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Government/Military
BlackSky Wins IARPA Contract for Program to Automate Imagery Analysis
BlackSky has been awarded a contract from the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) for a research program that will work to automate analysis of satellite imagery. The multi-year research […]
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Finance
Bringing Space Data Down to Earth: David Bettinger Talks SpaceLink Plans
Just before the end of the year, Electro Optic Systems (EOS) announced a new company called SpaceLink to establish a data relay satellite service. The venture is led by David […]
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Launch
Momentus Pushes Back First Launch of Vigoride Vehicle
Momentus has pulled its Vigoride orbital transfer vehicle from the upcoming SpaceX Transporter 1 Falcon 9 launch set for Jan. 14, to allow for more time for FAA approval of […]
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Mobility
Viasat Reaches Deal with Delta for IFC Service on 300 Aircraft
Delta Air Lines plans to bring Viasat’s In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) solution aboard 300 aircraft, the companies announced Tuesday. Viasat’s Ka-band IFC system will be rolled out on narrow-body aircraft starting […]
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Government/Military
Kratos Receives $11M Development Contract for Next-Gen Satellite Program
A division of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has received an $11 million development contract related to a planned next-generation satellite program, the company announced Monday. The award was given […]
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Connectivity
Viasat Requests FCC Look Into Environmental Impact of SpaceX’s Starlink Constellation
Viasat has taken issue with SpaceX’s request to lower the orbital altitude of its Starlink satellite constellation, and requested the FCC to prepare an environmental impact statement on Starlink. In […]
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Launch
Arianespace Launches French Defense Satellite CSO-2 in Final Launch of 2020
An Arianespace Soyuz rocket orbited a French defense satellite on Dec. 29 in Arianespace’s final launch of 2020. The Soyuz rocket carrying the CSO-2 satellite took off from the Guiana […]
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Finance
Comtech Extends UHP Acquisition Term
Comtech Telecommunications has extended the term of its acquisition agreement for UHP Networks until Feb. 28, 2021, Comtech announced Dec. 30. Comtech’s intent to acquire UHP was first announced in […]
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Finance
Kymeta Receives $30M Investment from Hanwha Systems
Hanwha Systems (HSC), a South Korean defense technology company, has agreed to invest $30 million in Kymeta Corporation, the companies announced Dec. 28. After regulatory approval, Hanwha Systems will also […]
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Connectivity
EU Starts Planning for Satellite Connectivity System for Europe
The European Commission has selected a group of companies in the satellite industry including Airbus, Arianespace, and SES, to study the build of a satellite-based connectivity system for the European […]
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Launch
Firefly Aerospace and Adaptive Launch Solutions Reach Launch Agreement
Firefly Aerospace and Adaptive Launch Solutions (ALS) have signed a multi-year launch services agreement that includes four Alpha launches beginning in 2021. ALS, which designs multi-manifest hardware, avionics, and sequencers, […]
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Finance
Voyager to Acquire Majority Stake in Nanoracks in its Latest Space Acquisition
Voyager Space Holdings plans to acquire a majority stake in Nanoracks through Nanoracks parent company XO Markets, the companies announced Dec. 23. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, […]
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Launch
Commission Releases Results of Arianespace Vega Launch Failure
The commission set up by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Arianespace to investigate the Vega launch failure in November has released its findings. Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël said in […]
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Government/Military
Atlas Space Operations Completes Testing on Phased Array Antenna System
Atlas Space Operations phased array antenna system has recently completed late-stage testing, solidifying it as a new Multi-Band/Multi-Mission (MBMM) antenna system, the company reported Dec. 17. Atlas has been developing […]
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Launch
ESA Contracts ArianeGroup for Work on Reusable Rocket First Stage Prototype
The European Space Agency (ESA) awarded ArianeGroup a $40 million (33 million euros) contract this month for the initial stages of development on a reusable rocket first stage prototype called […]
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Launch
Arsat Agrees to Support Telesat LEOP Services
Arsat has signed an agreement with Telesat to support its transfer orbit support services, and it’s Benavidez Ground Station successfully supported Telesat’s work in the Launch and Early Orbit Phase […]
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Finance
Via Satellite’s Top Stories of 2020
The year 2020 was eventful for the satellite industry in many ways. From the FCC‘s final C-band spectrum clearing offer, to the Intelsat and OneWeb bankruptcies (and OneWeb’s sale), and […]
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Finance
Viasat, RigNet CEOs Talk Value in Vertical Integration Acquisition
Viasat has agreed to acquire RigNet, the operator announced Monday, a move that will make Viasat a vertically-integrated player in the energy sector. The all-stock transaction gives RigNet, which provides […]
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Government/Military
Blue Canyon Technologies Completes Satellite Bus CDR for DARPA Blackjack Program
Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT) has completed its Critical Design Review (CDR) validating its X-SAT Saturn-class bus design to support the Blackjack Program, the company announced Dec. 14. Blackjack is a […]
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Finance
AWS Satellite Division on Listening Tour with Customers to Establish Priorities
The new Amazon Web Services (AWS) Aerospace and Satellite Solutions division is on a listening tour with customers as its leaders work to set up the department. Retired Maj. Gen. […]
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Connectivity
OneWeb Return to Flight Adds 36 Satellites to Constellation
A successful launch capped off a challenging and eventful year for OneWeb, in which the company went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and emerged under new ownership. Arianespace and its Starsem […]
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Government/Military
NASA Adds Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket to its Launch Services Roster
Blue Origin is now able to compete to launch future NASA missions on its New Glenn rocket in development. On Thursday, the agency announced that it has awarded Blue Origin […]
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Government/Military
White House Issues Space Policy Directive on Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion
The White House released Space Policy Directive-6 (SPD-6) on Wednesday regarding a U.S. national strategy for space nuclear power and propulsion (SNPP), technology that the White House said will be […]
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Connectivity
AST Plans to Go Public Through SPAC, Announces Service with Vodafone
AST SpaceMobile rolled out two major announcements on Wednesday — the company is planning to go public through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), and plans to launch the first […]
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Connectivity
OneWeb and Hughes Resume Ground Network Partnership With $250M Deal
OneWeb has selected Hughes to develop and manufacture the ground system technology for its Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation, restarting a prior agreement between the companies. Under the $250 million three-year […]
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Connectivity
Amazon Unveils Project Kuiper Antenna Design
Amazon has completed initial development of the user terminal for Project Kuiper, it’s Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation in development. Amazon announced Wednesday that its prototype design has delivered speeds […]
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Finance
How Space Startups Survived and Investors Thrived in a Year of Unknowns
When the coronavirus pandemic put much of the world in lockdown last spring, the space startup community feared that venture capital would dry up. In an April 2020 report, Quilty […]
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Imagery and Sensing
Rocket Lab Launches Synspective’s First SAR Satellite
Synspective has confirmed its first satellite reached its target orbit of Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) after launch on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket on Tuesday. The dedicated Electron mission, dubbed the […]
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Mobility
Iridium Launches Maritime Safety Alert Service to Compete with Inmarsat
Iridium Communications has started offering its real-time maritime emergency service, the company announced Tuesday. The service, Iridium Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), commenced operation on Dec. 11th, marking […]
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Launch
Momentus Lands Caltech Mission for its New Hosted Payload Service
Momentus has a contract for its second customer on its hosted payload service, and will host a payload from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), called SSPD-1 at the end […]




























