Tag: satellite communications
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Europe’s Largest Mobile Operators Explore Joint Bid for EU Direct-to-Device Spectrum
Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone are in preliminary talks to form a consortium that would bid for part of the European Union’s 2 GHz mobile satellite spectrum, potentially creating a European-controlled direct-to-device service to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink and other non-European satellite operators. The discussions were reported on September 7 and remain at an…
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Seven Chinese Private Companies Building the Optical Backbone for Satellite Networks
China’s commercial space sector is moving satellite laser communications from isolated technology demonstrations toward multi-satellite networking and batch production. Recent milestones include a 400Gbps intersatellite transmission, 11 optical links connecting a 12-satellite space-computing cluster, and a bidirectional gigabit-class laser link between the ground and a geostationary satellite more than 40,000 kilometers away. Laser communications can…
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UK Launches £7.8 Billion Space Strategy Focused on Defence and Resilient Satellite Communications
The UK government launched a new national space strategy on September 8, bringing £7.8 billion in planned investment through 2030 under a single framework covering economic growth, defence and national security. The plan prioritises military space capabilities and calls for a resilient, integrated national satellite communications system to support government and defence operations. The strategy…
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SpaceX Clears Florida Launch Capacity for Starship by Moving Falcon 9 Starlink Missions West
SpaceX has consolidated its remaining Falcon 9 Starlink launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, ending the constellation’s Falcon 9 campaign from Florida as it prepares the Space Coast for Starship-Super Heavy operations. The operational shift removes a large volume of routine Starlink missions from SpaceX’s Florida schedule, freeing launch infrastructure, personnel and range…
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Pentagon Plans 50 Secure Facilities to Help Space Startups Become National Security Suppliers
The Pentagon announced on September 3 a plan to deploy approximately 50 mobile Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities across the United States, lowering a barrier that prevents smaller companies—including commercial space startups—from competing for classified defense work. The Secure Space Network will provide accredited workspaces and related information systems where authorized companies can collaborate with government…
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SpaceX and Blue Origin Withdraw From Paris Space Summit After White House Warning
SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space and Starcloud withdrew from French President Emmanuel Macron’s International Space Summit in Paris after the White House warned that participation could be interpreted as support for European Union space policies. France’s government confirmed the four withdrawals on September 3, 2026, ahead of the September 9–10 event. The cancellations remove two…
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4iG and SpaceX Sign Agreements for Starlink Mobile and Sovereign Satellite Services in Europe
Hungarian telecommunications and defense group 4iG has signed two agreements with SpaceX covering direct-to-device mobile connectivity and secure sovereign satellite communications, establishing a framework for deploying Starlink services across Hungary and parts of the Western Balkans. The agreements were signed in Texas on September 2, 2026, by 4iG Chairman and CEO Gellért Jászai and SpaceX…
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Russia’s Rassvet Broadband Constellation Faces In-Orbit Failures and Deployment Risks
Russia’s effort to build a sovereign low-Earth orbit broadband network has encountered propulsion problems and at least three probable satellite failures during the deployment of its first 32 operational Rassvet spacecraft. Bureau 1440, the Moscow-based company developing Rassvet, launched two batches of 16 satellites on March 23 and July 19, 2026. Both missions used Soyuz-2.1b…
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OHB Wins $1.16 Billion Contract to Build 18 MEO Satellites for Europe’s IRIS² Network
German satellite manufacturer OHB has secured a contract worth nearly €1 billion ($1.16 billion) from SES to develop and manufacture all 18 medium Earth orbit satellite platforms for the European Union’s IRIS² secure connectivity constellation. Announced on August 31, 2026, the award is the first major industrial contract placed since IRIS² entered full-scale implementation on…
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How High and How Inclined Should a Satellite Fly? How Orbital Altitude and Inclination Are Determined
Why do some satellites skim relatively close to Earth and complete an orbit in just over 90 minutes, while others remain above the equator and appear motionless in the sky? And why do some Earth observation satellites designed for near-global coverage deliberately use “retrograde” orbits with inclinations greater than 90 degrees? The answer lies in…