{"id":65674,"date":"2018-03-21T17:50:16","date_gmt":"2018-03-21T09:50:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/megaconstellations-recipe-for-disaster-or-biggest-opportunity-yet\/"},"modified":"2018-03-21T17:50:16","modified_gmt":"2018-03-21T09:50:16","slug":"megaconstellations-recipe-for-disaster-or-biggest-opportunity-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/megaconstellations-recipe-for-disaster-or-biggest-opportunity-yet\/","title":{"rendered":"Megaconstellations: Recipe for Disaster or Biggest Opportunity Yet?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A handful of hot, young satellite communications companies harbor big plans to launch super-powerful, smaller satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO), creating megaconstellations that will power every broadband application imaginable. But Bryan Hartin, executive vice president of marketing for Iridium, doesn\u2019t seem too worried about competition or the potential for overcrowding. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were in LEO before LEO was cool,\u201d says Hartin, who oversees Iridium\u2019s global commercial business. \u201cToday you have these megaconstellations like what SpaceX and OneWeb have planned. And we welcome them. We don\u2019t view ourselves as competitors, but as complementary.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GOamGTdROSusQdXRDUQw_01_VS_040118_Cover_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\/GOamGTdROSusQdXRDUQw_01_VS_040118_Cover_DGTL-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GOamGTdROSusQdXRDUQw_01_VS_040118_Cover_DGTL-1-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GOamGTdROSusQdXRDUQw_01_VS_040118_Cover_DGTL-1-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GOamGTdROSusQdXRDUQw_01_VS_040118_Cover_DGTL-1.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"fs-5 mt-0\">Explore the April 2018 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>Iridium has good reason to be excited. Over the last several years, the company has spent more than $3 billion on a massive undertaking \u2014 refreshing the company\u2019s existing fleet of satellites with a new constellation known as Iridium Next, an architecture consisting of 66 small, interconnected mobile satellites (plus nine on-orbit spares and six ground spares), which will reportedly cover 100 percent of the Earth\u2019s surface, including oceans and polar regions. <\/p>\n<p>And Iridium is certainly not alone when it comes to thinking big: In October, SpaceX and OneWeb executives unveiled plans to launch megaconstellations of broadband satellites in LEO to the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committees. While these organizations are a bit elusive about their big plans (case in point: SpaceX said it could not comment for this piece, and OneWeb was not able to respond in time), their presence at the public forum signified that they\u2019re serious about moving forward. SpaceX\u2019s goal, over the next five years, after testing and validation, is to deploy a constellation of 4,425 Ka- and Ku-band satellites; OneWeb\u2019s plan is to start launching its first-generation constellation of roughly 900 satellites in 2019. <\/p>\n<p>Since 2014, space industry consulting firm Northern Sky Research (NSR) has tracked $2.1 billion in investments for broadband megaconstellations (such as LeoSat and OneWeb), plus an additional $1.5 billion in SpaceX. Additionally, since 2016, NSR has tracked $23.7 million invested in satellite Internet of Things (IOT) startups. <\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a6d89c783c3e;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_6a6d89c783c3e = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a6d89c783c3f').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a6d89c783c3f'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Yet, within this enthusiasm for large, powerful LEO constellations and the applications they\u2019ll deliver, the voices of caution are growing louder, tempering much of the fervor around pushing fleets of fresh satellites into the skies. Some of the biggest concerns orbit around the topic of space debris. Scientists worry that existing debris will destroy multiple satellites in a megaconstellation, and that pushing too many new constellations into orbit will amplify the likelihood of a catastrophic collision.<\/p>\n<p>All of which raises questions about whether filling the skies with megaconstellations will create too much of a good thing. Most importantly, how will space accommodate all of these satellites without damaging the environment? <\/p>\n<h2>The Market for Mega<\/h2>\n<p>Satellite manufacturers and their partners envision a future where megaconstellations link terrestrial networks and satellites in LEO, which ultimately provides blanket coverage and optimal service at compelling price point. And while the threshold upon which a constellation becomes a megaconstellation is still up for debate, the potential for megaquestions is unquestioned, whether a large constellation comprises 75 or 4,000 smaller, lighter, self-propelling mobile satellites. <\/p>\n<p>Driving the market for mega is a combination of innovation, dramatic reductions in the cost of materials and manufacturing and, of course, demand. As the demand for 5G broadband connectivity continues to grow, the opportunity for applications in residential, commercial and military sectors is expanding. Megaconstellations can bring high-speed Internet to villages in Congo, fill in the connectivity gaps for oil and gas enterprise, or support a high-speed banking network between Wall Street and Beijing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe see investors interested in the spectrum of applications \u2014 from broadband constellations to IOT constellations,\u201d says NSR analyst Carolyn Belle. \u201cA central vision behind these investments is the anticipated boost to the global economy once the entire world \u2014 both people and things \u2014 are connected.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One of the younger companies in this space, LeoSat Enterprises, is positioning itself as filling the space between traditional satellite and fiber-optic networks. The five-year-old organization, which secured Sky Perfect JSAT as a key investor, is on target to complete $100 million in Series A funding in the first quarter of 2018, and plans to launch a laser-connected constellation of up to 108 LEO communications satellites between 2019 and 2022. These will power applications of interest to large commercial and government customers. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom LEO, you can choose to do many things,\u201d says Mark Rigolle, CEO of LeoSat. \u201cWe\u2019re all about enabling business growth by providing large commercial customers in enterprise, energy, maritime and telecoms with previously unavailable levels of network performance and security combined with worldwide reach. We believe that the success of our constellation is predicated on the fact that our system was specifically designed to respond to customers who could not get from the terrestrial telecom and satellite industry what their business needed. LeoSat has built its business model around that and developed a unique constellation system for enterprise data which will serve not only a need that exists today, but with the growth of Big Data and cybersecurity, will certainly be in high demand in the future.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile there\u2019s also the growing interest in IOT applications, such as tracking propane on shipping sensors, which smaller, low-power satellites in megaconstellations are ideally suited to support. While the bulk of IOT devices will be supported by terrestrial systems, satellite\u2019s role will primarily be as a backup system and a gap filler for remote locations, says Belle. But for some applications satellite will be a critical piece of the architecture, she adds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe IOT space is one of our fastest-growing businesses, in terms of subscriber growth and revenue growth,\u201d says Iridium\u2019s Hartin. \u201cYou might think of IOT as everybody\u2019s toaster connected to satellite, but really, it\u2019s about empowering companies like Caterpillar, which makes this equipment that operates in remote parts of the world, like mines in Africa. If you have a multimillion-dollar piece of equipment out there, you want to know how it\u2019s working.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a6d89c784041;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_6a6d89c784041 = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a6d89c784042').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a6d89c784042'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>But while LEO possesses latency advantages, Steve Collar, soon to become SES\u2019 CEO and current CEO of SES Networks, which operates its fleet of O3b mPower satellites in the Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), says the cost of deployment is too prohibitive. SES plans to launch seven next-generation MEO satellites in 2021 to provide connectivity to 3 billion people who don\u2019t have it. As Collar sees it, MEO is a superior alternative to LEO for the same applications.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not that megaconstellations are bad,\u201d says Collar. \u201cIt\u2019s more of the economics of the solutions, and whether they solve the problem of delivering services to some of the less-well off.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Mega Clutter <\/h2>\n<p>With a few megaconstellations potentially set to launch around the same timeframe, concerns about increasing clutter in LEO are kicking into high gear. As scientists explain it, the math is simple: the more satellites enter space, the greater the risk of some kind collision. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere will be collisions in the future,\u201d says Hugh Lewis, one of the most high-profile space debris scientists and a senior lecturer in aerospace engineering at the University of Southampton in the U.K. \u201cIt\u2019s like a hurricane. You know it\u2019s coming, you just don\u2019t know when.\u201d The University of Southampton\u2019s debris simulation model, Debris Analysis and Monitoring Architecture to the GEO Environment (DAMAGE), offers scientists a glimpse of the worst-case scenario \u2014 whereupon a hypothetical large constellation operator disregards existing space debris mitigation guidelines, leading to series of collisions. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s so bad, that our simulation models can\u2019t handle it,\u201d Lewis told Via Satellite. \u201cWhen we tried to simulate the worst-case scenario, my computer crashed.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Lewis is the first to admit that the worst-case scenario is improbable \u2014 yet it underscores the potential devastation resulting from too many megaconstellations. While the probability of a collision is low, the impact is significant: A bullet-size piece of junk flying at high speed knocked a crater into a European Earth Observation (EO) satellite a few years ago, while a 1,984-pound (900 Kg) non-operational Russian satellite collided with, and destroyed, one of Iridium\u2019s communication satellites in 2009. <\/p>\n<p>While international guidelines currently recommend that operators remove spacecraft from LEO within 25 years of the end of the life of the spacecraft, Holger Krag, the head of the European Space Agency\u2019s (ESA) Space Debris Office, reportedly told attendees at 2017\u2019s European Conference on Space Debris that only 60 percent of operators actually do that.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe odds really are in our favor, but each one of those collisions generates more fragments,\u201d says Lewis. \u201cAnd more fragments means a faster collision rate.\u201d <\/p>\n<h2>Preparing for Launch <\/h2>\n<p>Most of the space industry \u2014 especially the high-profile players in the megaconstellation business \u2014 is vocal about its commitment to good stewardship, and following recommendations from international regulatory agencies and scientists. There\u2019s also promise in some of the new solutions being developed to help clean up space junk.<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a6d89c78441c;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_6a6d89c78441c = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a6d89c78441d').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a6d89c78441d'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf operators of large constellations apply simple thinking and measures, such as separating orbital planes in altitude, you never give them the opportunity to collide,\u201d says Lewis. \u201cYou can also design the propulsion system better, and make sure the satellites don\u2019t last in the environment a long time. If you conduct a powered descent so they burn up in the atmosphere, there is almost no impact.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Lewis says he\u2019s having an increasing number of conversations with operators, who are sharing their plans and asking, \u201cis that good enough?\u201d He is encouraged that operators such as OneWeb are putting their plans into the public domain so that they can be scrutinized openly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor most of the space age, it\u2019s been the governments that have made use of space, but what we\u2019re seeing now is businesses seeing the market potential,\u201d says Lewis. \u201cIn order to achieve that potential, they have to look at the environment. That\u2019s why companies are saying, \u2018We need to operate clean. We need to protect the environment.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>The Business of Sweeping up Space <\/h2>\n<p>Seeing space debris float around in imaging models is sort of like watching flurries in a snow globe. But what is visually akin to snowflakes drifting aimlessly in a palm-size souvenir is actually thousands of satellites and pieces of space debris in LEO, encircling Earth \u2014 a swarm of objects that is expected to thicken as megaconstellations launch, raising the likelihood of multiple collisions. <\/p>\n<p>To the rescue comes a growing number of startups whose business case is based on their power to mitigate debris. The best-funded among these is Singapore-based Astroscale. In 2017, the four-year-old company raised $25 million from investors in Japan, including aviation company ANA Holdings and industrial machinery provider OSG Corp. That brings the company\u2019s total raise to $53 million, counting a $7.7 million Series A raise in 2015, and a $35 million Series B raise in 2016.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, China, whose infamous 2007 anti-satellite test generated thousands of pieces of debris, recently made headlines when researchers at the Air Force Engineering University in China published a proposal to use giant lasers to destroy old satellites and other debris.<\/p>\n<p>However, whether this market is viable \u2014 or the technology used to clean up debris is sufficient \u2014 remains to be seen. <\/p>\n<p>For one, there is the issue of who foots the bill for deploying these debris-removal services \u2014 is it split among different carriers based on constellation?<\/p>\n<p>Another concern, pertaining to Astroscale and its competitors, is that debris-cleanup technology appears to be limited to smaller junk \u2014 not the bigger, semi-truck-size satellites that cause the most harm to satellites (Astroscale did not return a request for comment).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAstroscale\u2019s technology is a bit limited, because they were targeting objects around 50 kg,\u201d says Hugh Lewis, a senior lecturer at the University of Southampton who studies space debris. \u201cA one-centimeter impact on a big satellite is not as much of a worry because you\u2019re not going to generate many trackable fragments.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, Lewis and others say they are encouraged by the ongoing progress in the area of debris removal, as the movement to launch megaconstellations picks up steam. <\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">In This Issue<\/h2>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 407241:  \/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=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/23y6LoNlTTWYQ1KrCqaQ_wordcloud2-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/23y6LoNlTTWYQ1KrCqaQ_wordcloud2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/23y6LoNlTTWYQ1KrCqaQ_wordcloud2-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/23y6LoNlTTWYQ1KrCqaQ_wordcloud2-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/23y6LoNlTTWYQ1KrCqaQ_wordcloud2.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\t10 Trends that will Define NewSpace in 2018<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 407228:  \/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=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/zhWtwdVGRPmem51wu6go_First_Class_Private_Suite_-300x200.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/zhWtwdVGRPmem51wu6go_First_Class_Private_Suite_-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/zhWtwdVGRPmem51wu6go_First_Class_Private_Suite_-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/zhWtwdVGRPmem51wu6go_First_Class_Private_Suite_-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/zhWtwdVGRPmem51wu6go_First_Class_Private_Suite_.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\tEmirates Could Have 1.3 Million Connections a Month by End of Year<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 407247:  \/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\/cCqEhEHbS7aTpVwSjZgx_oroville-dam-20160904-full-1-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/cCqEhEHbS7aTpVwSjZgx_oroville-dam-20160904-full-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/cCqEhEHbS7aTpVwSjZgx_oroville-dam-20160904-full-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/cCqEhEHbS7aTpVwSjZgx_oroville-dam-20160904-full-1-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/cCqEhEHbS7aTpVwSjZgx_oroville-dam-20160904-full-1.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\tEO from LEO: Earth Observation Going Mainstream<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 407235:  \/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=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bZJttGgEQhmeR7iiDVV4_ThinkstockPhotos-683716072-300x199.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bZJttGgEQhmeR7iiDVV4_ThinkstockPhotos-683716072-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bZJttGgEQhmeR7iiDVV4_ThinkstockPhotos-683716072-800x531.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bZJttGgEQhmeR7iiDVV4_ThinkstockPhotos-683716072-640x425.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bZJttGgEQhmeR7iiDVV4_ThinkstockPhotos-683716072.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\tEvolving Cybersecurity in the NewSpace Era<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 407254:  \/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=\"177\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/A5SQSRYdQ2Gg0GfUJW4p_Flickr_Kees_Torn-300x177.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/A5SQSRYdQ2Gg0GfUJW4p_Flickr_Kees_Torn-300x177.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/A5SQSRYdQ2Gg0GfUJW4p_Flickr_Kees_Torn-800x472.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/A5SQSRYdQ2Gg0GfUJW4p_Flickr_Kees_Torn-640x378.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/A5SQSRYdQ2Gg0GfUJW4p_Flickr_Kees_Torn.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\tHas Maritime Reached the Tipping Point for Satellite?<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 407261:  \/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\/ZbJ75MFWSZa95KiBDmUq_01_VS_040118_Cover_DGTL4-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ZbJ75MFWSZa95KiBDmUq_01_VS_040118_Cover_DGTL4-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ZbJ75MFWSZa95KiBDmUq_01_VS_040118_Cover_DGTL4-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ZbJ75MFWSZa95KiBDmUq_01_VS_040118_Cover_DGTL4-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ZbJ75MFWSZa95KiBDmUq_01_VS_040118_Cover_DGTL4.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\tKeeping Up with Important Trends, Emerging Tech in Media and Entertainment<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 407218:  \/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\/uWYfmISSMeJib3InpnKw_01_VS_040118_Cover_DGTL2-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/uWYfmISSMeJib3InpnKw_01_VS_040118_Cover_DGTL2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/uWYfmISSMeJib3InpnKw_01_VS_040118_Cover_DGTL2-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/uWYfmISSMeJib3InpnKw_01_VS_040118_Cover_DGTL2-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/uWYfmISSMeJib3InpnKw_01_VS_040118_Cover_DGTL2.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\tLatin America: DTH Wrestles for Mindshare<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 407267:  \/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=\"167\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/vLX3iKUeQ6iXxlnPAEJB_tXooM5VsR0ukpPFIk98Y_EdNote_Header_Web-300x167.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/vLX3iKUeQ6iXxlnPAEJB_tXooM5VsR0ukpPFIk98Y_EdNote_Header_Web-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/vLX3iKUeQ6iXxlnPAEJB_tXooM5VsR0ukpPFIk98Y_EdNote_Header_Web-800x446.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/vLX3iKUeQ6iXxlnPAEJB_tXooM5VsR0ukpPFIk98Y_EdNote_Header_Web-640x357.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/vLX3iKUeQ6iXxlnPAEJB_tXooM5VsR0ukpPFIk98Y_EdNote_Header_Web.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 2018 is over, but Many Talking Points Remain<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 407212:  \/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=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/D0LfllETSaCJ2cUcXn8A_social-fb-nelson-1-300x200.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/D0LfllETSaCJ2cUcXn8A_social-fb-nelson-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/D0LfllETSaCJ2cUcXn8A_social-fb-nelson-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/D0LfllETSaCJ2cUcXn8A_social-fb-nelson-1-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/D0LfllETSaCJ2cUcXn8A_social-fb-nelson-1.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\tSenator Nelson on the Way Forward to a Sustainable Space Future<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A handful of hot, young satellite communications companies harbor big plans to launch super-powerful, smaller satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO), creating megaconstellations that will power every broadband application imaginable. But Bryan Hartin, executive vice president of marketing for Iridium, doesn\u2019t seem too worried about competition or the potential for overcrowding. \u201cWe were in LEO [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":65675,"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-65674","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\/65674"}],"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=65674"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65674\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}