Africa

SpaceX successfully launched Spain’s high-resolution synthetic aperture radar  (SAR) PAZ reconnaissance satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on Thursday, 22 February, 2018. The successful launch of PAZ is the latest by a Mediterranean country and intensifies the space-based surveillance and reconnaissance competition of the geopolitically important sea. The …

Nanosatellite manufacturer GomSpace is going from strength to strength, fuelled by the innovative small satellite sector and an increased demand for small satellites that can perform a wider range of missions than ever before. In October 2016, GomSpace acquired nanosatellite propulsion specialist, NanoSpace, after establishing a partnership on several customer …

The small satellite phenomenon continues to gather momentum, but is this something we can count on lasting well into the future? Is the smallsat here to stay? Stephen Ennis of the Small Satellite Project Group at the Space Generation Advisory Council gives his perspective on this fascinating question. From within …

The success of Galileo and Copernicus have galvanised the space ambitions of the European Union and given it the impetus to build on its achievements. This was very evident at the recent annual European Space Policy Conference that was held in Brussels from 24-25 January, 2018. Here, space policy analyst, …

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL), located in Guildford, Surrey, in the U.K., has signed a GBP25 million (approximately U.S.$34.8 million) deal with China’s Twenty First Century Aerospace Technology Co. Ltd. (21AT) for the lease of the SSTL-S1 Earth observation satellite. SSTL-S1 is due to be launched on an Indian Space …

The successful launch of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy space launch vehicle (SLV) on 6 February, 2018, is a major milestone in spaceflight and space exploration. It is also a green light for the launch of the Arabsat-6A communications satellite in the coming months aboard a Falcon Heavy SLV. “Arabsat-6A positioned at …

Dubai-based Thuraya, in partnership with the Aero Group – an international consortium consisting of smp aviation, Cobham, Scotty Group, and SRT Wireless – has showcased a new airborne satellite communications product line and service called Thuraya Aero. Showcased at the Singapore Airshow, Thuraya also announced that it has secured its …

Dubai-based Thuraya, a commercial satellite communications company, has launched a tracking and monitoring (T2M) service and its T2M DUAL terminal for on-the-move machine-to-machine (M2M) Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensors. The T2M DUAL terminal is designed for M2M communications and the tracking and monitoring of remote assets in harsh …

After a fraught launch on January 25, 2018, where Arianespace failed to receive telemetry from the Ariane 5 space launch vehicle (SLV) at a critical stage during liftoff, the two satellites placed into Earth orbit by the launcher are said to be recoverable. Both Yahsat and SES have stated that …

Is the Middle Eastern satellite broadcasting market ripe for disruptive innovation? With new methods of content delivery through social media and mobile devices, and the advent of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Blockchain technologies, ThorGroup’s Torsten Kriening argues that satellite broadcast companies operating in the region have little reason to feel …