SpaceX submitted a request to the FCC to modify the second generation, Gen2, of its Starlink satellite system with changes that SpaceX said will allow the constellation to deliver gigabit-speed broadband.  SpaceX submitted the filing to the FCC on Oct. 11, and it was made public on Tuesday. The operator wants to make changes to...

SpaceX hit an eye-catching milestone with its Starship test flight on Sunday from Texas, successfully catching the Super Heavy booster in the first attempt to recapture it. SpaceX followed up the mission by launching NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft from Florida on a Falcon Heavy rocket on Monday.  The October 13 launch was the first time...

In late August, Verizon was the latest big name telco to team up with a satellite player for direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity. Verizon announced a deal with Skylo to launch a commercial direct-to-device messaging service for its customers so they can stay connected wherever they are. Verizon said customers will see the benefits before the end...

As the five step North American Treaty Organization (NATO) Defence Planning Process (NDPP) wends its way over the next year to assigning quantitative space system targets to the alliance’s 32 countries, policymakers may consider having dedicated NATO satellites. The five steps in the four-year NDPP are the establishment of political guidance; requirements determination; the assignment...

The defense landscape is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by rapid technological advancements. Small satellites and artificial intelligence (AI) are at the forefront of this transformation, not as tools for tomorrow, but as critical capabilities we need today. These technologies are becoming increasingly intertwined, offering the potential to create a more agile, responsive, and data-driven...

United Launch Alliance (ULA) is finalizing preparations for the second Vulcan mission, set to lift off early on Friday, Oct. 4. This is the second of two test flights required for ULA’s certification process to fly Vulcan missions for the U.S. Space Force, following the first successful mission in January. The mission will not carry...

LONDON — Satellites have the capability to play a huge role in the sustainable agricultural revolution. This was a key theme during the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit, which took place in London this week. NASA Harvest Director Inbal Becker-Reshef said that food security is one of the most “critical issues of our time,” as the...

The SES deal to acquire Intelsat will be remembered as one of the biggest news stories of 2024. After years of back-and-forth, will-they-won’t-they, two of the largest satellite operators are now working through a combination, pending regulatory approval. But what does it mean for Intelsat, a brand with a storied history in satellite communications? Via...

July 11 was a bad day for SpaceX. For the first time since 2015, its Falcon 9 rocket failed to deliver its payload into orbit. After a flawless launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the rocket’s first stage separated as planned and descended back to Earth. But the second stage, with 20...

In this new, multi-orbit era, some satcom customers are demanding unprecedented network resiliency. Users want fully integrated terminals to enable true multi-orbit mobile connectivity. For users demanding the ultimate redundancy, a single terminal able to seamlessly switch between Low-Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO), Geostationary Orbit (GEO), and Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) and terrestrial networks...

Alison Perez, a venture capitalist, is always on the hunt for the next transformational technology solution. And lately, it’s the solutions that address sustainability in space that are piquing the interest of Perez and her colleagues at Lockheed Martin Ventures, the VC arm of Lockheed Martin. Case in point: Lockheed Martin Ventures’ participation in a...

In a column in 2022, I shared some thoughts on the lack of national regulatory frameworks addressing direct-to-device (D2D) at the time. Later in 2023, I commented that given the number of interested providers and the nature of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) spectrum allocation processes (both technical and regulatory), the industry simply needed more available mobile...