There’s never a slow news day in the space and satellite industry. The past year was marked by mega-mergers with SES completing the Intelsat acquisition and European space primes planning to join together to shift the dynamic in Europe.

Direct-to-device continues to be one of the most interesting markets in satellite. This year, we saw T-Mobile and other network operators officially start satellite messaging services with Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell constellation, and SpaceX made the headline-grabbing EchoStar spectrum deal that could shift its position in the market. We also saw consolidation from Omnispace and Lynk Global.

In the defense space, the announcement of the Golden Dome missile defense architecture has generated interest across the space industry, with companies positioning themselves to contribute. And in the constellation space, Amazon Leo finally kicked off its operational launches during the year. Here’s a look back at some of Via Satellite’s most-read stories of 2025.

This round-up is part of our year-end content series. Don’t miss the essential interviews of 2025, and see what songs top industry executives were listening to this year with Spotify Wrapped in Space. And, see our Essential Interviews of 2025 and check out 10 Tech Trends for 2026.

T-Mobile’s Starlink Beta Includes iPhones and Other Carriers

After T-Mobile’s Super Bowl ad promoting satellite messaging, the mobile network operator revealed its service would work with non-T-Mobile customers and even iPhones. T-Satellite entered commercial service in July. — February 2025

The New Big 4: Assessing the Race Among the Top Operators

The leading traditional GEO operators have paired up while Starlink has joined the ranks as one of the new four leaders. How will legacy operators compete with Starlink’s disruptive services? Analysts weigh in on the operators’ state of play. — February 2025

Operators Take Aim at Perception of Starlink Dominance in Satcom Market

 At SATELLITE 2025, leadership of the top satellite operators took aim at the narrative that Starlink is dominating the satellite communications industry, pointing to growth and strong demand in their connectivity businesses. — March 2025

Amazon Project Kuiper Deployment Begins With First ULA Launch

Amazon kicked off deployment for its highly anticipated constellation this year, with the first launch by United Launch Alliance in April. Recently renamed Amazon Leo, the constellation had six full-scale launches this year to launch 153 satellites in total. — April 2025

SES Completes Intelsat Deal, Analysts Assess Points for Integration

SES completed the deal to acquire Intelsat in July, marking a new era for the company, bringing together two of the largest satellite operators to better compete in the changing satellite market. The acquisition took about a year and a half to close. — July 2025

IonQ and Capella CEOs Target Quantum Networking in Space With Combination

Quantum computing and networking company IonQ’s acquisition of Capella Space marked one of the more interesting pieces of consolidation this year. Acquiring Capella Space is part of IonQ’s roadmap to expand it quantum security offerings from the ground to space. — August 2025 

EchoStar’s Spectrum Sale Could Give SpaceX More D2D Leverage

Just weeks after ordering a $1.3 billion constellation from MDA Space, EchoStar cancelled its plans and moved to sell its MSS spectrum licenses to SpaceX in a $17 billion deal. The sale shook up the direct-to-device landscape and will change the way SpaceX works with its telco partners in the future. — September 2025 

Golden Dome: A Golden Opportunity for the Space Industry?

The planned development of Golden Dome, the Trump administration’s ambitious space-based missile defense system, galvanized the space industry, from defense primes to space startups and data analytics firms. Experts say the proposed multi-layered defense network represents a significant opportunity for manufacturers and suppliers, but challenges around scale, supply chains and delivery must be overcome. — October 2025 

Analysts Size Up Europe’s Bold Move With Airbus/Thales/Leonardo Merger

After exploring the collaboration for quite some time, leading European space players Airbus, Thales Alenia Space, and Leonardo announced plans to merge space capabilities. Analysts dig into the impacts on Europe and the global space industry. — October 2025

Examining the D2D Shake-up in Light of SES/Lynk/Omnispace Deal