Entrepreneurship

Arianespace’s Ariane 5 launch vehicle has successfully placed two telecommunications satellites into geostationary orbit: MEASAT-3d for the Malaysian operator MEASAT, and GSAT-24 built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on behalf of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ArianeGroup said. The launch was the first mission of the year, and the 113th overall.

Global communications company Viasat, received the necessary stockholder approvals for the proposed acquisition of global mobile satellite communications firm Inmarsat, Viasat said.  The offer for US $7.3 billion came last year, with plans to reach a combined annual revenue of approximately US $4 billion

Software startup Epsilon3 has raised US $15 million in a Series A funding round led by investor Lux Capital to expand its suite of space project management solutions, the company said. Epsilon3’s platform is web-based and provides spacecraft manufacturing and operations collaboration tools.

Moon company, Astrobotic and wireless charging platform develpoer, WiBotic’s wireless charging system successfully demonstrated that it can function and provide enough power for technologies to survive the 14-Earth-day-long lunar night. Developed with assistance from Bosch, the University of Washington, and the NASA Glenn Research Center

Munich-based NewSpace intelligence startup, OroraTech, has achieved the desired mission goals for FOREST-1, its first satellite dedicated to environmental monitoring, the company said. The satellite has been operational since January 2022. The spacecraft, that does not require cooling, specialises in wildfire detection by combining thermal, mid-infrared and visible cameras.

Satellite platforms and geospatial intelligence company, Aerospacelab, unveiled its satellite megafactory commitment, capable of producing 500 satellites annually. The new site will be built by Sambrinvest in Charleroi, Belgium. The new factory will feature a total working surface of 16,000 square meters, including a 6,000-square-meter ISO7 cleanroom and 3,000-square-meter laboratory.

In this Space Cafè Radio -  SpaceWatch.Global Senior Editor Dr. Emma Gatti spoke with Luigi Scatteia, a Partner in PwC Advisory France. Within PwC he leads the Space Practice, and he also leads the core space strategy and policy consulting team based in Paris and Toulouse, focused on serving institutional and commercial stakeholders in the space sector

Global mobile satellite communications provider, Inmarsat, signed a contract with ESA to take Iris air traffic modernisation programme global and drive the future of uncrewed aviation airspace integration in Europe, Inmarsat said. Airspace is getting congested: in Europe alone, a 50% increase in flights is expected in the next 20 years.

There is gap between the interests of space agencies and private investors toward sustainability. While agencies build their reputation and PR campaigns on the commitment that the sector has towards sustainability – meaning here the use of space technology and data for monitoring the state of the planet- the private sector remains tepid to the entire concept.

With space as a far-reaching domain entangled with Earth issues across many industries, geopolitics affect how global alliances deal with security in orbit and beyond, and how collaborative governance motivates investment: from connectivity to Earth observation to crowded orbits and debris, to energy, space traffic management, space exploration and resources utilization.