{"id":56829,"date":"2021-08-19T17:40:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-19T09:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/ground-segment-aims-to-fly-high-in-the-new-space-environment\/"},"modified":"2021-08-19T17:40:00","modified_gmt":"2021-08-19T09:40:00","slug":"ground-segment-aims-to-fly-high-in-the-new-space-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/ground-segment-aims-to-fly-high-in-the-new-space-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Ground Segment Aims to Fly High in the New Space Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Smallsats, new orbits, and mega-constellations have revolutionized the satellite industry space segment in recent years. The pace of technological change has led some to question whether the ground segment can keep up. But away from the spotlight, a series of innovations in antenna technology, waveform processing and system design have been quietly starting a revolution down on Earth, as well. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of time and energy and money has been invested in the new satellite constellations,\u201d points out Carl Novello, CTO of NXT Communications Corp. (NXTCOMM), an Atlanta, Georgia area-based startup. But on the ground, he adds, the situation looks very different.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/It8Q5D3JQrGiTURLK6BL_VS_090121_DGTL_1-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"width: 120px; height: auto;\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/It8Q5D3JQrGiTURLK6BL_VS_090121_DGTL_1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/It8Q5D3JQrGiTURLK6BL_VS_090121_DGTL_1-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/It8Q5D3JQrGiTURLK6BL_VS_090121_DGTL_1-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/It8Q5D3JQrGiTURLK6BL_VS_090121_DGTL_1.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"fs-5 mt-0\">Explore the September 2021 Issue<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-0 fs-smaller text-balance\">Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-primary\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"offcanvas\" data-bs-target=\"#offcanvasMENU\" aria-controls=\"offcanvasExample\" aria-label=\"button\" style=\"white-space: nowrap;\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tView More <i class=\"bi bi-arrow-right-circle\"><\/i><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button><\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot enough focus and energy has been placed on the ground segment and in particular the terminal,\u201d the device which connects the end user with the satellite, Novello argues. This is particularly important given the technological shift from the world of Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellites to a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) world, where many satellites move across the sky. <\/p>\n<p>That makes things significantly more complex, Novello says. \u201cEven for those of us who have worked in the mobility product space where that terminal on the ground has to be able to move in relation to the satellite, this adds another dimension: It\u2019s not just that the terminal is moving, but the satellite is too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the new multi-orbit world, he says, the biggest challenge on the ground will be flexibility. Traditionally satellite operators have been tightly vertically integrated, with terminals designed to work with a single constellation across a relatively narrow portion of spectrum. With operators adopting a multi-orbit approach, that increasingly won\u2019t cut it. <\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a68033976c04;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a68033976c04 = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a68033976c06').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a68033976c06'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe challenge is how do you move from being a product that is relatively fit for a single purpose to becoming the Swiss Army knife of antennas?\u201d Novello asks. \u201cOne that will work in GEO use cases and LEO use cases and MEO use cases, with different requirements for frequency bands, uplink power, different regulatory requirements to meet, and so on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In other words, concludes Novello, \u201cHow do we build a better antenna fit for this brave new world of satellite connectivity?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what NXTCOMM and other satellite technology providers are working on. The company uses a technology called fragmented aperture, which tackles some of the underlying physical limitations of a conventional flat-panel or phased array satellite antenna. Fragmented aperture uses complex, pixelated structures for its radiating elements, to reduce interference and boost efficiency.  <\/p>\n<p>NXTCOMM is already gearing up to start production of its new antennas. Next year, L3 Harris will start to use them in both manpack and flyaway terminals for an undisclosed U.S. Department of Defense customer.<\/p>\n<h3>A Paradigm Shift in Antennas<\/h3>\n<p>Fragmented aperture is just one new technology aiming at the dramatic performance improvements needed for the ground segment to keep up with the new multi-orbit world.<\/p>\n<p>Another company seeking to build a better mousetrap is Hawthorne, California-based ThinKom Solutions, whose variable inclination continuous transverse stub or VICTS phased-array technology combines the technical benefits of mechanically steered and Electronically Scanned Arrays (ESA), according to Bill Milroy, chairman and CTO. \u201cWe get the best of both worlds,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"flex flex-col justify-center items-center w-full image-block px-8\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Placeholder alt text\" class=\"w-full object-cover mx-auto\" src=\"http:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/w5KaivlqSXqZmdTvVNRW_image_3_ThinKom_ground_segment_Ka-band_antenna.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"p-3 bg-gray-300 bg-opacity-50 italic mx-auto w-full\">ThinKomA ThinKom VICTS antenna being tested on new LEO constellations. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In simple terms, VICTS technology is comprised of parallel plates or discs rotating relative to each other around a single axis to steer the beam and control polarization. For space-based antennas, the plates are aluminum, and ThinKom is exploring using additive manufacturing for these. In ground-based products, the company uses metalized plastic. VICTS uses a contactless circumferential drive to move the plates like a maglev train, says Milroy. \u201cIt\u2019s a contactless inductive drive, so if you look inside, you don\u2019t see a motor, you don\u2019t see gears, you don\u2019t see pulleys, you don\u2019t see belts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That gives the technology big advantages, Milroy says. The contactless drive is more reliable than either conventional mechanical movement systems like gimbals or the non-mechanical ESA antennas. He cites statistics from the company\u2019s airborne VICTS antenna product line, that with 22 million flight hours over six years, the mean time before failure is well north of 100,000 hours. ThinKom\u2019s parallel plate technology aims to increase scan range, reduce power requirements, improve on performance efficiency, and is lower cost. <\/p>\n<p>Cost savings like that are going to be an increasingly important differentiator in the new markets and verticals the multi-orbit world will open up including mass-scale use cases for consumers or even Internet of Things (IoT) applications. <\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a680339772c7;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a680339772c7 = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a680339772c8').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a680339772c8'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cPrice and price elasticity in the terminals and antenna providers is going to be key to getting into those markets,\u201d Milroy explains, because they are potentially logarithmically larger than the current market base. \u201cWe may need to see prices reduced by an order of magnitude, which is bad for us as suppliers. But the reward is the market size, it could be orders of magnitude greater.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Milroy says the company can force its unit costs downwards if a customer wants to buy 10,000, or 100,000 antennas. New technologies like additive manufacturing, more commonly known as 3D-printing, will also help, he says. \u201cWe think our antennas are ideally suited for additive manufacturing, which is kind of a hot topic. We\u2019re doing some really interesting experiments in that area.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Automation and Integration<\/h3>\n<p>Working with cutting edge technology is at the center of the business model for Comtech Xicom Technology, says Vice President of Sales Eric Schmidt. The company, which has been making signal amplifiers and block upconverters for 30 years in Santa Clara, California, is focused on improving its products to meet the more rigorous demands of the new multi-orbit world, like the extremely high frequency Q- and V-bands. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur R&amp;D philosophy is to focus on the underlying technology, the fundamentals, for instance of circuit design, to deliver the best performance,\u201d he says. \u201cWe spend a lot of R&amp;D money on the technology and the infrastructure, as opposed to the way some companies do it, where they\u2019re essentially providing a company subsidy to underwrite the development of new products. In our case, we start with trying to build a new foundation \u2014 the technology \u2014 and then build the products on that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Over the next decade or so, Schmidt says automation and integration will be key differentiators in the ground segment, as new constellations require growing numbers of ground stations, some in remote locations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReducing the footprint, reducing the power consumption, reducing the maintenance burden \u2026 That\u2019s going to count for more and more,\u201d he says. \u201cI think the trend is more and more towards complex and increasingly autonomous systems that are fully integrated, so the system itself can automatically increase power, change waveform, change modulation, change coding or whatever is needed for the link condition that the system itself senses.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"flex flex-col justify-center items-center w-full image-block px-8\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Placeholder alt text\" class=\"w-full object-cover mx-auto\" src=\"http:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/cou2K1MQLi8ZRsUZZSzB_Image_2_Xicom_ground_segment_photo_XTD-750_with_back_of_dish.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"p-3 bg-gray-300 bg-opacity-50 italic mx-auto w-full\">Comtech Xicom TechnologyA Xicom XTD-750 signal amplifier sits behind the satellite dish it is servicing. By moving amplifiers outside, the company was able to improve performance and reduce power consumption without new technology. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Singapore-based ST Engineering iDirect has already made strides towards that vision of a self-managing signal. Seven years ago, the company pioneered its Mx-DMA, a milestone waveform technology which upended the return link market \u2014 the way the terminal talks back to the satellite. This year, the company unveiled the second generation of that waveform technology: Mx-DMA MRC (for multi-resolution coding). <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe difference is scalability,\u201d explains ST Engineering iDirect CTO Frederik Simoens, \u201cYou have a lot of users, they\u2019re all transmitting to the satellite, but you have to orchestrate all those transmissions to make sure they\u2019re not overlapping. To dynamically allocate resources to make sure everyone has the bandwidth they need, you have to do it automatically. It\u2019s about the ability to scale that, to achieve the highest throughput per user, but also to achieve the fact that you can have many thousands of users with very different use patterns and bandwidth demand transmitting at the same time, all using the same platform. Coping with all of that is what this new generation Mx-DMA MRC technology does.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the efficiency benefits the new return waveform offers, says Simoens, there are operational benefits, too. \u201cAs an operative, you don\u2019t have to configure carriers, you don\u2019t have to configure modulation schemes, it\u2019s just handing out a bunch of spectrum slots through the system, and the system will take care of assigning them automatically.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a680339779bf;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a680339779bf = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a680339779c0').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a680339779c0'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Is Software Eating the Ground?<\/h3>\n<p>One big enabler of automation, Simoens says, is virtualization. \u201cWith software-defined networking, it becomes possible to automate and orchestrate a lot of the things that used to be manual, like configuring a network for a new beam. That used to be a manual action, but now it can be fully automated, because of that network function virtualization. This is the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And network switches aren\u2019t the only kind of hardware in the ground segment that\u2019s destined to go the way of the floppy disk drive, according to Stuart Daughtridge, vice president of Advanced Technology in Kratos Space, Training, and Cybersecurity division.<\/p>\n<p>The company\u2019s Open Space platform offers a set of virtual tools for ground segment management, based on an extensible, open and totally software defined architecture. \u201cIt\u2019s enabling that move from legacy analog infrastructure to a digital and software-defined infrastructure,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, virtualization isn\u2019t entirely complete, and frequencies higher than 6 gigahertz have to be converted by a piece of analog hardware called a frequency converter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEventually though, as digitizers get better, the technology gets faster, you\u2019ll continue to be able to digitize at higher and higher frequencies, so that you\u2019ll get rid of the frequency converters,\u201d Daughtridge explains. \u201cThe bottom line is, your amplifiers will stay hardware, your antennas will stay hardware and your satellites will stay hardware, at least on the outside. Pretty much everything else in between gets virtualized.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s a good thing, too, argues Chris Boyd, senior director for product management in Kratos Space, Training, and Cybersecurity division. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen things were all hardware, if you wanted to roll out a new capability, you\u2019d have to lay cable, you\u2019d have to provision new hardware. It would take weeks or months. With virtualized network functions that demand cycle can be closed a lot quicker. With Open Space we can satisfy that demand very much like how big IT networks are managed today, getting it down in some cases to minutes,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n<p>And that flexibility gives Open Space users the ability to support more dynamic services for their customers, Boyd points out, which means more opportunities to monetize the capabilities of new satellite constellations. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe capabilities are amazing but at the end of the day, you need a dynamic and flexible ground system to be able to monetize that. And that means software defined,\u201d Boyd says. <strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">VS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em class=\"Annotation -emphasis\">Shaun Waterman is a freelance journalist based in Washington, writing about cybersecurity,  government IT, emerging defense technologies, and space.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">In This Issue<\/h2>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 405651:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"167\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/I6aNFbJbQEKX8nUxA6Y3_ED_Note-300x167.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/I6aNFbJbQEKX8nUxA6Y3_ED_Note-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/I6aNFbJbQEKX8nUxA6Y3_ED_Note-800x446.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/I6aNFbJbQEKX8nUxA6Y3_ED_Note-640x357.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/I6aNFbJbQEKX8nUxA6Y3_ED_Note.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tBack at SATELLITE After 18 Months<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 405648:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/D8dlkEFJS0y95ZmmLsOw_Opinion-300x300.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/D8dlkEFJS0y95ZmmLsOw_Opinion-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/D8dlkEFJS0y95ZmmLsOw_Opinion-800x800.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/D8dlkEFJS0y95ZmmLsOw_Opinion-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/D8dlkEFJS0y95ZmmLsOw_Opinion-640x640.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/D8dlkEFJS0y95ZmmLsOw_Opinion.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tGround Segment Moves Toward More Flexible Equipment to Meet New Satcom Requirements<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 405641:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jkIAc1QhSsCTx3pf0NZG_VS_090121_DGTL_6-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jkIAc1QhSsCTx3pf0NZG_VS_090121_DGTL_6-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jkIAc1QhSsCTx3pf0NZG_VS_090121_DGTL_6-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jkIAc1QhSsCTx3pf0NZG_VS_090121_DGTL_6-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jkIAc1QhSsCTx3pf0NZG_VS_090121_DGTL_6.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tHow Suzi McBride Keeps Iridium Focused and Forward-Thinking<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 405636:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/xktJRdoQmKhCi2AvkhXt_VS_090121_DGTL_5-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/xktJRdoQmKhCi2AvkhXt_VS_090121_DGTL_5-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/xktJRdoQmKhCi2AvkhXt_VS_090121_DGTL_5-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/xktJRdoQmKhCi2AvkhXt_VS_090121_DGTL_5-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/xktJRdoQmKhCi2AvkhXt_VS_090121_DGTL_5.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tNine Satellite CEOs to Watch in 2021<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 405654:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"185\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HJj2bICUS8KGhtINGgSK_image003-300x185.png\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HJj2bICUS8KGhtINGgSK_image003-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HJj2bICUS8KGhtINGgSK_image003-800x494.png 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HJj2bICUS8KGhtINGgSK_image003-640x396.png 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HJj2bICUS8KGhtINGgSK_image003.png 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tSATELLITE 2021 Preview: It\u2019s Time to Get Excited<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 405615:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MXQAMVzTbitqnvXJcNpt_VS_090121_DGTL_2-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MXQAMVzTbitqnvXJcNpt_VS_090121_DGTL_2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MXQAMVzTbitqnvXJcNpt_VS_090121_DGTL_2-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MXQAMVzTbitqnvXJcNpt_VS_090121_DGTL_2-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MXQAMVzTbitqnvXJcNpt_VS_090121_DGTL_2.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tSatellite Manufacturing in the Era of Mass Production<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 405644:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/xxQPtroWSS2J5ziuXcr0_Opinion-300x300.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/xxQPtroWSS2J5ziuXcr0_Opinion-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/xxQPtroWSS2J5ziuXcr0_Opinion-800x800.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/xxQPtroWSS2J5ziuXcr0_Opinion-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/xxQPtroWSS2J5ziuXcr0_Opinion-640x640.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/xxQPtroWSS2J5ziuXcr0_Opinion.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tSustaining the Race to the Top in the Commercial Space and Satellite Sector<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 405624:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5Q7XuVE7SKWhMT9TYL8B_VS_090121_DGTL_4-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5Q7XuVE7SKWhMT9TYL8B_VS_090121_DGTL_4-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5Q7XuVE7SKWhMT9TYL8B_VS_090121_DGTL_4-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5Q7XuVE7SKWhMT9TYL8B_VS_090121_DGTL_4-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5Q7XuVE7SKWhMT9TYL8B_VS_090121_DGTL_4.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tWill the Space Force Fix Military Space Acquisition?<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Smallsats, new orbits, and mega-constellations have revolutionized the satellite industry space segment in recent years. The pace of technological change has led some to question whether the ground segment can keep up. But away from the spotlight, a series of innovations in antenna technology, waveform processing and system design have been quietly starting a revolution [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":56830,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56829"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56829"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56829\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}