Connectivity

NASA awarded Intuitive Machines a contract to support the agency’s lunar relay systems as part of the Near Space Network. As part of this contract, Intuitive Machines plans to deploy a lunar satellite constellation to provide communication and navigation services for NASA’s Artemis activities on the Moon.  NASA announced the award for “Subcategory 2.2 Geostationary...

Luxury cruise line Regent Seven Seas has finished installing Starlink internet across its fleet of six ships. The cruise line provides unlimited Wi-Fi to guests for no additional charge.  Regent Seven Seas is owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., which announced plans to roll out Starlink across its brands in April of 2023.  The...

PARIS — The direct-to-device (D2D) market has been the subject of excitement and hype in the satellite industry in the past few years, with the promise of expanding satellite’s market share and offering connectivity to phones and devices everywhere.  It’s early days for this market, as Apple was an early-mover in offering the service to customers....

SoftBank and Intelsat are teaming up to develop and launch a “Ubiquitous Network” concept that uses 5G connections between terrestrial and mobile and satellite communications networks. The companies announced Tuesday during World Space Business Week that they plan to jointly develop a hybrid communication solution based on 3GPP 5G non-terrestrial network standards.  Explaining the need...

PARIS — The satellite industry is undergoing massive change as many of the largest satellite operators consolidate to deal with competition from SpaceX’s Starlink constellation.  During the operator panel in Paris at World Space Business Week on Sept. 16, Viasat CEO Mark Dankberg described the current environment as a “quantum period of change” unlike anything...

United Airlines tapped Starlink as its in-flight connectivity (IFC) provider, announcing a deal on Friday to equip the airline’s entire fleet with Starlink and offer the service to passengers for free.  United said this deal covers all aircraft, both mainline and regional, which is more than 1,000 planes. Installation will take place over the next...

AST SpaceMobile confirmed the milestone launch of its first five commercial satellites on Thursday morning. These satellites will start service for the company’s cellular broadband network in space.  SpaceX launched the five BlueBird satellites on a Falcon 9 mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 4:52 am. EDT. AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan confirmed post-launch that...

NATO awarded satellite operator SES its first contract for Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite services under a partnership established in 2022.  The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), announced the MEO Global Services (MGS) award on Sept. 10. Luxembourg and the U.S. will leverage SES’s MEO services to carry out naval, air, and ground communications missions...

T-Mobile reported Wednesday that it successfully sent a wireless emergency alert via Starlink satellites, testing a capability that will provide emergency warnings to the public outside of cell service.  T-Mobile performed the test on Sept. 5, sending an emergency alert message, which was received by a Starink satellite and broadcast out to an unspecified geographic...

The Polaris Dawn mission, in which a crew of four civilians will attempt the first civilian spacewalk, will also test out Starlink laser communications aboard the Dragon spacecraft.   SpaceX launched the Polaris Dawn mission early Tuesday at 5:23 a.m. ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida. A crew of four civilians in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will...