Chinese automotive and technology giant Zhejiang Geely Holding Group announced on 3 March 2020 that it is investing 2.27 billion Yuan (US$326 million) in a satellite manufacturing facility to be located in the coastal city of Taizhou, Zhejiang province, considered to be the ‘hometown’ of the company. The satellite manufacturing …
Read More »E2MC Update On Space Financing Rounds In February 2020
By Raphael Roettgen The over US$220 million of announced space-related financing rounds in February 2020 handily beat the January number (US$170 million). Two satellite communication companies, American Astranis (with its $90 million in equity and venture debt) and French Kinéis, were responsible for US$200 million of the total amount. Just …
Read More »AfricaXP Selects Eutelsat For DTH Satellite Services Across Sub-Saharan Africa
Channel network and content distributor AfricaXP has signed multi-year agreements with Eutelsat Communications for Ku-band capacity on two Eutelsat satellites, positioned at 16° East and 7° East.
Read More »Northrop Grumman Successfully Completes Historic First Docking of MEV-1 With Intelsat 901 Satellite
Northrop Grumman Corporation's wholly-owned subsidiary, Space Logistics LLC, have successfully completed the first docking of the Mission Extension Vehicle-1 (MEV-1) to the Intelsat 901 (IS-901) spacecraft in order to provide life-extension services.
Read More »SES And Gilat Telecom Restore Internet Connectivity In DRC
High-performance internet connectivity was restored in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) within just four days after the West Africa Cable System (WACS) undersea cable cut, thanks to the combined efforts of Gilat Telecom and SES, the companies announced on 10 February 2020.
Read More »Soyuz Rocket Launches Russian Military Satellite After One-Month Delay
A Russian military communications satellite rode a Soyuz rocket and Fregat upper stage on 20 February 2020 into an orbit stretching nearly 25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers) above Earth, successfully launching after a one-month delay to replace a suspect third stage on the Soyuz booster.
Read More »Egnos Payload Enters Service On EUTELSAT 5 West B
Eutelsat Communications announced on 14 February 2020 that the GEO-3 payload of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System (EGNOS), a hosted payload aboard its EUTELSAT 5 West B satellite, has successfully entered into service.
Read More »Belgian Development Agency Partners With SES To Connect Foreign Aid Projects In Africa Via Satellite
The Belgian development agency Enabel and SES S.A., a leader in global content connectivity solutions, will deliver satellite-based communications for the development and foreign aid projects spearheaded by the Belgian and other European governments.
Read More »#SpaceWatchGL Feature: GVF NewSpace Membership Helps NewSpace StartUps Grow Into The Future
The innovations and opportunities for those in the satellite industry seem to come almost as fast as satellites are launched. With these opportunities come compelling issues such as orbital debris, sustainable space operations, and cybersecurity. Long-standing matters such as access to spectrum, financing, signal interference, and antenna performance remain front and center as prerequisites to a healthy industry. These are some of the known opportunities and threats our industry faces. As technologies, markets, and services emerge, additional opportunities and threats will emerge as well.
Read More »Globalstar Launches SPOT Mapping Platform With New Terrain Details And Weather Overlays
Globalstar Europe Satellite Services Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Globalstar Inc. and a leader in satellite messaging and emergency notification technologies, has introduced its new mapping software, SPOT Mapping. This new platform gives adventurers and lone workers enhanced location insights, including granular detail about terrain to aid navigation, and, …
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