zacharilla

New York City, NY, July 2, 2021--If they asked me to write my personal history of the Pandemic the title would be, “You’re On Mute.”
While technology for sure allowed us to continue to do our work online, it is fact, as John Updike wrote, that “for every piece of candy there is a toothache somewhere.”

Yahsat Launches IPO

Abu Dhabi, UAE, June 21, 2021--Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PJSC  today announces its intention to proceed with an initial public offering (IPO) of part of its existing shares and to apply for admission of all of its shares to listing and trading on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (“ADX”). At least 30% of Yahsat’s issued share capital currently held by Mamoura Diversified Global Holding PJSC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company PJSC will be included in the Offering to individuals and other investors in the UAE (as part of the UAE retail offering) and to qualified institutional and other investors (as part of the qualified investor offering).

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. Announces Results for Its Fiscal 2021 Third Quarter and Updates Its Financial Targets for Fiscal 2021

Melvile, NY, June 8, 2021-- Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (NASDAQ: CMTL) today reported its operating results for the third fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2021 and updated its financial targets for fiscal 2021. The company reported consolidated net sales of US$ 139.4 million and Adjusted EBITDA of US$ 17.7 million (or 12.7% of consolidated net sales).

Coming Out of the COVID Tunnel

by Robert Bell
 
New York City, NY, June 4, 2021--Depending on where you are in the world today, the light at the end of the tunnel is either welcome daylight or an oncoming train.  Since it first appeared in late 2019, COVID-19 has been an unequal opportunity curse, killing many, sickening more and leaving even more of us untouched but isolated and afraid.  Now that vaccines are pouring out of production facilities and into people’s arms, the inequality has actually grown, varying from nation to nation based on economic might, the capabilities of governments and national and regional culture.  

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.