The satcom landscape prepares for a transformative decade of growth as the market projects satellite capacity demand to surge from 3.6 Tbps (TeraBytes Per Second) in 2022 to 51 Tbps in 2032, representing a 31% CAGR (compound annual growth rate), with all data segments expected to observe exponential growth in the next 10 years.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson have announced that Monday Charity Weeden will serve as associate administrator for the agency’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS). Weeden succeeds Bhavya Lal, who left the agency in July, and Ellen Gertsen, who had been serving as the office’s acting leader.NASA Administrator Bill Nelson have announced that Monday Charity Weeden will serve as associate administrator for the agency’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS). Weeden succeeds Bhavya Lal, who left the agency in July, and Ellen Gertsen, who had been serving as the office’s acting leader.

SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), an Australian space research center,  have announced a suite of new R&D projects and University appointments in support of the ACT Space Update 2023 unveiled in Canberra today, bringing its joint investment in the ACT to over $7 million. With the launch of the ACT Space Update 2023, SmartSat is amplifying this commitment by injecting new funds into research in space technologies addressing bushfire resilience, spacecraft system autonomy, space object surveillance, and cybersecurity.

The USSF Space Systems Command have awarded a $17.4 million Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to True Anomaly, Inc. The company builds innovative technology at the intersection of spacecraft, software, and AI to deliver solutions for space security, sustainability, and accessibility. In addition, it empowers the U.S. Government, its allies, and partners, as well as the commercial space industry, to lead safe, resilient operations in orbit to secure life on Earth.

Yahsat Government Solutions (“YGS”), the Government services arm of the Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PJSC, have announced that the UAE Government granted the company an Authorization to Proceed (“ATP”) to provide satellite capacity and manage services for 17 years. Furthermore, this mandate, valued at AED 18.7 billion (USD 5.1 billion), combines related operations, maintenance and technology management services of ground segment satellite systems and terminals currently provided under a separate contract.

Xenesis, a laser optical communications company, have signed an exclusive agreement with Airbus to provide services from the International Space Station (ISS). Xenesis is preparing to install an optical communications hub to increase data downlink capacity on the Bartolomeo Platform, launched in 2020. In addition, the company plans to ship the Xen-Hub optical flight terminal to Airbus for a Q1 2025 launch on an ISS commercial resupply mission. After installation and testing, Xenesis will begin providing communications services to Bartolomeo customers in the summer of 2025.

The Artemis II crew and teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program have successfully completed the first in a series of integrated ground system tests at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in preparation for their mission around the Moon. To prepare for their trip to space, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, practiced the procedures they would undergo on launch day.

Intelsat, operator of one of the integrated satellite and terrestrial networks and provider of inflight connectivity (IFC), have announced that its multi-orbit network offerings, relying on LEO and GEO satellites, will be available to airlines and aircraft lessors through Airbus’ Airspace Link (HBCplus) solution.

Sidus Space, a Space and Data-as-a-Service company, have confirmed its plan to reallocate two LizzieSats to launch on an upcoming Bandwagon mission with SpaceX.  In addition, the updated LizzieSat constellation configuration will advance cutting-edge Low Earth Orbit data collection and provide enhanced orbital flexibility for Government and commercial customers.

Sateliot, the first company to operate a low-Earth orbit nanosatellite constellation with 5G standards, extends its network range with a partnership with Comfone, a provider of mobile connectivity and roaming services. This operation enables over 480 MNOs and MVNOs worldwide to connect with a standard roaming agreement to Sateliot’s 5G NB-IoT nanosatellite constellation, paving the way to massive IoT adoption everywhere on the planet. Furthermore, with the agreement between Sateliot and Comfone, MNOs and MVNOs will be able to cover the entire plane.