Tag: satellite communications
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NewOrbit Raises $18.5 Million to Commercialize Very Low Earth Orbit Satellite Operations
European satellite manufacturer NewOrbit has closed an oversubscribed $18.5 million Series A funding round to accelerate the commercialization of very low Earth orbit (VLEO), a region of space that has historically been considered too challenging for long-term commercial operations. The funding round was led by Voyager Ventures and included participation from several new and existing…
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Telefónica Germany and OQ Technology Test Direct-to-Device Satellite Connectivity
Telefónica Germany has partnered with Luxembourg-based satellite operator OQ Technology to test direct-to-device (D2D) satellite communications, marking a step toward integrating satellite connectivity with conventional mobile networks. The companies are conducting trials in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, using Telefónica Deutschland’s frequency spectrum to evaluate two-way text messaging and voice communication directly between satellites and standard mobile…
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Eutelsat Signs Maritime Connectivity Agreement With Tototheo Global
Eutelsat has signed a new agreement with Cyprus-based connectivity provider Tototheo Global to expand the availability of its low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite services across maritime, enterprise and government markets. Under the partnership, Tototheo Global will deliver Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO connectivity services to maritime customers worldwide and support enterprise, civil government and military connectivity requirements in…
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Muon Space Unveils Condor-Ultra Satellite Platform for Orbital Data Center Applications
Muon Space has introduced Condor-Ultra, a new high-power satellite platform designed to support emerging orbital computing, networking and space infrastructure applications. The platform expands the company’s Condor family of spacecraft, which already includes the Condor-M and Condor-XL satellite platforms. Designed for High-Power Space Missions Condor-Ultra is designed to deliver significantly more power than Muon Space’s…
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U.S. Space Force Awards Viasat and Intelsat $437.7 Million for Protected Satellite Communications Program
The United States Space Force has awarded a combined $437.7 million contract to Viasat and Intelsat for the procurement of satellites under the Protected Tactical Satellite Communications-Global (PTS-G) program, according to a government contract notice released on Friday. The Space Force said it obligated $150 million in fiscal year 2026 research, development, test and evaluation…
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Ground Stations Face Military Targeting Risk as Space War Doctrine Evolves
Are satellite ground stations becoming military targets? Ground stations worldwide are increasingly viewed as legitimate military targets, with recent strikes on cloud facilities and satellite ground infrastructure demonstrating a fundamental shift in modern warfare doctrine. These terrestrial assets, responsible for commanding satellites worth hundreds of billions of dollars and handling critical data flows for both…
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Iridium Reports 2% Revenue Growth Despite IoT Market Challenges
How is Iridium performing against growing NTN competition? Iridium reported a modest 2% year-over-year revenue increase in Q1 2026, continuing its steady IoT subscriber growth despite intensifying competition from non-terrestrial network (NTN) providers targeting Direct-to-Device (D2D) services. CEO Matt Desch addressed mounting pressures from emerging competitors during the earnings call, particularly around spectrum allocation and…
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Pentagon Drone Tests Hit by Starlink Outage Shows DoD SpaceX Risk
Pentagon Drone Operations Face Critical Risk from SpaceX Dependency A recent Starlink service disruption directly impacted Pentagon drone testing operations, underscoring the Department of Defense’s deepening reliance on SpaceX’s commercial satellite network for critical military communications. The outage affected unmanned aerial vehicle trials that depend on Starlink’s satellite constellation for beyond-line-of-sight command and control links.…
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NASA Seeks Commercial Providers to Replace $5B TDRSS Network
Will NASA’s $5 billion TDRSS network finally go commercial? NASA issued a draft solicitation April 10 for Project NEXUS, marking the agency’s most serious attempt to transition from its aging Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) to commercial communications services. The initiative, valued at potentially billions over the coming decade, requires backward compatibility with…
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Cyprus Becomes First Country To Use EU GOVSATCOM Secure Satellite Communications Service
The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) announced that Cyprus has become the first country to operationally use the European Union’s GOVSATCOM system. The announcement, made on March 10, said the service was deployed for safety and security operations along the EU’s south-eastern borders, marking the first operational use of the platform since…