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29/05/2019 Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.
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Commercial
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH
SpaceX raises over $1 billion through two funding rounds
NASA seeks a rapid launch of a lunar lander

by Jeff Foust — May 28, 2019
Although NASA’s new goal of landing humans on the moon in five years may sound
aggressive, most of the hardware needed to carry out that mission is already, or soon will be,
under development.
FROM THE MAGAZINE BLUE ORIGIN LOCKHEED MARTIN MOON
https://spacenews.com/section/commercial/ 1/298
29/05/2019 Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
Price, contract terms helped Maxar secure Gateway contract

An ability to get on contract quickly and a price far lower that other companies were key
factors in NASA’s decision to award a contract to Maxar Technologies for the first element of
the lunar Gateway, the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE).
CIVIL COMMERCIAL BOEING LOCKHEED MARTIN LUNAR GATEWAY MAXAR NASA
NORTHROP GRUMMAN INNOVATION SYSTEMS PPE SIERRA NEVADA CORP.
Boeing completes tests of Starliner thrusters

Boeing has completed ground testing of the thrusters for its CST-100 Starliner commercial
crew vehicle, nearly a year after a setback in earlier testing of those thrusters.
COMMERCIAL BOEING COMMERCIAL CREW CST-100
Crunch time: Rocket companies in all-out battle for Air Force award
by Sandra Erwin — May 24, 2019
In29/05/2019
the days since the May 3 release of theCommercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
Air Force’s formal call for proposals for the
National Security Space Launch Phase 2 Launch Service Procurement, new squabbles have
arisen as bidders scrutinize the final solicitation for anything that might tilt the competition
in a rival’s favor.
FROM THE MAGAZINE LAUNCH SERVICE PROCUREMENT
SpaceX launches 60 Starlink satellites, begins constellation buildout

by Caleb Henry — May 23, 2019
The rocket took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 10:30 p.m. Eastern, and deployed the
satellites into a low Earth orbit a little over an hour later.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH FALCON 9 MEGACONSTELLATIONS SPACEX STARLINK
Amazon activates ground station business with rst two of 12 stations

Ground stations in Ohio and Oregon mark the first two of a planned 12 stations spread out
globally to enable communication with satellites, allowing operators to downlink data such as
imagery and weather. The stations also enable operators to control their satellites.
COMMERCIAL AMAZON AMAZON WEB SERVICES ANTENNAS GROUND SEGMENT
NASA selects Maxar to build rst Gateway element

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NASA has selected Maxar Technologies toCommercial
develop Archives - SpaceNews.com
the first element of its lunar Gateway, the
Power and Propulsion Element, for launch in late 2022.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL BREAKING NEWS LUNAR GATEWAY MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES NASA PPE
Op-Ed | Preserving NewSpace innovation while championing M&A in our ecosystem

by Negar Feher — May 23, 2019
The NewSpace sector is expected to grow from a $350 billion global industry in 2018 to a
trillion dollar one by 2040, according to a Morgan Stanley report. Given these forecasts it is
not clear how the market will expand, will there be more mergers and acquisitions, initial
public offerings, initial coin offerings or just companies remaining private?
COMMERCIAL MERGERS NEWSPACE VENTURE CAPITAL
Olis Robotics sees many space applications for autonomy software

by Debra Werner — May 22, 2019
Olis Robotics is working to demonstrate the application of its autonomy software for NASA,
the Air Force and others space customers to support internal and external space servicing,
assembly, manufacturing and operational concepts,” said Blaine Levedahl, Olis Robotics’ U.S.
government programs director.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL MILITARY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE NASA OLIS ROBOTICS SPACE TECH EXPO U.S. AIR FORCE
Momentum grows for nuclear thermal propulsion

With congressional funding and industry support, nuclear thermal propulsion technology is
making progress for potential use on future NASA deep space missions, although how it fits
into the agency’s exploration architectures remains uncertain.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL NUCLEAR THERMAL PROPULSION SPACE TECH EXPO
Hawkeye 360 and Windward to offer new maritime product

Hawkeye 360, a company flying a constellation of small satellites to map radio frequency
signals, announced a partnership May 22 with Windward, a company focused on maritime
risks, to offer customers insights on the maritime environment.
COMMERCIAL HAWKEYE 360 RF MONITORING WINDWARD
Are laser links ready for prime time?

Although NASA’s Mars Laser Communications Demonstration never flew, the project
proceeded far enough to establish a price for terminals to relay data for the Mars
Telecommunications Orbiter: $90 million.
COMMERCIAL BRIDGESAT KSAT OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS SPACE TECH EXPO
Companies encourage NASA to press ahead with LEO commercialization efforts

Companies interested in developing commercial space stations and related facilities in low
Earth orbit are wondering if NASA’s support for such efforts havsbeen overshadowed by the
agency’s rush back to the moon.
COMMERCIAL ISS LEO COMMERCIALIZATION SPACE TECH EXPO
Bangladesh’s satellite starts service • Starlink autopilot sparks concern • SAS Global secures loan
SpaceX says Starlink satellites will directly receive Air Force tracking data and use that to
tweak their orbits when presented with the risk of a collision. Space debris experts say the
probability of a collision varies on a case-by-case basis, making automation difficult.
FIRST UP SATCOM BANGLADESH SKY AND SPACE GLOBAL STARLINK
An embarrassment of rockets?
Launch vehicle startups remain focused on unique engine designs. At last count, there were
129 rocket startups, Rich Pournelle, NanoRacks senior vice president for business
development, said at a recent conference. How many will survive?
FROM THE MAGAZINE ROCKET ENGINES
In ection point coming for antenna equation

As the cost of phased array antennas drops, the technology becomes increasing attractive to
commercial customers like Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), the Norwegian company that
operates 179 antennas at 22 different sites around the world.
COMMERCIAL BALL AEROSPACE KSAT SPACE TECH EXPO
In ection point coming for antenna equation

As the cost of phased array antennas drops, the technology becomes increasing attractive to
commercial customers like Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), the Norwegian company that
operates 179 antennas at 22 different sites around the world.
COMMERCIAL BALL AEROSPACE KSAT SPACE TECH EXPO
U.S. launch companies not worried about Chinese competition

Despite a surge in Chinese launch activity and growth of commercial Chinese launch
developers, executives with American companies said they’re not worried about potential
competition with them.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH CHINA NORTHROP GRUMMAN RELATIVITY ROCKET LAB SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES
SPACE TECH EXPO
Industry seeks more time to review revised commercial launch regulations

Dissatisfied with the length and content of proposed rules to streamline commercial launch
and reentry regulations, industry officials say they will ask for an extension of an ongoing
public review period for those rules.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH REGULATORY SPACE POLICY DIRECTIVE 2 SPACE TECH EXPO
Tethers Unlimited developing satellite servicer for LEO missions

Tethers Unlimited is designing a satellite servicing vehicle that would leverage technologies
developed for the U.S. Defense Department and NASA to service spacecraft in low Earth
orbit.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE SERVICING
Suppliers hope to tap into growing space market

A supplier base of hardware and service vendors sees opportunities for new business from the
growing number of satellite and launch vehicle ventures, even if space remains a small part of
their overall business.
COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL SPACE SPACE TECH EXPO
EchoStar selling broadcast business, including nine satellites, to Dish for $800 million
The sale includes nine satellites — half of EchoStar’s fleet when counting leased payloads —
plus employees who handled satellite operations, associated properties, and licensing for an
orbital slot.
COMMERCIAL DISH NETWORK ECHOSTAR HUGHES NETWORK SYSTEMS
Achieving Bezos’ bold vision of space settlement requires bold policy direction
by Steven Wolfe — May 20, 2019
Just as Jeff Bezos, and others like him, are pushing the envelope of technology and business
models, there is a similar need to push the limits of space policy such that it will support a
space settlement agenda.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL JEFF BEZOS
SpaceX les bid protest in federal court

SpaceX filed a bid protest in federal court against the government May 17, but most details
about the protest, including the specific award being protested, remain undisclosed.
COMMERCIAL SPACEX
Industry wants NASA to move ahead quickly on Gateway module

In order to meet the goal of landing humans on the moon in 2024, NASA needs to get one
element of its proposed lunar Gateway on contract in the near future so it will be ready in
time.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL GATEWAY
Landspace assembles methalox engine, signs international agreements

by Andrew Jones — May 16, 2019
Chinese private launch firm LandSpace has completed assembly of a liquid methane-liquid
oxygen rocket engine for its new Zhuque-2 launch vehicle.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH CHINA LANDSPACE
Senate hearing examines commercial implications of Space Force

While most of the debate about establishing a Space Force within the Defense Department
has centered on its national security implications, a recent Senate hearing examined how it
could bolster growing commercial activity in space.
COMMERCIAL MILITARY
Musk says Starlink “economically viable” with around 1,000 satellites

SpaceX shared details about its largely secretive Starlink constellation program March 15,
providing updated targets for commercial service, details about satellite design and the
thought process behind why the company’s upper target is 12,000 satellites.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH MEGACONSTELLATIONS SPACEX STARLINK
Singtel pro ts dip • Argentine, Turkish companies form small GEO builder • KVH sells Videotel
business for $90 million
Singtel reported its lowest profit in 16 years, citing increasing competitive pressure in India
and Indonesia.
FIRST UP SATCOM
Iceye and APSI enter pact to sell radar imagery in South Korea
Asia Pacific Satellite Inc. and Iceye, the Finnish company that launched the first synthetic
aperture radar microsatellite, announced a memorandum of understanding May 15 to deliver
radar imagery to government and commercial customers in South Korea.
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Eutelsat’s Konnect Africa business struggles to lift off

Eutelsat executives said the challenges getting Konnect Africa off the ground since 2016 are
now largely in the rearview, but have nonetheless pushed any material revenue from the
growth initiative out to the company’s next fiscal year.
COMMERCIAL AFRICA EUTELSAT
Q&A: The changing assumptions of the small launch market

Do small launcher companies need megaconstellation business to survive? How should they
approach a market that sometimes feels like its changing faster than the rockets themselves?
Five launch companies discussed these topics March 13 at a Washington Space Business
Roundtable discussion moderated by SpaceNews.
FROM THE MAGAZINE SMALL LAUNCH SMALL SATELLITES
Parachute development a challenge for commercial crew

An incident involving a test of parachutes for one commercial crew vehicle has heightened
awareness of the challenges involved in developing those systems, as well as determining
what constitutes an anomaly.
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CREW DRAGONArchives - SpaceNews.com
CST-100 NASA SPACEX
Inmarsat shareholders approve takeover offer

The majority of Inmarsat’s shareholders voted May 10 in favor of a $3.3 billion acquisition
offer by a consortium of investors.
COMMERCIAL INMARSAT
United States and Luxembourg sign space cooperation agreement

The governments of the United States and Luxembourg, two of the biggest proponents of
space commercialization, signed an agreement May 10 that could lead to greater cooperation
between the two countries on a variety of space initiatives.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS LUXEMBOURG SPACE RESOURCES WILBUR ROSS
Virgin Galactic prepares to move vehicles, staff to Spaceport America

Virgin Galactic plans to move its spaceship, carrier aircraft and flight operations personnel
this summer from Mojave, California, to New Mexico’s Spaceport America, company
executives announced May 10.
COMMERCIAL SPACEPORT AMERICA SUBORBITAL TOURISM VIRGIN GALACTIC
Op-ed | Satellite communications are an essential link for a connected world

by Mario Maniewicz — May 10, 2019
There is no slowdown in the pace of satellite innovations: reading the press, it seems that
every week brings another new example of how satellite industry could have profound impact
on improving people’s lives.
FROM THE MAGAZINE ITU SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Maxar quarterly revenues dip as rm restructures satellite business

Maxar Technologies reported a decrease in quarterly revenues May 9 due to lackluster

geostationary communication satellite sales, completion of a radar satellite constellation and
the loss of the Worldview-4 high-resolution imaging satellite.
COMMERCIAL DIGITALGLOBE MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES SSL
Blue Origin unveils lunar lander

Blue Origin revealed new details about a lunar lander concept that the company’s founder
says can support a human return to the moon by 2024.
COMMERCIAL BLUE ORIGIN JEFF BEZOS LUNAR LANDER
Telesat’s LEO plan: dedicated satellite factory, bulk launch contracts and a variety of antennas
Telesat wants a factory capable of building 20 to 25 large LEO satellites a month so that it can
have monthly launches. The company is also working with several antenna builders to have
user terminals ready for broadband services.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2019 ANTENNAS MEGACONSTELLATIONS TELESAT TELESAT LEO
ITU wants megaconstellations to meet tougher launch milestones

Regulators worry that the ITU’s current bring-into-use rules make it too easy for companies
to warehouse spectrum, potentially tying up valuable non-geostationary satellite orbit
(NGSO) frequencies for years without introducing new satellite services.
FROM THE MAGAZINE ITU MEGACONSTELLATIONS
Arianespace completes manifest for Vega dedicated rideshare mission

Arianespace has finalized the payload for a Vega launch later this year that will carry more
than 40 small satellites, the first in what the company hopes to be a series of dedicated
rideshare missions.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH SATELLITE 2019 ARIANESPACE SSMS VEGA
Crew Dragon parachutes failed in recent test

A test of parachutes for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft did not go as planned last month,
NASA and SpaceX confirmed May 8.
COMMERCIAL CREW DRAGON NASA SPACEX
Lockheed Martin mulls electronically steered antennas for Verge ground station expansion
Lockheed Martin’s Verge ground station network should have coverage for satellites passing
over the continental United States next year, with the timeline for a global build out
determined by what antenna technology the company chooses next.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2019 AMAZON ANTENNAS GROUND STATION LOCKHEED MARTIN
Senate con rms Ex-Im board nominees

Senators voted overwhelmingly to confirm three nominees for the board of the Export-Import
Bank May 8, giving the bank the ability to approve large deals, including for the space
industry, for the first time in years.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS EX-IM SENATE
OneWeb, Intellian partner on terminals • Telesat demos LEO backhaul • Atlas to provide grounds
comms for PlanetiQ constellation
OneWeb has partnered with antenna maker Intellian to provide communications terminals
for its low Earth orbit broadband constellation.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2019 ATLAS SPACE OPERATIONS ONEWEB PLANETIQ TELESAT
Commercial, not government, demand will drive size of small launch vehicle market
Startups in the burgeoning small launch vehicle market acknowledge that only a handful of
vehicles will survive a likely shakeout, driven more by commercial rather than government
demand.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2019 AEROJET ROCKETDYNE ARIANESPACE FIREFLY AEROSPACE SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES
SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES VECTOR VIRGIN ORBIT
GEO smallsats emerging as a best-of-both-worlds approach

When Swedish broadband service provider Ovzon began shopping around for a small
communications satellite that would work in geostationary orbit, the designs that satellite
manufacturers trotted out weren’t exactly “small.”
FROM THE MAGAZINE SMALLGEO
SpaceX to launch “dozens” of Starlink satellites May 15, more Starlink launches to follow
Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer, said the launch will carry
“dozens of satellites,” adding more prototypes to the two currently in low Earth orbit.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH SATELLITE 2019 GWYNNE SHOTWELL MEGACONSTELLATIONS SPACEX STARLINK
Consortium to develop “space sustainability” rating system

The World Economic Forum has selected a consortium of companies, universities and
agencies to develop a system to rate the sustainability of space systems, one that its backers
hope will encourage good behavior in space.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2019 ORBITAL DEBRIS SPACE SUSTAINABILITY
Satellite operators worried about losing Ka-band spectrum

As the next World Radiocommunication Conference looms larger, satellite operators are
growing concerned that they have not made sufficient defense of Ka-band frequencies wanted
for 5G cellular networks.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2019 5G KA-BAND WRC-19
Apollo Fusion obtains Hall thruster technology from JPL

Satellite electric propulsion startup Apollo Fusion is expanding its product line through an
agreement with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, giving it access to advanced Hall thruster
technology.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2019 APOLLO FUSION JPL SATELLITE ELECTRIC PROPULSION
Investors seek disruptive space startups in an overcrowded market

Space startups seeking funding should stay away from increasingly overcrowded parts of the
market and instead seek more novel approaches that could offer much bigger returns.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2019 INVESTORS SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES STARTUPS
Measat buying single replacement for two satellites

European satellite manufacturer Airbus Defence and Space will build Measat-3d, a new
communications satellite that will “progressively replace” the 13-year-old Measat-3 and the
10-year-old Measat-3a satellites.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2019 AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE ASIA-PACIFIC HTS MEASAT
Satcom conumdrum: Air Force contemplating right mix of commercial, military satellites
A “hybrid” architecture that allows users to tap into commercial and military satellites
without knowing the difference has been a much discussed but elusive goal.
FROM THE MAGAZINE AIR FORCE SATCOM WGS
Reprogrammable satellites make cybersecurity more critical, experts say

Satellites that increasingly rely on software are also increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats, a
panel of experts said at the Satellite 2019 conference here.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2019 AMAZON WEB SERVICES BOEING CYBERSECURITY LOCKHEED MARTIN SOFTWARE
Space ight signs contract with Relativity for launches

Small launch vehicle developer Relativity announced May 6 it has signed an agreement with
Spaceflight for a series of smallsat rideshare launches.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2019 RELATIVITY SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES
Hughes, Yahsat target Brazil with second joint
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venture
Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
Satellite operators Hughes and Yahsat have formed a second joint venture, this time focused
on broadband in Brazil.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2019 BRAZIL HUGHES YAHSAT
ArianeGroup applying launch cost reduction targets to satellite components

To make Europe’s next-generation rocket more competitive, ArianeGroup aims to build the
Ariane 6 at least 40 percent cheaper than the Ariane 5. ArianeGroup is applying the same cost
targets to reflector antennas that go on geostationary satellites.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2019 ARIANEGROUP
Senate prepares to vote on Ex-Im board nominees

The Senate is expected to vote this week on three nominees to serve on the board of the
Export-Import Bank of the United States, giving it the ability for the first time in years to
approve large deals, including for satellites and launches.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL EX-IM BANK
Rocket Lab launches three U.S. military satellites

29/05/2019
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket successfullyCommercial
launched Archives - SpaceNews.com
three technology demonstration satellites
for the Defense Department May 5 as part of an effort by the military to demonstrate
responsive launch.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH MILITARY
Falcon 9 launches Dragon cargo spacecraft to ISS

SpaceX launched a Dragon cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station early May 4
after a one-day delay caused by a droneship problem.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL LAUNCH DRAGON FALCON 9 ISS NASA SPACEX
FAA commercial space of ce reorganization focuses on ef ciency

The FAA office charged with overseeing commercial space transportation is planning a
reorganization that will seek the make the office more efficient, but could mean the end of
some of its work promoting the industry.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL FAA OFFICE OF COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION
FCC asks for more input on C-band

The request, issued May 3, suggests it is increasingly unlikely that the agency will make a
decision in the first half of the year as satellite operators had previously expected.
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COMMERCIAL 5G C-BAND C-BAND ALLIANCE FCC Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
Indonesian government chooses PSN team for 150 Gbps satellite

The ministry said May 3 that PSN will lead a consortium of companies on the project,
expected to enter manufacturing late this year, launch in the second quarter of 2022, and
begin service in 2023.
COMMERCIAL HTS INDONESIA PSN
Telesat to receive constellation bids this summer

The two contenders to build Telesat’s constellation of broadband satellites have nearly
finalized their designs and will submit proposals in the coming months, Telesat CEO Dan
Goldberg said May 2.
COMMERCIAL AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES TELESAT TELESAT LEO THALES ALENIA SPACE
SpaceX offers new details on Crew Dragon test anomaly

A SpaceX executive May 2 provided new details about, but no cause of, an incident that
destroyed a Crew Dragon spacecraft during a ground test last month.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL CREW DRAGON NASA SPACEX
Loft Orbital lls rst condosat, preps for quarterly launches

Loft Orbital, a company preparing a constellation to carry payloads for customers who don’t
want to operate their own satellites, has filled up its first satellite and booked a January 2020
launch through Spaceflight Industries.
COMMERCIAL CONDOSAT LEO LOFT ORBITAL SMALLSAT
Blue Origin reaches space again on latest New Shepard test ight
Blue Origin successfully launched its New Shepard suborbital vehicle on its latest test flight
May 2, a flight that the company says brings it one step closer to flying humans later this
year.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPARD SUBORBITAL
Cloud Constellation selects LeoStella to build 10 data-storage satellites

Cloud Constellation CEO Cliff Beek said LeoStella, a joint venture of Thales Alenia Space and
Spaceflight Industries, beat Northrop Grumman on price, among other factors.
COMMERCIAL CLOUD CONSTELLATION CYBERSECURITY LEO LEOSTELLA SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES THALES ALENIA SPACE
Blue Origin announces next New Shepard suborbital ight

Blue Origin plans to conduct the latest test flight of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle May 2
as the company, and others in the industry, seek ways to allow NASA-funded researchers to
fly with their payloads on such missions.
COMMERCIAL BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPARD SUBORBITAL
Intelsat still searching for cause of IS-29e loss, replacement satellite TBD
by Caleb Henry — April 30, 2019
Intelsat estimates the in-orbit failure of its first high-throughput satellite will cost the
company between $45 million and $50 million in revenue for the year.
COMMERCIAL BOEING INTELSAT INTELSAT EPIC
Space Adventures reaches settlement with would-be lunar tourist

by Jeff Foust — April 28, 2019
Space tourism company Space Adventures has reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought
nearly two years ago by a man who signed up for the company’s proposed mission around the
moon but later sought a refund of his deposit.
COMMERCIAL MOON SPACE ADVENTURES SPACE TOURISM
FCC OKs lower orbit for some Starlink satellites

U.S. telecom regulators approved a request from SpaceX to lower the orbit of nearly 1,600
proposed broadband satellites.
COMMERCIAL FCC SPACEX STARLINK
Independent body proposed to ensure commercial space ight safety

by Tereza Pultarova — April 26, 2019
The nonprofit International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS) issued
a new report in March calling for the establishment of an independent Space Safety Institute
to speed development of commercial space flight safety standards and certification processes.
COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH
UK Export Finance loans $325 million for Turksat satellites Airbus is building
U.K. Export Finance, an agency with a long-standing interest in supporting satellite projects
but with little to show for it until now, has signed a $325 million loan with Turkey to support
two satellites Airbus is building under a 2017 contract.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS EXPORT-CREDIT AGENCIES TURKSAT UK EXPORT FINANCE
Safety panel urges patience in SpaceX Crew Dragon investigation

Members of an independent safety panel said it will take time to determine what happened
during a SpaceX Crew Dragon testing incident several days ago, and that its impact to the
overall commercial crew program remains uncertain.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL ASAP BOEING COMMERCIAL CREW CREW DRAGON CST-100 NASA SPACEX
Northrop Grumman highlights bene ts of Orbital ATK acquisition

Nearly a year after Northrop Grumman’s acquisition of Orbital ATK closed, company
executives say they’re getting the benefits they expected from the deal in terms of cost savings
and new business.
COMMERCIAL NORTHROP GRUMMAN NORTHROP GRUMMAN INNOVATION SYSTEMS
Justice Department reaches deal with company implicated in Taurus launch failures
The Justice Department has reached a settlement with the company that provided faulty
components that led to the failure of back-to-back Taurus launches for NASA.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL NASA TAURUS
Discarded Atlas 5 upper stage breaks up in orbit • Viasat, China Satcom partner on IFC • Hughes
signs Jupiter-3 customer
The reason for the Atlas 5 upper stage break up, believed to have occurred between March 23
and March 25, is not yet known.
FIRST UP SATCOM ATLAS 5 HUGHES VIASAT
Clyde Space to build and operate AIS cubesats for Orbcomm

by Debra Werner — April 23, 2019
ÅAC Microtec subsidiary Clyde Space plans to build and begin operating in 2020 two
cubesats equipped with Automatic Identification System (AIS) receivers for Orbcomm in a
contract valued at 54 million Swedish Krona ($5.9 million).
COMMERCIAL AAC MICROTEC AIS CLYDE SPACE
Iridium says DoD’s new unlimited service contract renewal nearly complete
Iridium CEO Matt Desch said April 23 the company expects to finalize a multi-year renewal
of its Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services (EMSS) contract with the Defense Department in
the next 30 days.
COMMERCIAL MILITARY IRIDIUM
Polish space startup selects Clyde Space as subcontractor for earth observation satellite project
by Jaroslaw Adamowski — April 23, 2019
Polish space industry startup KP Labs has awarded an order to Scottish cubesat manufacturer
Clyde Space which will act as a subcontractor for the company’s Intuition-1 project
COMMERCIAL CLYDE SPACE CUBESAT HYPERSPECTRAL POLAND
Relativity to launch LEO satellite for mu Space

Relativity announced April 23 it has secured a contract to launch a low Earth orbit satellite
for Thai startup mu Space.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH MU SPACE RELATIVITY
Space ight looks to more rideshare missions with fewer satellites per launch
After placing more than 60 satellites into orbit on a single Falcon 9 last year, Spaceflight says
it will focus on launching smaller numbers of satellites at a time on more launches this year.
COMMERCIAL RIDESHARE SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES
NASA moves ahead with cargo Dragon launch
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after Crew Dragon anomaly
NASA is moving ahead with plans to launch a cargo version of a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to
the International Space Station next week as the investigation into an explosion of a Crew
Dragon spacecraft continues.
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SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft suffers anomaly during ground tests

A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft suffered what the company said was an “anomaly” during
static fire tests of its abort engines April 22, dealing a setback to the company’s plans to fly a
crewed test flight later this year.
COMMERCIAL CREW DRAGON SPACEX
Ground station startup Leaf Space plans capital raise

Italian startup Leaf Space wants to triple the number of ground station locations it has by late
next year, citing customer demand for providing communications services to small satellites.
COMMERCIAL GROUND SEGMENT GROUND STATION
U.S. military Electron launch rst test for York satellite

Rocket Lab is preparing to launch in late April or early May three U.S. military satellites
including the Army Harbinger mission, a test to show whether an inexpensive commercial
satellite equipped with a synthetic aperture radar can quickly deliver Earth imagery to
soldiers.
COMMERCIAL MILITARY
Virgin Galactic expects rapid conclusion of SpaceShipTwo test ights after downtime
Virgin Galactic’s chief pilot believes the company will be able to go through the remainder of
its SpaceShipTwo test program fairly quickly once test flights of the suborbital spaceplane
resume.
COMMERCIAL SPACESHIPTWO SUBORBITAL VIRGIN GALACTIC
Intelsat-29e declared a total loss

Fleet operator Intelsat said its first high throughput satellite, Intelsat-29e, is a “total loss”
after attempts to save the malfunctioning satellite proved unsuccessful.
COMMERCIAL BOEING INTELSAT INTELSAT EPIC
Satixfy prepares release of at panel antennas this year

Rajanik Mark, Satixfy’s chief operating officer, said the company has created its own chipsets
that it can build in-house to bring down the cost of antenna modules that are built into full
user terminals.
COMMERCIAL ANTENNAS MEGACONSTELLATIONS
Iridium makes GMDSS progress • Kepler’s next cubesat to test new radiator • Scisys breaks ground
in Germany
Iridium moved closer to launching an emergency maritime communications service by

signing a public services agreement with the International Mobile Satellite Organization.
FIRST UP SATCOM GERMANY IRIDIUM KEPLER COMMUNICATIONS UK
Sky and Space Global, low on cash, seeks new investors for IoT constellation
SAS Global, in an April 15 notice to the Australian Stock Exchange, said it needs to raise 7.2
million Australian dollars ($5.2 million) to prevent further delays with its constellation of low
Earth orbit satellites.
COMMERCIAL CUBESATS GOMSPACE SKY AND SPACE GLOBAL
Latest Cygnus mission to ISS includes new features

The next Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo mission to the International Space Station will
demonstrate two new capabilities, one before launch and the other after the spacecraft
departs the station.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL ANTARES CRS CYGNUS ISS NASA NORTHROP GRUMMAN
Aerojet Rocketdyne proposes using AR1 for medium-class launch vehicle

Aerojet Rocketdyne says it’s committed to completing development of the AR1 rocket engine
and is seeking potential partners for a new medium-class launch vehicle that could use the
engine.
COMMERCIAL AEROJET ROCKETDYNE AR1
Pepsi drops plans to use orbital billboard

A major soft drink company says it will not pursue plans to advertise its products in space
using a Russian startup, avoiding what likely would have been significant public criticism.
COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING STARTROCKET
Falcon Heavy center core toppled after landing

The center core of the Falcon Heavy rocket that launched a communications satellite April 11
fell over after landing in rough seas, but SpaceX said the mishap won’t affect upcoming
launches.
29/05/2019
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH FALCON HEAVY SPACEX Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
Stratolaunch plane makes rst ight

The giant aircraft built by Stratolaunch to serve as an air-launch platform made its first flight
April 13 amid questions about the future of the venture.
COMMERCIAL STRATOLAUNCH
SpaceIL says “chain of events” led to crash of lunar lander

As SpaceIL continues its investigation into its failed lunar landing attempt April 11, its
backers as well as others in the space community remain optimistic about efforts to privately
develop such spacecraft despite technical challenges.
COMMERCIAL LUNAR LANDER SPACEIL
SAIC increases space startup collaboration

Josh Jackson, executive vice president and general manager of SAIC’s Solutions and
Technology Group, said SAIC is working with around a dozen startups through accelerators in
Austin, Texas and Colorado Springs, Colorado, to make their technology more available to
U.S. government customers.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL DOD NEWSPACE STARTUPS
NASA awards DART launch contract to SpaceX

SpaceX will launch a NASA mission to test an asteroid deflection technique at a significantly
lower price than past agency contracts won by the company.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL DART FALCON 9 NASA SPACEX
Falcon Heavy sends rst commercial satellite into orbit

SpaceX sent the Arabsat-6A communications satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit
April 11, completing the Falcon Heavy rocket’s first commercial launch.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL LAUNCH ARABSAT FALCON HEAVY LAUNCH SPACEX
NASA awards Planet $6.7 million for climate campaign

NASA awarded Planet a $6.7 million contract to provide Earth imagery for climate research.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM CIVIL COMMERCIAL CLIMATE MONITORING EARTH OBSERVATION NASA PLANET
SpaceIL lander crashes on moon

An Israeli lunar lander originally built to win a prize competition crashed onto the surface of
the moon April 11 when its main engine malfunctioned during descent.
COMMERCIAL IAI LUNAR LANDER SPACEIL
Atlas Space Operations wins Air Force antenna contract

The U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) in partnership with the
Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit awarded Atlas Space Operations a contract to prototype
an electronically steered antenna array to support Air Force multi-band, multi-mission
requirements.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL MILITARY ATLAS SPACE OPERATIONS SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS SMC
Space investment hits record high in 2018

Investment into space companies hit a record high in 2018, exceeding $3 billion with no sign
of an imminent downturn, according to a new report by a consulting firm.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL
Astroscale raises $30 million, opens U.S. of ce in Denver

Astroscale, the Japanese company developing technologies to remove orbital debris,
announced April 10 that it has raised an additional $30 million and will open an office in the
United States that the company hopes will lead to new business opportunities.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL ASTROSCALE SATELLITE SERVICING
Space Development Agency aims to issue rst RFI this summer

by Brian Berger — April 10, 2019
The Pentagon’s brand-new Space Development Agency intends to make a formal request for
information from megaconstellation ventures and their vendors this summer.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL MILITARY SPACE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY SPACE SENSOR LAYER
Intelsat-29e satellite suffers fuel leak, spotted drifting along GEO arc
Intelsat’s first Epic-series high-throughput satellite, Intelsat-29e, is drifting in orbit after

back-to-back anomalies, forcing the company to shift customers to other spacecraft.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL BOEING HTS INTELSAT INTELSAT EPIC SPACE DEBRIS
Space Norway in nal procurement for two highly elliptical orbit satellites
Stig Nilsson, a colonel in the Norwegian Ministry of Defence’s Department for Defence Policy
and Long Term Planning, said the satellite system, known as the Arctic Satellite Broadband
Mission (ASBM), should be under construction by June, following a downselect among
competing manufacturers.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL MILITARY NGSO NORWAY WGS
Vector isn’t eager for legal ght with Lockheed Martin

Even though Vector Launch filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Lockheed Martin, the
Arizona startup is not eager to spend millions of dollars fighting the aerospace giant.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL LOCKHEED MARTIN PATENT INFRINGEMENT VECTOR
Commerce Department seeks to increase American space industry’s global competitiveness

The Commerce Department wants to improve the standing of the American space industry in
an increasingly competitive global market through a combination of regulatory reform and
promotional efforts.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM CIVIL COMMERCIAL COMMERCE DEPT. COMMERCIAL IMAGING EXPORT CONTROL
OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCE WILBUR ROSS
India ASAT debris spotted above 2,200 kilometers,
29/05/2019
will remain a year or more in orbit
At least a dozen fragments from India’s March 27 anti-satellite test reached altitudes above
1,000 kilometers, meaning some debris will stay in orbit much longer than estimated by
India, according to research from Analytical Graphics Inc. (AGI).
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL MILITARY AEOLUS AGI ASAT INDIA PLANET SSA
Thales Alenia Space mulls satellite servicing venture

Roberto Provera, Thales Alenia Space’s director of human spaceflight and transportation
programs, said the company envisions having a servicing business by 2024 or 2025, and is
currently in concept development.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL ESA SATELLITE SERVICING THALES ALENIA SPACE
Blue Canyon Technologies: Doubling to meet demand

Blue Canyon Technologies, a company established in 2008 as a satellite component supplier,

is expanding rapidly to meet growing demand for complete spacecraft and mission
operations.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL BLUE CANYON TECHNOLOGIES SMALL SATELLITES
Rocket Lab unveils Photon smallsat bus

At the 35th Space Symposium here, Rocket Lab unveiled Photon, a smallsat based on the kick
stage the company uses on its Electron rocket.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL PHOTON ROCKET LAB SMALLSATS
Maxar, post-RSGS, looks to Dragon y as means to commercialize in-orbit robotics

Speaking at the 35th Space Symposium here April 8, John Lymer, Maxar’s chief roboticist,
said the company is committed to finishing Dragonfly, a NASA program to assemble
spacecraft parts in orbit, enabling antennas and other systems to launch more compactly
inside a rocket’s payload fairing.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL MAXAR RSGS SSL
Planet’s NGA contract extendedfor Earth imagery, automated data

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has exercised a $5.9 million contract option to
acquire current and archival Earth imagery from Planet’s small satellite constellation through
mid-September.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL MILITARY
Made In Space unveils small satellite interferometry tool

Made In Space proposes equipping small satellites with technology to manufacture in orbit a
20-meter optical boom interferometer with a modular internal optics bench the firm
developed with Lowell Observatory.
35TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING ANDREW RUSH INTERFEROMETRY MADE IN SPACE
SpaceX begins Starship hopper testing

SpaceX has started initial tethered tests of the first prototype of its next generation Starship
launch vehicle at its South Texas test site.
COMMERCIAL SPACEX STARSHIP
SpaceX drops protest of NASA launch contract

SpaceX has withdrawn its protest of a launch contract NASA awarded to United Launch
Alliance earlier this year for a planetary science mission.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL LUCY NASA SPACEX ULA
Relativity signs contract with Telesat for launching LEO constellation

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Small launch vehicle developer RelativityCommercial
announced Archives - SpaceNews.com
April 5 a contract with Telesat to launch
a portion of that company’s low Earth orbit broadband satellite constellation.
COMMERCIAL RELATIVITY SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES TELESAT TELESAT LEO
Amazon planning 3,236-satellite constellation for internet connectivity

The internet shopping giant has asked international spectrum regulators to provide access to
airwaves for a constellation of 3,236 satellites.
COMMERCIAL AMAZON WEB SERVICES BLUE ORIGIN JEFF BEZOS MEGACONSTELLATIONS
Soyuz launch completes rst-generation O3b constellation

European launch provider Arianespace completed SES’s first-generation O3b constellation

April 4 with the Soyuz launch of four satellites.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH ARIANESPACE O3B SES SOYUZ
SpaceIL lander enters lunar orbit

SpaceIL announced April 4 that its Beresheet spacecraft has entered orbit around the moon,
setting the stage for a landing attempt in a week.
Hawkeye 360 unveils rst RF signal mapping product

HawkEye 360 unveiled RFGeo, its first radio frequency signal mapping product.
COMMERCIAL MILITARY HAWKEYE 360 RF INTERFERENCE
NASA approves extension of Boeing commercial crew test ight

A day after Boeing confirmed delays in test flights of its commercial crew vehicle, NASA said
that the company’s crewed test flight will get an extended stay at the station when it does fly.
COMMERCIAL BOEING COMMERCIAL CREW CST-100 ISS NASA
Eutelsat planning small LEO Internet of Things constellation

Global satellite operator Eutelsat of Paris is buying additional small satellites for a planned
Internet of Things network, having decided to expand the envisioned low Earth orbit system
before it has launched the first demonstration satellite.
COMMERCIAL EUTELSAT IOT
ThinKom, Phasor, C-Com hit antenna milestones • Hughes, Inmarsat gain India IFC approvals
Antenna builder ThinKom and fleet operator Inmarsat recently announced the completion of
a series of tests using ThinKom antennas and Inmarsat’s high-throughput Global Xpress
satellites.
FIRST UP SATCOM ARIANEGROUP C-COM HUGHES INMARSAT PHASOR THINKOM
Rocket Lab to launch Air Force satellites

Days after Rocket Lab launched a payload for one U.S. military agency, the company
announced its next mission will place three technology demonstration satellites into orbit for
the U.S. Air Force.
COMMERCIAL MILITARY ELECTRON ROCKET LAB U.S. AIR FORCE
Boeing delays Starliner test ights

Boeing confirmed April 2 it will delay the uncrewed test flight of its commercial crew vehicle,
citing a tight schedule and conflicts with another launch.
COMMERCIAL BOEING COMMERCIAL CREW CST-100
Aireon activates service, begins ight-tracking trials

Aircraft tracking company Aireon initiated service with its space-based sensor network April
2, starting global monitoring of aircraft location and velocity on a near real-time basis.
COMMERCIAL AIREON FAA IRIDIUM IRIDIUM NEXT
ExoAnalytic, NorthStar E&S team up on space situational awareness

ExoAnalytic Solutions, a company that tracks satellites and space debris using ground-based
telescopes, announced a partnership April 1 with NorthStar Earth and Sky, a Canadian
startup developing a constellation of 40 satellites that will track objects in space.
COMMERCIAL EXOANALYTIC SOLUTIONS SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS SSA
Lockheed Martin bottles scent of space

Lockheed Martin Corp. expanded its business line April 1 with the introduction of Vector, a
fragrance designed to capture the aroma of space.
COMMERCIAL APRIL 1 FRAGRANCE LOCKHEED MARTIN
Op-ed | Is hyperspectral the next Earth observation frontier?

by Adam Keith — March 30, 2019
A key premise behind new solutions is the opening of the Earth observation market to more
end users across further sectors; the idea of more customers paying for lower-cost solutions
that are increasingly responsive to their needs targets an opening up of the business-to-
business market.
FROM THE MAGAZINE EARTH OBSERVATION HYPERSPECTRAL
UK space company Scisys, fearing Brexit, praises decision to become Irish

by Caleb Henry — March 29, 2019
Scisys Group, a formerly British company involved in the European Union’s Galileo satellite
program, says its change of location from Chippenham, England, to Dublin, Ireland, was
immediately positive for its space business.
COMMERCIAL BREXIT EU GALILEO UK
Senate reintroduces Space Frontier Act

by Jeff Foust — March 29, 2019
A bipartisan group of senators has reintroduced legislation designed to reform commercial

launch and remote sensing regulations, this time without a provision that led to the bill’s
defeat last year in the House.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS SENATE TED CRUZ
Rocket Lab launches DARPA satellite

Rocket Lab successfully launched an experimental satellite for the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency March 28 as the company looks to move to a monthly cadence of
launches.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH MILITARY DARPA ROCKET LAB
X Prize Foundation offers “Moonshot Award” to SpaceIL

A year after a $20 million prize purse expired, a team in the former Google Lunar X Prize
competition could still pick up a smaller consolation prize if it lands on the moon next month.
COMMERCIAL GLXP LUNAR LANDER SPACEIL
Boycott Indian launchers? Industry reacts to India’s anti-satellite weapon test

by Debra Werner — March 27, 2019
In the wake of the March 27 Indian anti-satellite test, Brian Weeden of the Secure World
Foundation suggested companies consider boycotting India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV).
CIVIL COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS ANTI-SATELLITE ISRO PSLV
ST Engineering to buy Newtec for $281M • C-Band Alliance hires former Intel exec • Phasor picks
antenna manufacturing partner
ST Engineering said the acquisition will add “intellectual property, products and market
access,” highlighting Newtec’s European presence, strength in broadcast, and recent
successful low-Earth orbit communications testing with Telesat.
FIRST UP SATCOM C-BAND ALLIANCE NEWTEC PHASOR
5G trumps meteorology as FCC rebuffs NASA, NOAA call to halt auction

Far from ending the fight between members of the Trump administration who see 5G as an
international economic race and meteorologists concerned about interference with weather
satellite data, the auction was just round one.
FROM THE MAGAZINE 5G NASA NOAA WEATHER
Chinese private rm OneSpace fails with rst orbital launch attempt

by Andrew Jones — March 27, 2019
OneSpace of China failed to become the first private launch firm to place a satellite in orbit
after loss of its OS-M1 solid launch vehicle on Wednesday.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH CHINA ONESPACE
Mixed reactions to accelerated moon plan

Shortly after Vice President Mike Pence directed NASA to return humans to the moon by
2024, four years earlier than previous plans, reactions from space companies and
organizations ranged from excitement to bewilderment.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL MIKE PENCE MOON NASA ORION SLS
Swarm CEO talks past mistakes, future goals

Swarm Technologies’ self-stated mission is to bring internet access to the whole world, but
it’s best known at this point for defying the U.S. Federal Communications Commission by
launching four tiny SpaceBee satellites last year without a license.
FROM THE MAGAZINE SMALLSAT SWARM TECHNOLOGIES
Q&A | China’s OneSpace ready for rst orbital launch attempt

Ahead of the planned March 27 launch of the OS-M1/’Chongqing · Liangjiang Star’ four-stage
solid rocket OneSpace representatives responded to a series of questions on the imminent
launch, the company's ambitions, the nascent Chinese commercial space sector and more.
How the space industry learned to stop worrying and love the bubble
Perhaps the strongest sign to date that the space industry is in some kind of bubble is the
creation of Hypergiant Galactic Systems.
FROM THE MAGAZINE COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH INVESTORS SATELLITE IMAGERY
EchoStar, Khosla Ventures invest $60 million in Wyler-backed broadband venture

Tarana Wireless has raised $200 million in total from investors that include AT&T, Deutsche
Telekom and Wyler’s 1010 Holdings, LLC.
COMMERCIAL BROADBAND CONSTELLATION CONSUMER BROADBAND ECHOSTAR HUGHES ONEWEB
FCC: we won’t rush C-band decision

Federal Communications Commission officials urged patience with the repurposing process
for satellite C-band spectrum, saying regulators are more concerned about getting it right
than rushing the process.
COMMERCIAL 5G C-BAND FCC INTELSAT SES
Blue Origin studying repurposing of New Glenn upper stages

Blue Origin has studied repurposing upper stages of its future New Glenn launch vehicle to
serve as habitats or for other applications as part of a series of NASA-funded
commercialization studies.
COMMERCIAL BLUE ORIGIN NANORACKS NASA NEW GLENN
First Ariane 6 to carry 30 OneWeb satellites • Viasat seeking to raise $500 million• Hispasat trials
Wi-Fi hotspots in Colombia
Arianespace’s first Ariane 6 mission will carry 30 OneWeb satellites to low Earth orbit. The
launch, slated for the second half of 2020, will use the “62” version of the rocket, which has
two side boosters.
FIRST UP SATCOM ARIANE 6 ARIANESPACE HISPASAT ONEWEB VIASAT
Mynaric raises $12.5 million from mystery constellation customer

Laser communications terminal provider Mynaric says it raised 11 million euros ($12.5
million) in post-IPO funding from a mystery constellation venture that plans to buy up to
1,000 terminals.
COMMERCIAL MEGACONSTELLATIONS
Maneuver puts SpaceIL lander on course for the moon

SpaceIL’s lunar lander performed a maneuver March 19 that puts the privately developed
lander on course to enter orbit around the moon next month.
APT Satellite revenue up despite continued ‘ erce’ market condition

With two new satellites in orbit and a third on the way, APT Satellite of Hong Kong continues
to grow, but company executives remain worried about Asia-Pacific market conditions.
COMMERCIAL APT SATELLITE ASIA-PACIFIC
Inmarsat receives another acquisition offer — this time from a consortium of public and private
investors
Inmarsat said it remain in discussion with the consortium, which under British law has until
April 16 to make a binding offer.
COMMERCIAL INMARSAT
Op-ed | Commercializing Space: Before a commercial
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LEO market can ourish, the ISS must be
retired
by George Sowers — March 19, 2019
I’m a firm believer that the commercialization of space is absolutely essential for the growth
of the space economy and achieving all of the goals we espouse for human activities in space.
FROM THE MAGAZINE COMMERCIAL SPACE ISS
Ruag revises strategy to win constellation orders

Long before Ruag began producing structures for OneWeb communications satellites, the
Swiss aerospace equipment supplier noted the market shift toward large constellations and
began investing in automation.
FROM THE MAGAZINE ONEWEB RUAG
What Airbus learned from building satellites with OneWeb

Regardless of whether the Airbus-OneWeb joint venture gearing up to crank out dozens of
satellites a month ultimately builds just 648 satellites or closer to the 900 originally
envisioned, OneWeb’s constellation is the first such project large enough to truly incorporate
aviation-style mass production procedures for spacecraft.
FROM THE MAGAZINE AIRBUS ONEWEB
How OneWeb plans to make sure its rst satellites aren’t its last
OneWeb’s dream of blanketing the globe in affordable, abundant broadband took an

important step toward reality Feb. 27 when a Russian rocket lifted off from South America to
deliver six French-built satellites into low Earth orbit.
FROM THE MAGAZINE MEGACONSTELLATIONS ONEWEB SOYUZ
OneWeb raises $1.25 billion from returning investors

Less than a month after the launch of its first six satellites, OneWeb closed a new $1.25
billion financing round to further its internet constellation.
COMMERCIAL GRUPO SALINAS ONEWEB QUALCOMM SOFTBANK
SpaceX preparing to begin Starship hopper tests

SpaceX could begin initial tests of a prototype of the company’s next-generation Starship
vehicle as soon as this week, Elon Musk said March 17.
COMMERCIAL ELON MUSK SPACEX STARSHIP
DARPA continues work on satellite servicing program as it seeks new ride

Nearly two months after Maxar dropped out of a DARPA program to demonstrate satellite
servicing, the agency is continuing to develop the servicing technology as it examines options
to get it into space.
COMMERCIAL MILITARY DARPA RSGS
Op-ed | Protecting low Earth orbit from becoming the new Wild West
by Scott Kordella — March 16, 2019
If outer space is the "final frontier," the private commercialization of low Earth orbit — about
100-1,200 miles up — could become the new Wild West if we're not careful.
FROM THE MAGAZINE COMMERCIAL SPACE LEO
Cubic buys satellite systems provider Nuvotronics

Durham, North Carolina-based Nuvotronics will enhance Cubic’s protected communications

portfolio, which includes GATR inflatable satcom terminals used by the U.S. military and
other customers, Cubic said.
COMMERCIAL ANTENNAS SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Satellite payload startup raises $12.4 million from Airbus Ventures, other investors
Cesium Astro, a startup building advanced antennas and communications systems for
satellites, raised $12.4 million in a Series A round led by Airbus’ venture capital arm Airbus
Ventures.
COMMERCIAL ANTENNAS HTS
Former SpaceX Starlink exec joins German lasercomm startup

Mynaric, a German laser communications startup focused on satellite and airborne platforms,
has hired a SpaceX employee previously involved in the Starlink megaconstellation.
COMMERCIAL MEGACONSTELLATIONS MYNARIC SPACEX STARLINK
FIRST UP Satcom | Telesat inks rst LEO customer, LeoSat gains customer agreement
OmniAccess, a maritime connectivity provider who demonstrated service with Telesat's

prototype satellite, signed a “major, multiyear contract” for broadband service from the
constellation.
FIRST UP SATCOM LEOSAT LOCKHEED MARTIN TELESAT
China’s OneSpace completes rocket assembly ahead of rst orbital launch

OneSpace has completed assembly and testing of its OS-M rocket in preparation for a launch
at the end of March which, if successful, would make it the first Chinese private rocket firm to
reach orbit.
Nepal, Thales Alenia Space near satellite contract

Thales Alenia Space expects to sign a contract in upcoming months to build a

communications satellite for Nepal, a Himalayan nation of 30 million with no domestic
satellite operator.
COMMERCIAL ASIA-PACIFIC THALES ALENIA SPACE
Audacy and Iceye explore cooperation

Audacy, a space communications startup, announced a memorandum of understanding

March 11 with Iceye, a Finnish radar satellite startup, to explore how Audacy’s planned inter-
satellite data relay network can support Iceye’s planned constellation.
COMMERCIAL AUDACY EARTH OBSERVATION ICEYE SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Spire to host payloads for defense contractor

Spire Global announced March 11 that it has signed a deal to host reconnaissance payloads
from a defense contractor on its cubesat constellation.
COMMERCIAL SPIRE
AsiaSat revenue up, but regional C-band pressure mounting

Hong Kong-based fleet operator AsiaSat reported a third year of increased revenue, but
warned that the C-band spectrum it uses for television broadcasts is now under threat in
several of its markets.
COMMERCIAL ASIA-PACIFIC ASIASAT C-BAND HTS
Crew Dragon departs ISS and returns to Earth

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon departed from the International Space Station early March 8, heading
to a splashdown that will mark the end of a successful test flight for the commercial crew
program.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL BREAKING NEWS COMMERCIAL CREW DRAGON ISS NASA SPACEX
Inmarsat to place GX Flex next-gen satellite system order this year

The satellite system, first discussed almost a year ago, will be markedly different from
traditional communications satellite programs that often take three to four years to build and
launch, he said.
COMMERCIAL GLOBAL XPRESS HTS INMARSAT
Exos Aerospace re ies suborbital rocket

Exos Aerospace flew its SARGE reusable sounding rocket for the second time March 2, but
winds kept the rocket from achieving its planned altitude.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH EXOS SUBORBITAL
Rocket Lab launch of DARPA satellite slips

Rocket Lab’s first launch of the year, which was scheduled for late February, has been pushed
back to the second half of March because of the delayed arrival of its payload, an
experimental military satellite.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH MILITARY DARPA ELECTRON ROCKET LAB
FIRST UP Satcom | Preston Padden leaves C-Band Alliance • Telesat earnings down
The C-Band Alliance’s head of advocacy and government relations Preston Padden left the
organization Tuesday after less than six months in the position.
FIRST UP SATCOM
The cosmic vision of Jeff Bezos

Blue Origin’s founder explains how New Shepard and New Glenn enable humanity’s future in
the solar system.
FROM THE MAGAZINE BLUE ORIGIN JEFF BEZOS NEW GLENN NEW SHEPARD
Spire seeks to expand business with Pentagon

Spire Global, the company that operates a constellation of cubesats that collects a variety of
radiofrequency data, is hiring a former Marine to help the company grow its business in the
national security sector.
COMMERCIAL MILITARY SPIRE
NASA and NOAA emphasize value of commercial Earth science data

The new acting administrator of NOAA and the retiring head of NASA’s Earth sciences
division praised the potential of commercial satellite data purchases to augment their own
satellite systems.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL WEATHER DATA NASA NOAA
On National Security | The SpaceX-ULA proxy war is heating up

by Sandra Erwin — March 4, 2019
Reviews of SpaceX and ULA, regardless of whether or how they might be connected, are a
reminder of the dog-eat-dog world of military space launch.
FROM THE MAGAZINE SPACEX ULA
Crew Dragon docks with ISS

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station
March 3, a little more than a day after its launch from Florida.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL CREW DRAGON ISS NASA SPACEX
Falcon 9 launches Crew Dragon on key test Commercial
29/05/2019
ight Archives - SpaceNews.com
A SpaceX Falcon 9 successfully launched the first Crew Dragon spacecraft March 2, starting a
critical mission to test the spacecraft before it is ready to carry astronauts.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL CREW DRAGON NASA SPACEX
Maxar cutting jobs to help stem $1.26 billion loss, stabilize satellite division
Maxar Technologies, which will lay off more than 200 people as it seeks to return to
profitability following a $1.26 billion loss, says the struggling satellite division it decided to
keep will need to bring in roughly $500 million annually to break even.
COMMERCIAL DIGITALGLOBE MAXAR SSL
Foust Forward | The government shutdown’s shadow on commercial space

The shutdown created plenty of more figurative messes that NASA and other government
agencies had to clean up after the 35-day shutdown ended in late January.
FROM THE MAGAZINE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN NASA
SpaceIL back on course for the moon after computer glitch

A privately-funded Israeli lunar lander performed a maneuver Feb. 28 to raise its orbit after a
computer problem postponed an earlier maneuver.
More work ahead for Crew Dragon after test ight

by Jeff Foust — February 28, 2019
As SpaceX prepares to launch its Crew Dragon spacecraft on its first test flight, the company
and NASA acknowledge there’s still a lot of work ahead before the spacecraft is ready to carry
astronauts.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL CREW DRAGON NASA SPACEX
Maxar to retain but restructure GEO satellite business

Maxar Technologies has decided not to sell or shut down its commercial geostationary orbit
satellite business, but will restructure it with a greater emphasis on smaller satellites and
government customers.
COMMERCIAL BREAKING NEWS MAXAR SSL
Air Force laying groundwork for future military use of commercial megaconstellations
by Sandra Erwin — February 28, 2019
Low-cost internet access from LEO constellations is one of the products that the Air Force
wants to be able to acquire and use as soon as possible.
COMMERCIAL MILITARY AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY LEO BROADBAND MEGACONSTELLATIONS
World View hires new CEO

World View, a company developing stratospheric balloons that provide capabilities that have
traditionally required satellites, has hired a new chief executive to help transition the
company from development to operations.
COMMERCIAL WORLD VIEW
OneWeb’s rst six satellites in orbit following Soyuz launch

by Caleb Henry — February 27, 2019
The first six satellites in a constellation that could one day number close to 2,000 lifted off
at4:37 p.m. Eastern aboard a Soyuz rocket.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH ARIANESPACE BREAKING NEWS ONEWEB SOYUZ
Heavens Above: Seraphim Capital is the archangel of prosperity for ventures ‘collecting and
communicating data from above’
by Debra Werner — February 27, 2019
Since Seraphim Capital established a dedicated space fund in 2017, European entrepreneurs
who previously made a beeline for U.S. venture capital have started seeking investment closer
to home.
FROM THE MAGAZINE SERAPHIM CAPITAL
Iceye expands staff to prepare for constellation

Iceye, the Earth observation startup based in Helsinki, has hired two vice presidents to help
customers gain access to imagery from its planned constellation of Synthetic Aperture Radar
(SAR) satellites.
COMMERCIAL EARTH OBSERVATION ICEYE SAR
SpaceIL lunar lander makes rst post-launch maneuvers

As an Israeli-built lunar lander makes its first post-launch maneuvers, a Japanese company
announced new partnerships in its plans to mount missions to the moon.
COMMERCIAL IAI ISPACE LUNAR LANDER SPACEIL
Fire y to establish factory and launch site in Florida

Firefly Aerospace announced agreements with state and federal agencies Feb. 22 to build a
new factory for producing and launching its rockets from Florida’s Space Coast.
COMMERCIAL CAPE CANAVERAL FIREFLY AEROSPACE SPACE FLORIDA
NASA gives go-ahead for SpaceX commercial crew test ight

NASA managers have given their approval for SpaceX to proceed with an uncrewed test flight
of its Crew Dragon spacecraft on March 2.
COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL CREW DRAGON NASA SPACEX
SpaceShipTwo ies to the edge of space again

SpaceShipTwo successfully flew to the edge of space for the second time Feb. 22, carrying
three people for the first time as Virgin Galactic moved closer to beginning commercial
operations of the suborbital spaceplane.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH SPACESHIPTWO SUBORBITAL VIRGIN GALACTIC
Companies skeptical commercial lunar landers can y NASA payloads this year
As NASA selects payloads it plans to fly on commercial lunar landers, companies developing
those spacecraft are skeptical any landers will be ready to fly this year, as the agency desires.
COMMERCIAL ASTROBOTIC LUNAR LANDER MOON EXPRESS NASA
SpaceX launches satellites, moon mission on Falcon 9

A SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying an Indonesian communications satellite, an Israeli lunar lander

and a U.S. Air Force smallsat launched Feb. 21 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH MILITARY AIR FORCE BLUE CANYON TECHNOLOGIES PSN SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES SPACEIL
SPACEX SSL
Echostar’s take on high-throughput satellites: best bought one at a time

EchoStar wishes it ordered its latest satellite, Jupiter-3, sooner than it did, but won’t seek to
play catch up by buying another copy of the satellite in order to meet surging demand for
broadband connectivity, executives said Feb. 21.
COMMERCIAL ECHOSTAR HUGHES JUPITER-3 YAHSAT
Bezos emphasizes altitude advantage of New Shepard over SpaceShipTwo

As Blue Origin prepares to start flying people on its New Shepard suborbital vehicle, the
company’s founder says the altitude the vehicle can reach will put it at an advantage over
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo.
COMMERCIAL BLUE ORIGIN JEFF BEZOS NEW SHEPARD SPACESHIPTWO SUBORBITAL VIRGIN GALACTIC
Falcon 9 launch the nal leg of Indonesian satellite’s roundabout journey

The Indonesian communications satellite that is SpaceX’s primary payload for its second
Falcon 9 launch this year overcame a change of manufacturers and the loss of a U.S. Ex-Im
Bank loan to reach the launch pad.
COMMERCIAL EX-IM BANK FALCON 9 PSN SPACEX SSL
FIRST UP Satcom | Facebook, Viasat join forces on rural internet • Exotrail wins 1.55M euros •
Es’hailSat to host BridgeSat lasercomm station
Facebook and Viasat are collaborating first in Mexico, but are open to expanding globally,
Viasat said.
COMMERCIAL BRIDGESAT ES’HAILSAT FACEBOOK SATELLITE ELECTRIC PROPULSION VIASAT
Virgin Galactic reschedules SpaceShipTwo ight for Feb. 22

Virgin Galactic scrubbed the Feb. 20 flight test for SpaceShipTwo, the air-launched suborbital
spaceplane, due to high winds in Mojave, California. The flight test is now scheduled for
Friday, Feb. 22.
New House space subcommittee chair plans to address commercial space issues
The new chair of the House space subcommittee says she’s looking forward to working with
the commercial space industry on a number of issues, including oversight of non-traditional
space activities.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL HOUSE KENDRA HORN
SpaceShipTwo aims to reach space again

Virgin Galactic plans to conduct a fifth test flight Feb. 20 of its suborbital spaceplane
SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity.
Eutelsat, amid revenue decline, says year will rebound

A slow start for Eutelsat’s Konnect Africa broadband venture and losses in activities beyond
the fleet operator’s core business contributed to a 4.4 percent decline in revenue during the
last half of 2018.
COMMERCIAL AFRICA EUTELSAT VIASAT
UK jump-starts OneWeb-ESA program with $23 million pledge

The multiyear investment begins with 18-month contract worth few million pounds.
COMMERCIAL ESA ONEWEB UK SPACE AGENCY
LeoStella looks for more customers as it opens satellite factory

As LeoStella inaugurated the factory that will be used to produce a series of Earth imaging
satellites, the joint venture of Thales Alenia Space and Spaceflight Industries continues to
look for other customers.
COMMERCIAL BLACKSKY LEOSTELLA SMALLSATS SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES THALES ALENIA SPACE
NASA seeks to accelerate work on lunar missions

NASA is now emphasizing speed in its lunar exploration plans, including seeking to fly
payloads on commercial lunar landers before the end of this year as it works with industry on
lander concepts.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL CLPS JIM BRIDENSTINE LUNAR LANDER NASA
Australian startup Fleet prepares Series A to fund next 10 satellites

Fleet Space Technologies will begin raising money next week from investors in a Series A
financing round after service launch immediately filled its four cubesats with customers.
COMMERCIAL CUBESATS FLEET IOT
Relativity adds former SpaceX executives to leadership team

Small launch vehicle developer Relativity has added three people, all of whom previously held
key positions at SpaceX, to its leadership team as it refines the technologies it will use on its
rockets.
COMMERCIAL RELATIVITY SPACEX
FIRST UP Satcom | Six Protons and an Angara launching this year • Airbus invests $25M in German
plant
To receive FIRST UP Satcom, a weekly SpaceNews newsletter for satellite and telecom
professionals, sign up here.
TOP STORIES
FIRST UP SATCOM
Gilat issues $25 million dividend while pumping R&D

CEO Yona Ovadia said Gilat had $104 million on hand as of Dec. 31 and will have sufficient
resources for significant financial plays even after subtracting the dividend.
COMMERCIAL 5G CHINA GILAT MEGACONSTELLATIONS PERU
Spanish electricity company buys Hispasat for $1.1 billion

Spanish power company Red Eléctrica announced an agreement Feb. 12 to buy out Abertis’
89.7 percent stake in domestic satellite operator Hispasat for 949 million euros ($1.08
billion).
COMMERCIAL ABERTIS HISPASAT
Techstars and Starburst unveil space startup accelerator

Starburst Aerospace and Techstars announced plans Feb. 12 to begin accepting applications
for a new space-focused accelerator based in Los Angeles and backed by the U.S. Air Force,
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lockheed Martin, Maxar Technologies, SAIC and Israel
Aerospace Industries.
COMMERCIAL STARBURST AEROSPACE STARTUPS TECHSTARS
Telesat LEO contenders pitch Canadian production to sweeten deal

Companies competing to build hundreds of broadband satellites for Canadian fleet operator
Telesat are considering setting up production facilities in Canada.
COMMERCIAL AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE MAXAR SPACE SYSTEMS LORAL TELESAT TELESAT LEO THALES ALENIA SPACE
Chile weighs commercial replacement for lone spy satellite

by Brian Berger — February 11, 2019
In a departure from Chile’s previous plan to order an upgraded replacement for its sole
reconnaissance satellite, the air force is now looking at whether it can acquire partial control
of a more advanced satellite of the caliber Maxar’s DigitalGlobe division operates.
COMMERCIAL MILITARY CHILE FASAT-CHARLIE PLEIADES NEO WORLDVIEW LEGION
Exolaunch plans ambitious launch campaign

“We act as an essential interface between a heavy lift launch vehicle and a small satellite
developer," said Jeanne Medvedeva, Exolaunch commercial director.
COMMERCIAL EXOLAUNCH ICEYE SMALL SATELLITES SPIRE GLOBAL
Mars One company goes bankrupt

The company that was to finance Mars One has been liquidated, dealing a severe setback to
the venture’s quixotic goals of one-way human missions to Mars.
COMMERCIAL MARS ONE
Virgin Galactic pilots join an exclusive club with FAA astronaut wings
The two pilots who flew SpaceShipTwo to the edge of space in December received commercial
astronaut wings last week, joining an elite group that won’t necessarily become much larger
even with the anticipated growth of commercial spaceflight.
COMMERCIAL FAA VIRGIN GALACTIC
Thaicom revenue shrinks 10 percent as regional competition stiffens

Thai satellite operator Thaicom logged a second year of declining revenue, but trimmed losses
by selling its stake in a local telecom provider.
COMMERCIAL ASIA-PACIFIC HTS THAICOM
Viasat orders Asia Paci c ViaSat-3 from Boeing
29/05/2019
amid record revenue
Viasat CEO Mark Dankberg said the company has executed an agreement with Boeing for a
third ViaSat-3 satellite, securing the last spacecraft needed for global Ka-band coverage.
COMMERCIAL BOEING BROADBAND IFC VIASAT VIASAT-3
Investors cautiously optimistic about continued space industry growth

Most investors believe that the growth in funding for space ventures will continue for the
near future, despite some concerns about parts of the industry and a lack of returns.
COMMERCIAL VENTURE CAPITAL
C-Band Alliance plan will spawn lawsuits, Google, Charter warn

Those future lawsuits would also hamstring the C-Band Alliance plan, they said, making it no
faster at reallocating the spectrum for 5G networks than an auction.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS C-BAND C-BAND ALLIANCE GOOGLE SPECTRUM
Honeywell to open technology incubator

Honeywell Aerospace is preparing to formally open its Space Division Greenhouse, an
incubator focused on slashing the cost and time required to produce optical intersatellite
links and other spacecraft components.
COMMERCIAL GREENHOUSE HONEYWELL INCUBATOR OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
Small launch vehicle companies see rideshare as an opportunity and a threat

Developers of small launch vehicles, who have promoted their vehicles as providing dedicated
access to space for small satellites, say they’re also open to flying rideshare missions as they
face competition from larger rockets.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH AVIO FIREFLY AEROSPACE RELATIVITY SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES
SPACEX VECTOR SPACE SYSTEMS VIRGIN ORBIT
Iridium ends legacy satellite service, switches all traf c to Next eet
“For the first time since the initial launch of the system over 20 years ago, zero traffic is going
through the old satellites,” Matt Desch, CEO of Iridium, said Feb. 6 at the National Press Club
here.
COMMERCIAL IRIDIUM IRIDIUM NEXT NORTHROP GRUMMAN NORTHROP GRUMMAN INNOVATION SYSTEMS ORBITAL ATK
THALES ALENIA SPACE
Commercial crew test ight schedule slips again

NASA announced Feb. 6 another set of delays to the schedule of commercial crew test flights
by Boeing and SpaceX, increasing concerns that the vehicles won’t be ready to starting
transporting astronauts to the International Space Station by the end of this year.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL BOEING COMMERCIAL CREW CST-100 DRAGON NASA SPACEX
What happens to technology, talent when startups fail?

An undercurrent of the SmallSat Symposium was a widespread conviction that a shakeout is

looming for certain entrepreneurial space sectors, prompting questions about the future of
technology, personnel and business models that never get off the ground, literally or
figuratively.
COMMERCIAL LOCKHEED MARTIN NORTHROP GRUMMAN RAYTHEON
Momentus signs in-space transportation pact

In-space transportation startup Momentus announced Feb. 6 the first contract for its
Vigoride and Vigoride Extended satellite repositioning services at the SmallSat Symposium
here.
COMMERCIAL MIKHAIL KOKORICH MOMENTUS SATELLITE PROPULSION SMALL SATELLITES
Smallsat
29/05/2019
industry faces new challenges to growth
The small satellite field, which has enjoyed significant growth and investment in the last few
years, will face new challenges this year demonstrating their business plans, with some
expecting a shakeout in some parts of the sector.
COMMERCIAL SMALLSATS
Space startup investments continued to rise in 2018

Investors continue to fund space startups at an accelerating rate, according to two firms that
track activity in the sector.
COMMERCIAL INVESTORS VC VENTURE CAPITAL
GEO satellite orders continued to underwhelm in 2018

Last year’s poor harvest of five commercial orders for large geostationary communications
satellites proved even worse than 2017’s surprise low of just seven orders.
FROM THE MAGAZINE GEO SATELLITES
SpaceX tests ight version of Raptor engine

SpaceX test-fired Feb. 3 the first flight version of the Raptor engine the company has
developed for its next-generation launch system.
COMMERCIAL RAPTOR SPACEX STARSHIP
Orion Span falls far short of funding goal to support its commercial space station ambitions
A startup with visions of developing private space stations raised only a small fraction of the
funding it sought in a recent equity crowdfunding campaign, with no guarantee that it will be
able to retain that funding.
COMMERCIAL ORION SPAN
ABL Space Systems increases performance and cuts price of its small launch vehicle
A small launch vehicle company is increasing its vehicle’s payload capacity and reducing its
price as it seeks to find a niche in a crowded market.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH ABL SPACE SYSTEMS SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES
Northrop Grumman pleased with progress integrating Orbital ATK

by Jeff Foust — January 31, 2019
Northrop Grumman executives said Jan. 31 that the integration of the former Orbital ATK
into the company is largely going according to plan but warned there could be financial
impacts to the company if there is another government shutdown.
COMMERCIAL JWST NORTHROP GRUMMAN NORTHROP GRUMMAN INNOVATION SYSTEMS ORBITAL ATK
Op-ed | We can — and should — democratize the economy of space, from communications to deep
space exploration
by Laura Overly — January 31, 2019
It's time to rethink manufacturability and seriously consider “pop-up” manufacturing, an on-
site manufacturing center brought to customer hubs.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE MANUFACTURING SMALLSATS
Op-ed | Time to give H.R. 4945 another look?

by Richard Parker — January 31, 2019
As space commerce evolves to include new types of assets and activities, insurance continues
to be an essential part of the financing for any commercial space venture and acts as the due
diligence agent of technology.
FROM THE MAGAZINE SPACE INSURANCE
Telesat signs New Glenn multi-launch agreement with Blue Origin for LEO missions
by Caleb Henry — January 31, 2019
The agreement, for an unspecified number of launches and satellites, makes Telesat the fifth
customer to sign up to use the reusable launcher, which is slated for a maiden flight in 2021.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH BLUE ORIGIN NEW GLENN TELESAT TELESAT LEO
Phase Four wins orders for smallsat electric thrusters

Phase Four, a startup developing electric propulsion systems for small satellites, has won its
first major orders for those thrusters from two companies.
COMMERCIAL CAPELLA PHASE FOUR SATELLITE ELECTRIC PROPULSION TYVAK
Maxar’s exit from DARPA satellite servicing program a cautionary tale

by Sandra Erwin — January 30, 2019
James Vedda, analyst at Aerospace Corp., said the RSGS setback should not be read “as an
indictment of satellite servicing.”
COMMERCIAL MILITARY DARPA IN-ORBIT SERVICING SSL
Space industry executives optimistic about 2019 despite shutdown and layoffs
Despite a recent wave of layoffs and a five-week partial government shutdown, companies
remain optimistic about the overall prospects for the space industry in the coming year.
COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL SPACE
Blue eld adds customers for methane detection

by Debra Werner — January 30, 2019
Bluefield Technologies is signing up additional customers in the wake of a recent aerial

demonstration of its optical sensors to detect methane leaks.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL BLUEFIELD TECHNOLOGIES EARTH OBSERVATION GREENHOUSE GAS MONITORING METHANE
SSL cancels DARPA satellite servicer agreement

The company said it backed out the servicer program in order to focus on "other capital
priorities, such as WorldView Legion.”
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS BREAKING NEWS DARPA MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES RSGS SSL
Space business buoys Harris, troubles L3 as merger progresses

Harris Corp. and L3 Technologies reported contrasting financial performances for their space
activities Jan. 29, with Harris charting growth in classified smallsat programs and L3
recording losses in satellite communications components.
COMMERCIAL HARRIS CORP. SMALLSAT
Nonpro t led by former U.S. lawmakers working to connect DoD with commercial space industry
The national security space program at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and
Congress is working on a list of recommendations on how the Pentagon could work better
with the commercial space industry.
SN MILITARY.SPACE AIR FORCE PENTAGON
Lockheed Martin projects decline in space pro ts in 2019 due to ULA

While Lockheed Martin’s space unit reported increased earnings in 2018, the company
cautioned that it expects profits from that unit to decline in 2019 because of decreased
contributions from United Launch Alliance.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH LOCKHEED MARTIN UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE
IAI to partner with OHB on lunar delivery services

The Israeli company that built a privately funded lunar lander scheduled for launch next
month is partnering with a German firm to offer similar landers for future European Space
Agency missions.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL MISSIONS ESA IAI LUNAR LANDER OHB
Foust Forward | Space tourism’s image problem

For the very patient advocates of space tourism, the good news is that 2019 may finally be the
year that tourists get to fly on suborbital vehicles.
29/05/2019
FROM THE MAGAZINE SPACE TOURISM VIRGIN GALACTIC Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
Wyler claims breakthrough in low-cost antenna for OneWeb, other satellite systems
OneWeb founder Greg Wyler says a self-funded side project of his has developed an antenna
module costing $15, paving the way for OneWeb user terminals priced between $200 and
$300.
COMMERCIAL ANTENNAS LEO ONEWEB
Blue Origin breaks ground for BE-4 factory

As Blue Origin breaks ground on a new factory for producing rocket engines, the company
says development of its BE-4 engine will be completed later this year.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH BE-4 BLUE ORIGIN ULA
Tempers are when meteorologists discuss commercial weather data

As29/05/2019 Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
commercial companies expand their role in gathering and disseminating weather data,
academic and government researchers are deeply concerned they will lose access to the data
that fuels their work.
FROM THE MAGAZINE AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY COMMERCIAL WEATHER DATA
Virgin Galactic lays off staff as test program continues

Suborbital spaceflight company Virgin Galactic laid off about 40 people earlier this month as
part of a realignment of “skill sets” in the company’s workforce as it prepares to shift into
commercial operations later this year.
COMMERCIAL VIRGIN GALACTIC
GHGSat to accelerate business plan

SAN FRANCISCO — GHGSat of Montreal is accelerating plans to build and launch

greenhouse gas monitoring satellites in response to strong market demand and the success of
its first space-based sensor.
“We have at least a three to five…

COMMERCIAL GHGSAT GREENHOUSE GAS MONITORING VEGA
Swarm raises $25 million for smallsat constellation

The new Series A funds will go toward deploying the company’s full constellation over the
next 18 months, as well as adding new hires and boosting technology development.
COMMERCIAL IOT SWARM SWARM TECHNOLOGIES
Branson expects commercial SpaceShipTwo ights to begin in mid-2019

The founder of Virgin Galactic says he now expects to fly on the company’s SpaceShipTwo
suborbital vehicle around the middle of this year after a series of test flights starting in the
next several weeks.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE RICHARD BRANSON SPACESHIPTWO SUBORBITAL VIRGIN GALACTIC
Shutdown’s toll mounts for NASA and companies

A partial government shutdown now nearly five weeks old is affecting a growing number of
space companies and organizations as well as the agencies themselves shuttered by the lapse
in funding.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS FAA FCC GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN NASA NOAA SHUTDOWN
Rocket Lab to launch DARPA satellite

Small launch vehicle developer Rocket Lab will launch an experimental satellite for the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in February, the first of a planned dozen
launches in 2019.
29/05/2019
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH MILITARY DARPA ROCKET Commercial
LAB SMALLArchives
LAUNCH- SpaceNews.com
VEHICLES
ArianeGroup and PTScientists to study lunar lander mission for ESA

ESA has awarded a contract to a group that includes Europe’s largest launch services provider
and a former Google Lunar X Prize competitor to study a concept for a mission to mine lunar
regolith.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL MISSIONS ARIANEGROUP ESA LUNAR LANDER MOON PTSCIENTISTS
UAE to establish space investment plan

The United Arab Emirates will seek to encourage both investment in space ventures in the
country as well as investment by domestic funds into the broader space industry.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS UAE
Next steps for the Pentagon’s new space sensors for missile defense
Griffin:“We think the best approach is a network of satellites in low orbit. How many, what
orbit, all that is to be determined.”
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS MISSILE DEFENSE SPACE SENSOR LAYER
Stratolaunch abandons launch vehicle program

Stratolaunch, the company founded by the late billionaire Paul Allen, said Jan. 18 that it is
ending work on a launch vehicle that would be flown on the company’s giant aircraft.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH STRATOLAUNCH
QuadSat drones test satellite antennas

QuadSat, a Danish company focused on testing and calibrating satellite antennas with
quadcopters drones, plans to recruit satellite engineers with 700,000 euros ($796,000)
raised in a seed investment round announced Jan. 16.
COMMERCIAL QUADSAT SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS SERAPHIM VENTURE CAPITAL
Isotropic Systems gains Boeing as investor, partner on satellite user terminals

In an interview, Isotropic founder and CEO John Finney said Boeing and Isotropic agreed to
several “strategic elements” that go beyond the cash investment.
COMMERCIAL ANTENNAS
Relativity to build launch site at Cape Canaveral

Relativity, the startup developing a small launch vehicle using additive manufacturing
technologies, announced Jan. 17 it has won approval from the U.S. Air Force to build a launch
site at Cape Canaveral.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH CAPE CANAVERAL RELATIVITY SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES SPACEPORT
Aireon paying back Iridium with help from $200M loan

Aireon said it signed the credit facility Dec. 21, and that it used the new funds to pay satellite
operator Iridium $35 million before the end of 2018 for hosting its sensor payloads on the
Iridium Next constellation.
COMMERCIAL AIREON IRIDIUM
SpaceX to shift Starship work from California to Texas

Less than a week after laying off 10 percent of its employees, SpaceX said Jan. 16 that it plans
to shift work on at least prototypes of its next-generation launch system from Los Angeles to
Texas.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH SPACEX STARSHIP
Astranis lands anchor customer for its rst small GEO satellite
Astranis, a startup designing small geostationary satellites for internet connectivity, has
signed an Alaskan telecommunications provider as its first customer.
COMMERCIAL ASTRANIS SMALLGEO
Parsons: Geospatial intelligence capability essential to future growth

Parsons has been on a buying spree since 2011 as the company has sought to reinvent itself
from an engineering and critical infrastructure contractor to one that can also play in
intelligence, cybersecurity and cloud computing.
SN MILITARY.SPACE OGSYSTEMS PARSONS
Satellogic selects China Great Wall to launch satellite constellation

Satellogic, a company developing a constellation of Earth imaging satellites with

hyperspectral capabilities, announced Jan. 15 that it will launch its fleet of spacecraft on
Chinese rockets.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH SATELLOGIC
General Atomics’ acquisitions of smallsat companies bearing fruit

General Atomics hopes to win military contracts for customized small satellite missions.
COMMERCIAL GENERAL ATOMICS SMALL SATELLITES
Maxar replaces CEO Howard Lance with DigitalGlobe president

Maxar Technologies has named the president of its DigitalGlobe division to replace Howard
Lance, who resigned Jan. 14 as Maxar’s president and CEO after less than three years on the
job.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE
SpaceX laying off 10 percent of its workforce

SpaceX is laying off about 10 percent of its workforce, a cost-cutting move the company says
is required to focus on development of its next-generation launch system and a broadband
satellite constellation.
COMMERCIAL BREAKING NEWS SPACEX
Ball and SSL win study contracts for methane emission tracking satellite
The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) has awarded contracts to Ball Aerospace and Space
Systems Loral to develop designs for a privately funded satellite to track methane emissions.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS BALL AEROSPACE EARTH SCIENCE EDF SPACE SYSTEMS LORAL
Thales Alenia Space to build ESA’s FLEX vegetation-monitoring satellite

Thales Alenia Space said Jan. 10 it received a contract from the European Space Agency
worth approximately 150 million euros ($172.4 million) to build the Fluorescent Explorer
satellite.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL ESA THALES ALENIA SPACE VEGA C
Stratolaunch airplane nears rst ight

The latest taxi test of the giant aircraft being developed by Stratolaunch for its air-launch
system is a sign the plane’s first flight may take place soon.
Blue Origin still holding off on New Shepard ticket sales

Blue Origin expects to start flying people on its New Shepard suborbital vehicle early this
year, but has yet to start selling tickets or even establish a ticket price for future commercial
flights.
COMMERCIAL BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPARD SPACE TOURISM SUBORBITAL
Swarm, after FCC blunder, hires satellite regulatory veteran Kalpak Gude
In an interview, Gude said he is not Swarm’s mandated compliance director, but will be
helping Swarm navigate through the global regulatory landscape as its general counsel and
head of regulatory affairs.
COMMERCIAL FCC SWARM TECHNOLOGIES
Fire y investor Noosphere Ventures eyes satellite manufacturing sector

Noosphere Ventures, two years after providing a lifeline investment in small launcher
company Firefly, is gearing up to make another space investment, this time in the small-
satellite manufacturing sector.
COMMERCIAL FIREFLY AEROSPACE SMALL SATELLITES SMALLSATS
Defense and security contractor Parsons to acquire geospatial intelligence rm OGSystems

With the acquisition of OGSystems, Parsons gets immediate access to highly skilled
geospatial intelligence analysts.
COMMERCIAL ACQUISITIONS MERGERS
DigitalGlobe loses WorldView-4 satellite to gyro failure

by SpaceNews Staff — January 7, 2019
The company said that while efforts are continuing to restore the spacecraft, "Maxar believes
that WorldView-4 will likely not be recoverable and will no longer produce usable imagery."
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS DIGITALGLOBE MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES
Sky and Space Global misses payment to GomSpace on 200-cubesat order

GomSpace is holding up production on a 200-cubesat order from telecom startup Sky and
Space Global due to past-due payments.
COMMERCIAL GOMSPACE SKY AND SPACE GLOBAL
Iridium open to rideshares for spare satellite launches

Iridium Communications is less than a week away from the final launch of its 75-satellite
Iridium Next constellation, but could opt to launch six additional satellites if the right
rideshare opportunity opens up, CEO Matt Desch said Jan. 3.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH IRIDIUM IRIDIUM NEXT SPACEX
Deep Space Industries acquired by Bradford Space

Deep Space Industries (DSI), a company founded to pursue asteroid mining but which more
recently has focused on smallsats, has been acquired by another space technology company.
COMMERCIAL BRADFORD SPACE DEEP SPACE INDUSTRIES ECAPS SPACE RESOURCES
Air Force turns to nontraditional contracting for space technology projects

by Sandra Erwin — December 31, 2018
The Space Enterprise Consortium does not follow the arcane defense acquisition regulations.
It requires traditional defense contractors to work with nontraditional vendors.
COMMERCIAL MILITARY AIR FORCE DEFENSE PROCUREMENT
Foust Forward | Making Wall Street space-savvy again

by Jeff Foust — December 28, 2018
At least Wall Street is paying attention to the space industry again.

FROM THE MAGAZINE MORGAN STANLEY WALL STREET
Cloud Constellation lines up $100 million investment

by Caleb Henry — December 27, 2018
A startup designing a constellation of orbiting cloud data centers has arranged a $100 million
investment from Hughes China Holdings Company Limited (HCH Group) of Hong Kong.
COMMERCIAL CLOUD CONSTELLATION SMALL SATELLITES VIRGIN ORBIT
Runner-up in NASA commercial lunar lander competition plans to try again

The one company that failed to win a NASA contract last month for commercial lunar payload
delivery services says it will try again in the future as it continues development of its lunar
lander.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL CLPS CROW INDUSTRIES LUNAR LANDER NASA
Russia inaugurates Vostochny Cosmodrome with semi-commercial Soyuz launch

by Matthew Bodner — December 27, 2018
After years of delays, construction mishaps and outrageous corruption scandals, Russia’s new
premier space launch facility — the Vostochny Cosmodrome — saw the first successful flight
of commercial payloads aboard a Soyuz 2.1A rocket.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH GK LAUNCH SERVICES RUSSIA SOYUZ VOSTOCHNY
NASA opens the oodgates for rms with planetary ambitions

by Debra Werner — December 27, 2018
When NASA revealed the names of nine companies eligible for contracts to deliver payloads
to the moon on robotic landers, it set off a flurry of activity among firms with related
technology.
FROM THE MAGAZINE COMMERCIAL LUNAR PAYLOAD SERVICES MOON NASA
Air Force to accelerate deployment of anti-jam satellite communications equipment

Navy aircraft carrier strike groups will get the new technology in 2022, about 18 months
sooner than previously planned.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS CYBERSECURITY SATCOM
Commerce Department seeks to encourage more space industry investment

Even amid growing venture capital investment in space companies, the Commerce
Department is making efforts to encourage more institutional investment into the industry.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE COMMERCE DEPT. COMMERCIAL SPACE WILBUR ROSS
FCC nes Swarm $900,000 for unauthorized smallsat launch

Swarm Technologies will pay $900,000 to settle an investigation by the U.S. Federal
Communications Commission into the startup’s launch of four picosatellites on an Indian
rocket this January without regulatory approval, the FCC announced Dec. 20.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS FCC SWARM TECHNOLOGIES
C-Band Alliance plan would require 5G networks to pay for eight new satellites
The two largest members of the C-Band Alliance would each need four new satellites in order
to continue providing telecom services in the U.S. if the Federal Communications
Commission accepts its C-band plan, the group said Dec. 19.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS C-BAND C-BAND ALLIANCE FCC INTELSAT SES
New contracts demonstrate continued strong demand for smallsat rideshare launch services
A pair of new deals shows that, despite the growing number of small launch vehicles under
development, demand from smallsat developers for rideshares on larger vehicles remains
high.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH NANORACKS PSLV SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES SPACEX
Dream Chaser cleared to begin full-scale production

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has won NASA approval to begin full-scale production of its
Dream Chaser cargo spacecraft scheduled to make its first flight in about two years.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL MISSIONS COMMERCIAL CARGO DREAM CHASER NASA SIERRA NEVADA CORP.
Planet to acquire software specialist Boundless Spatial

Earth observation company Planet plans to acquire Boundless Spatial Inc., a geospatial
software specialist “to accelerate the adoption by government and enterprise customers of
commercial geospatial information services,” said Robbie Schingler, Planet co-founder and
chief strategy officer.
COMMERCIAL BOUNDLESS SPATIAL GEOINT GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE PLANET
SpaceIL completes lunar lander for February launch

A privately funded Israeli lunar lander originally built for a prize competition is now complete
and ready for launch in early 2019.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL MISSIONS IAI LUNAR LANDER SPACEIL
Blue Origin gearing up for next New Shepard test ight

Blue Origin plans to conduct the next test flight of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle Dec. 18
as the company moves closer to flying people into space.
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Falcon Heavy customer Ovzon orders GEO satellite from SSL

Swedish startup Ovzon, which in October bought a Falcon Heavy launch from SpaceX, has
now purchased a satellite for that mission from Maxar Technologies’ Space Systems Loral
division.
COMMERCIAL FALCON HEAVY MAXAR MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES OVZON SPACEX SSL
Virgin Galactic ight wins praise from government and industry

While some question whether Virgin Galactic’s latest SpaceShipTwo test flight actually went
into space, a number of government officials and industry organizations have few doubts that
it did.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE FAA JIM BRIDENSTINE MIKE PENCE SPACESHIPTWO SUBORBITAL VIRGIN GALACTIC
Business Finland gives ICEYE 10 million Euros

Business Finland, a Finnish trade and economic development agency, awarded a 10 million
Euro ($11.36 million) grant to radar satellite operator ICEYE.
COMMERCIAL BUSINESS FINLAND ICEYE RAFAL MODRZEWSKI SAR
Branson looks ahead to beginning commercial SpaceShipTwo ights

With a first flight to the edge of space under the company’s belt, Virgin Galactic founder
Richard Branson believes commercial flights of SpaceShipTwo could begin some time next
year.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH RICHARD BRANSON SPACESHIPTWO SUBORBITAL VIRGIN GALACTIC
OneWeb scales back baseline constellation by 300 satellites

Greg Wyler, OneWeb’s founder, said the company will need only 600 satellites or so instead
of 900 after ground tests of the first satellites demonstrated better than expected
performance.
COMMERCIAL ONEWEB
Intelsat launches broadband service aimed at military and government aircraft

The telecommunications company COMSAT, which supplies services to the U.S. government,
has signed a deal with Intelsat to market FlexAir to U.S. government aviation users and
coalition partners.
COMMERCIAL INTELSAT SATELLITE BROADBAND
Virgin Galactic ready for milestone SpaceShipTwo ight

A test flight more than a decade in the making is scheduled to take place Dec. 13 as Virgin
Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle is set to make its highest and fastest flight to date,
one that, if all goes well, will take it beyond one boundary of space.
C-Band Alliance members promise to buy American for new satellites under C-band plan
Members of the C-Band Alliance have stipulated that they will only buy U.S.-built satellites to
replace any capacity lost through the transfer of some C-band spectrum to cellular operators
for 5G, a move that could position their plan more favorably with the White House and
Congress.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS C-BAND EUTELSAT FCC INTELSAT SES TELESAT
Harris says rst cubesat performing well in orbit

Harris Corp.’s first small satellite, a six-unit cubesat, is fully operational, receiving commands
and transmitting information to the satellite operations center in Palm Bay, Florida.
COMMERCIAL HARRIS CORP. PSLV SMALL SATELLITES
Why the “Amazoni cation” of satellite data communications is a good thing

by Mike Carey — December 11, 2018
As a founder and chief strategy officer of ATLAS Space Operations, a satellite data
communications company that has been doing this very same thing for the past four years,
you might think I’d be a little nervous to see Amazon enter the industry. But I’m not.
COMMERCIAL AMAZON WEB SERVICES ATLAS SPACE OPERATIONS GROUND CONTROL SYSTEMS
Satellite component supplier Sodern seeks to double output by 2020

Spacecraft manufacturers have complained of stress on their supplier base as operators
purchase fewer traditional geostationary satellites. One company in France is bucking that
trend, however.
COMMERCIAL COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES ESA FRANCE GEO LEO
Boeing dropping Global IP satellite order

“Boeing is terminating the Global IP satellite contract for reasons of default for nonpayment,”
the company said in a Dec. 7 statement to SpaceNews.
COMMERCIAL BOEING CHINA GEO SATELLITES HTS
Planet sets sights on the long game: Building robust subscription business
Planet's employees, customers and investors paint a picture of a company growing steadily
while seeking to dramatically expand the market for data captured via satellite.
FROM THE MAGAZINE PLANET SATELLITE IMAGERY
Forecasts call for rapid growth in Earth observation market

Two consulting firms anticipate strong demand for commercial Earth observation products
and services in the next decade as satellite constellations offer an increasing array of optical,
radar, hyperspectral and video imagery and data.
FROM THE MAGAZINE EARTH OBSERVATION
Op-ed | IoT smallsats: Ready for launch?

by Alan Crisp — December 9, 2018
In recent years, there has been a boom of announcements for satellite constellations
comprising satellites weighing as little as 3 kilograms to address a growing market of
machine-to-machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) via satellite.
FROM THE MAGAZINE INTERNET OF THINGS SMALLSAT
Axelspace raises $22.8 million for remote-sensing constellation

In an interview, Axelspace Chief Business Development Officer Yasunori Yamazaki, said the
funding will enable the company of 65 people to continue building a constellation called
AxelGlobe, though the company hasn’t decided on a final size for the constellation.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL EARTH OBSERVATION JAPAN SMALLSAT
Maxar sells portion of SSL real estate

Maxar Technologies sold one of satellite manufacturer Space Systems Loral’s facilities in
Silicon Valley for $70 million, the company announced today.
COMMERCIAL DEBT GEO SATELLITES MAXAR SSL
Inmarsat books Japanese H3 rocket’s rst commercial launch

British satellite operator Inmarsat announced Dec. 5 it will be the first commercial customer
of the next-generation H3 rocket from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH INMARSAT JAPAN MHI
Thales Alenia Space to build four radar satellites for South Korea
European satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space said Dec. 5 it signed separate contracts
with Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Hanwha Systems Corp. to develop four high-
resolution radar satellites for South Korea’s Agency for Defence Development.
COMMERCIAL
Op-ed | Expanding space security options through gender perspectives

by Joan Johnson-Freese and Sahana Dharmapuri — December 5, 2018
A Space Force without the complementary effort of diplomacy and confidence building would
be a recipe for incalculable escalation of unnecessary tension between states.
29/05/2019
FROM THE MAGAZINE GENDER SPACE SECURITY Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
Launcher takes long-term view of small launch market

A startup that recently hired an experienced Ukrainian engineer is taking a long-term view
for development of a small launch vehicle, believing that performance will win out over time.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH LAUNCHER SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES
DirecTV owner AT&T says it’s done buying satellites

“We’ve launched our last satellite,” John Donovan, CEO of AT&T Communications, said
during a presentation to analysts.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE TELECOM
Smallsat industry hails historic SpaceX rideshare launch

After several launch delays, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 on Monday successfully deployed 64 small
satellites into orbit.
SN MILITARY.SPACE SMALLSAT SPACEX
Maxar schedules spending break after WorldView Legion completion

Maxar Technologies plans to significantly reduce its capital expenditures after completing
construction of its next-generation WorldView Legion constellation so that the company can
focus on curbing its $3 billion debt load.
COMMERCIAL DEBT DIGITALGLOBE MAXAR SSL WORLDVIEW LEGION
Here are the winners of the 2018 SpaceNews Awards for Excellence & Innovation
by SpaceNews Editor — December 3, 2018
SpaceNews established these awards to honor the well-known champions and the unsung
heroes shaping the global space industry. We endeavored to celebrate headline-grabbing
breakthroughs as well as outside-the-limelight innovations. The winners recognized in the
pages ahead were chosen by the SpaceNews editorial team after an open nomination process
that concluded with a reader poll.
COMMERCIAL
Atlas Space Operations wins rst defense customer

With the SpaceX rideshare launch, Atlas Space Operations welcomed its first Defense
Department customer into its cloud-based ground station network.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH AMAZON WEB SERVICES ATLAS SPACE OPERATIONS BLACKSKY GROUND SEGMENT HELIOS WIRE
Pentagon criticized for stagnant innovation, lack of investment strategy

Defense officials acknowledge that rearranging budget priorities is like turning around a
battleship.
COMMERCIAL MILITARY POLICY & POLITICS DOD U.S. BUDGET
Boundary of space being reconsidered as Virgin Galactic test program advances

As Virgin Galactic gets closer to its first suborbital flights into space, a potential change in
terminology could make it easier for the company to achieve that milestone.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH BLUE ORIGIN SUBORBITAL VIRGIN GALACTIC
NASA selects nine companies for commercial lunar lander program

by Jeff Foust — November 29, 2018
NASA has picked nine companies, ranging from startups to aerospace giants, to be eligible for
future contracts to deliver payloads to the surface of the moon, but with no guarantee of
business for any of them.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL MISSIONS ASTROBOTIC DEEP SPACE SYSTEMS DRAPER FIREFLY AEROSPACE INTUITIVE MACHINES
LOCKHEED MARTIN LUNAR LANDER MASTEN MOON EXPRESS NASA ORBIT BEYOND
Amazon-Lockheed venture casts shadow on ground station startups

A joint effort by Amazon and Lockheed Martin to provide ground station services to satellite
startups could pose a competitive threat to other startups offering similar solutions.
COMMERCIAL AWS GROUND STATION INFOSTELLAR LOCKHEED MARTIN RBC SIGNALS
Telesat wins study contract for DARPA’s experimental constellation

by Caleb Henry — November 29, 2018
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded satellite operator Telesat a
contract to study the use of commercial buses in the agency’s experimental low-Earth-orbit
constellation program known as Blackjack.
COMMERCIAL MILITARY BLACKJACK DARPA TELESAT
Launch companies reduce vehicle options to lower costs

Launch companies that once offered many variants of an individual vehicle to match the
specific needs of payloads are now moving to a smaller number of standardized designs,
trading off optimization for cost savings.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH BLUE ORIGIN NEW GLENN UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE VULCAN
Teleports ramp cyber defenses as digitization increases hacker threat

The satellite industry has so far managed to avoid a high-profile cyber attack, something
experts attribute both to the industry’s vigilance and how oblivious much of the world is to
the magnitude of the services it provides.
FROM THE MAGAZINE CYBERSECURITY SATELLITE TELEPORTS
Small launch vehicle industry entering key period

The next two years will be a key period for the small launch vehicle industry as several
companies prepare for first flights of their vehicles and try to find their niche in a market of
uncertain size.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH FIREFLY AEROSPACE SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES VECTOR SPACE SYSTEMS VIRGIN ORBIT
Satellite data business is Amazon’s next disruption target

by Sandra Erwin — November 28, 2018
The AWS satellite ground station service will be administered like Amazon cloud services, on
a “pay-as-you-go basis."
COMMERCIAL GROUND STATION LOCKHEED MARTIN
Three months from application to launch license? A new report says it’s possible.
by Debra Werner — November 23, 2018
A report delivered in October to the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial

Space Transportation recommends a streamlined approach to launch licensing aimed at
significantly speeding up the process and reducing its complexity.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH APT RESEARCH FAA OFFICE OF COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION
SAFETY ENGIEERING AND ANALYSIS CENTER
FCC license application sheds light on SpaceX vehicle testing plans

SpaceX has filed a license application with the FCC to cover testing at the company’s South
Texas launch site of what may be the company’s next-generation launch vehicle.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH BFR SPACEX
Small satellite industry stepping up advocacy in Washington

Small satellites have been hailed as a game changer in the space industry, but the
government’s slower than anticipated embrace of smallsat technology has been a
disappointment, according to analysts and industry advocates who spoke at the Space
Foundation's "SmallSat Revolution" event.
SN MILITARY.SPACE SMALL SATELLITES
NASA to review safety cultures at commercial crew companies

NASA plans to carry out a review in the coming months of the safety practices at Boeing and
SpaceX, an examination reportedly prompted by the actions of SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE POLICY & POLITICS BOEING COMMERCIAL CREW ELON MUSK NASA SPACEX
Space tracking is about to become much more demanding

Spacecraft and debris tracking is a serious problem that is about to get worse as companies
prepare to send hundreds or thousands of satellites into megaconstellations, said Paul
Graziani, Analytical Graphics Inc. chief executive and co-founder.
FROM THE MAGAZINE AGI SPACE DEBRIS
Government inertia a problem for small satellite industry

Steve Nixon:“I think there’s some bureaucratic inertia. Also there’s a space industrial
complex that might not want to see a shift to much cheaper assets.”
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS SMALL SATELLITES
LEO startup raises $39.5 million for constellation to watch Earth and space
The round brings NorthStar E&S’s total funding to 83 million Canadian dollars and ends a
funding drought from when the company announced its plans three years ago.
CIVIL COMMERCIAL EARTH OBSERVATION SSA
Microsatellite maker Spacety looks to ll the gaps in the new Chinese market
by Andrew Jones — November 16, 2018
Spacety is one of China’s first commercial and private satellite companies in China,
established in January 2016, following new government policies introduced in 2014 and 2015
to deregulate the nation’s space sector.
FROM THE MAGAZINE CHINA SPACETY
AST&Science picks Midland for Micron satellites

AST&Science announced plans Nov. 15 to begin building extremely satellites in 2019 at its
new North American manufacturing plant in Midland, Texas.
COMMERCIAL AST&SCIENCE GLOBAL EAGLE MIDLAND INTERNATIONAL AIR AND SPACE PORT STARTUPS
Solstar seeks strategic investor for WiFi in Space

Solstar Space, the New Mexico startup planning to offer WiFi to people and machines in
orbit, is looking for a strategic investor.
COMMERCIAL BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPARD SOLSTAR STARTUPS
Rocket Lab raises an additional $140 million

Rocket Lab, the small launch vehicle developer that recently performed its first commercial
launch, has raised an additional $140 million to fund expansion of its launch activities and
research projects.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH ROCKET LAB SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES
Will megaconstellations cause a dangerous spike in orbital debris?

It’s no secret the megaconstellations will have a dramatic impact on space traffic. Experts
now are turning their attention to ensuring they don’t also create a dangerous spike in orbital
debris.
FROM THE MAGAZINE MEGACONSTELLATIONS SPACE DEBRIS
Space Tango plans in-orbit manufacturing

Space Tango, a Kentucky startup that develops microgravity research platforms, announced
plans Nov. 15 to launch in the mid-2020s an autonomous in-orbit manufacturing facility.
COMMERCIAL INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION KENTUCKY SPACE MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH SPACE TANGO
Air Force vice chief says space procurement is on the right path
WASHINGTON — Air Force buyers of space systems are cutting red tape and removing layers
of oversight to expedite programs, Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Stephen Wilson
said on Wednesday.
Wilson said the reorganization of the A…

COMMERCIAL MILITARY AIR FORCE SMC
Momentus raises $8.3 million for last-mile spacecraft delivery

Space transportation startup Momentus raised $8.3 million in seed funding for its business of
offering satellite operators rides from one orbit to another, the Santa, Clara, California
company announced Nov. 14.
COMMERCIAL MIKHAIL KOKORICH MOMENTUS
https://spacenews.com/section/commercial/ STARTUPS VENTURE CAPITAL 116/298
DigitalGlobe: New commercial players not threatening our government business

Geospatial imagery and services provider DigitalGlobe secured a $900 million contract
extension from the National Reconnaissance Office to provide commercial imagery until
August 2023.
SN MILITARY.SPACE DIGITALGLOBE GEOSPATIAL IMAGERY
ArianeGroup to shed 2,300 employees as Ariane 6 nears completion

"The end of the development of Ariane 6 and the need to increase competitiveness in the
European rocket launch business compel ArianeGroup to reduce its capacity by the
equivalent of 2,300 full-time jobs by 2022," the company said in a statement.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH ARIANE 6 ARIANEGROUP
ESA preps Earth observation satellite with onboard AI processor

by Tereza Pultarova — November 13, 2018
The European Space Agency plans to launch an Earth observation satellite equipped with an
artificially intelligent processor that would enable the spacecraft to make decisions regarding
what to image and which data to send to the ground.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE EARTH OBSERVATION ESA PLANET
Inmarsat preps new maritime product to fend off KVH competition

Rupert Pearce, Inmarsat’s CEO, said Nov. 8 that the company is taking steps to retain
customers in its largest market segment, having identified broadband for social use among
crews as the missing component of Inmarsat’s maritime service offering.
COMMERCIAL INMARSAT KVH MARITIME VSAT
Orbit Fab to test refueling technology on ISS

A startup company with plans to develop orbiting propellant depots will fly an experiment to
the International Space Station next month to demonstrate some of its key technologies.
COMMERCIAL ISS ORBIT FAB SATELLITE SERVICING
Stratolaunch tests key engine component

Stratolaunch has performed the first test-firing of a key component of a rocket engine it is
developing as the company presses ahead despite the death of its founder and principal
funder.
Former Google Lunar X Prize teams still working on lunar landers

Two former competitors in the Google Lunar X Prize are continuing to pursue commercial
lunar landers that could launch as soon as late 2019.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS GLXP LUNAR LANDER PTSCIENTISTS TEAM INDUS
Viasat shrinks MEO constellation plans

As the U.S. Federal Communications Commission prepares to vote on satellite constellations

from four companies in mid-November, another satellite operator is reducing the size of its
proposed constellation.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS MEO BROADBAND VIASAT
Luxembourg government to continue commercial space initiatives after election

A Luxembourg government official said Nov. 4 that he doesn’t think there will be any changes
to the country’s commercial space initiatives as a result of a recent parliamentary election
there.
29/05/2019
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS LUXEMBOURG Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
Iridium expects Aireon to pay off $200M debt by end of 2021

Aireon, the aircraft-tracking venture Iridium Communications founded to help finance

construction of the now nearly completed Iridium Next Constellation, is close to securing a
new credit line that should allow the firm to catch up on $200 million in overdue payload
hosting fees.
COMMERCIAL AIREON IRIDIUM
Israel Aerospace Industries to pay $10 million for late delivery of satellite destroyed in Falcon 9
explosion
Israel Aerospace Industries was ordered to pay Spacecom $10 million for late delivery of
Amos-6, a satellite that ended up being destroyed in SpaceX’s 2016 Falcon 9 fueling mishap.
COMMERCIAL IAI SPACECOM
Moon Express issues stock to Intuitive Machines

Commercial lunar transportation firm Moon Express delivered 590,710 shares of stock worth
an estimated $2.25 million to Intuitive Machines LLC, a firm with autonomous systems
expertise, as ordered Oct. 15 by a federal judge in Delaware.
COMMERCIAL INTUITIVE MACHINES LAWSUIT MOON EXPRESS
Additive machines prompt companies to throw out the rule books

Space system engineers, who once saw additive manufacturing as a way to trim the size and
weight of conventional components, are beginning to see its true potential.
FROM THE MAGAZINE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
SSL additively expands additive manufacturing from brackets to antenna towers

With four more of its satellites launched between July 22 and Sept. 25, Space Systems Loral
now has more than 1,000 additively manufactured parts in orbit on 15 spacecraft.
FROM THE MAGAZINE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SSL
Lockheed Martin extends additive manufacturing to key spacecraft components

Lockheed Martin’s Additive Design and Manufacturing Center in Sunnyvale, California,

where the company produces military, commercial and civil space technology, attained a
comprehensive safety certification.
29/05/2019
FROM THE MAGAZINE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING Commercial
LOCKHEED MARTIN Archives - SpaceNews.com
HPE supercomputer in orbit is ready for researchers

SAN FRANCISCO – Hewlett Packard Enterprise announced plans Nov. 1 to offer researchers
and astronauts access to its Spaceborne Computer, the supercomputer the Palo Alto,
California, company sent to the International Space Station in August 2017….
COMMERCIAL HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE SPACEBORNE COMPUTER
Asteroid mining company Planetary Resources acquired by blockchain rm

by Jeff Foust — October 31, 2018
Planetary Resources Inc., once a high-flying company backed by billionaires with aspirations
to mine asteroids, only to later suffer funding problems, has been acquired by a blockchain
company, the firms announced Oct. 31.
COMMERCIAL PLANETARY RESOURCES
Maxar trying to sell GEO business as defective components compound troubles

by Caleb Henry — October 31, 2018
Maxar Technologies executives said selling the company’s struggling geostationary satellite
manufacturing business is now the most likely path it will take to break free from a business
that is operating at a loss.
COMMERCIAL GEO SATELLITES MAXAR SSL
Blue Canyon Technologies wins constellation contract

by Debra Werner — October 31, 2018
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded BCT a contract to define bus and
payload requirements for Blackjack, a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit to offer
persistent global communications and Earth observation.
COMMERCIAL MILITARY BLACKJACK BLUE CANYON TECHNOLOGIES DARPA MILITARY SPACE NGSO
Navy’s 3D printing project promises big payoffs for aerospace and defense manufacturing
by Sandra Erwin — October 31, 2018
The aerospace industry is making huge investments in additive manufacturing but producing
parts that can pass quality tests in government programs, for instance, remains a challenge.
SN MILITARY.SPACE 3D PRINTING LOCKHEED MARTIN U.S. NAVY
Yahsat planning successor for Thuraya eet

With the acquisition of fellow Emirati satellite operator Thuraya completed this August,
Yahsat is planning to order two replacement satellites by the end of 2019 to continue
Thuraya’s L-band connectivity service.
COMMERCIAL THURAYA YAHSAT
Rocket Lab sets November date for next Electron launch

Rocket Lab said Oct. 30 it plans to perform a long-delayed launch of an Electron rocket
carrying several small satellites during a mid-November launch window, as the company
seeks to ramp up its launch activity.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH ROCKET LAB
Orbital debris removal company Astroscale raises $50 million

Astroscale, a company developing technologies to capture and deorbit space debris,

announced Oct. 31 it raised a $50 million Series D round that brings its total to date to $102
million.
COMMERCIAL ASTROSCALE
Kymeta founder Nathan Kundtz stepping down as CEO

Kymeta announced Kundtz’s departure Oct. 29. Marc Stolzman, president and chief financial
officer of Kymeta, will assume day to day activities.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE ANTENNAS KYMETA
ExoTerra banks $1.5 million for solar electric propulsion

ExoTerra Resources LLC, a Littleton, Colorado, startup obtained a $1.5 million investment to
further its campaign to develop solar electric propulsion systems for microsatellites.
COMMERCIAL EXOTERRA RESOURCES NASA SBIRS
Air Force launches $100K challenge for ‘space awareness innovators’

Air Force: “The need for timely and accurate object tracking is paramount to the defense of
space."
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY SSA
Op-ed | Reuse and sustainability in deep space exploration

by Doug Cooke — October 29, 2018
Recent SpaceX and Blue Origin booster landings have reignited hopes that reusability can
change the economics of space activity simply by switching from expendable to reusable
launch vehicles.
FROM THE MAGAZINE NASA REUSABILITY REUSABLE LAUNCH VEHICLES
Commercial launch industry seeks updates on regulatory reform work

The commercial spaceflight industry expects to learn more this week on the status of
regulatory reform efforts as well as progress on improving the integration of launches into the
national airspace system.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH POLICY & POLITICS COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH FAA
Voting ends today. Help pick the winners of the SpaceNews awards
by SpaceNews Staff — October 25, 2018
It's time to vote for this year's standout companies, leaders and programs.
COMMERCIAL
ULA now planning rst launch of Vulcan in 2021

ULA now expects to perform the first launch of its next-generation Vulcan rocket in the
spring of 2021, a slip of nearly a year that the company says is due to requirements of a recent
Air Force award.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH MILITARY AIR FORCE BLUE ORIGIN NORTHROP GRUMMAN INNOVATION SYSTEMS SPACEX ULA
VULCAN
Satellite antenna companies divided on near-term feasibility of cheap at panels

Builders of satellite antennas disagree on whether flat panel antennas — widely considered a
necessity for planned broadband megaconstellations — can be produced cheaply enough to
address the mass consumer market in the near term.
COMMERCIAL ANTENNAS MEGACONSTELLATIONS VSAT
Air Force Rapid Capabilities Of ce awards contract to Sierra Nevada for weather satellite
A new office created to accelerate the acquisition of military space technologies awarded
Sierra Nevada Corp. a $119 million contract last month to develop a weather satellite.
SN MILITARY.SPACE ORS-8 SIERRA NEVADA CORP. SPACE RAPID CAPABILITIES OFFICE
Pradman Kaul details Hughes’ global satellite broadband ambitions

Kaul says Hughes' entrance into Africa with Yahsat gives it a head start over Viasat, which has
similarly expanded first into Latin America while also having eyes on Africa and the globe.
COMMERCIAL ECHOSTAR HUGHES NETWORK SYSTEMS SATELLITE BROADBAND
C-Band Alliance doubles spectrum offer to 200 megahertz

Members of the C-Band Alliance on Oct. 22 increased the amount of spectrum they are
willing to part with in the United States, aligning their plan more closely with that of the
Federal Communications Commission as a deadline for input looms.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS C-BAND C-BAND ALLIANCE EUTELSAT FCC INTELSAT SES TELESAT
Thales Group reports boost in space revenue

Government demand for space systems drove a “recovery of space orders” for Thales Group
this year, offsetting a slump in commercial telecom satellites, Chief Financial Officer Pascal
Bouchiat said Oct. 18.
COMMERCIAL ESA EUMETSAT THALES ALENIA SPACE
Vector secures $70 million Series B round for small launch vehicle development
Vector, one of dozens of ventures developing small launch vehicles to serve perceived high
demand for small satellite launches, announced Oct. 19 that it closed a $70 million Series B
round to move into full operations.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES VECTOR SPACE SYSTEMS
ABS, Hispasat and Star One cry foul over C-Band Alliance
Three regional satellite operators with C-band coverage over the United States have
complained to U.S. telecom regulators about being left out of a group led by four of the
world’s largest satellite operators to arrange a proposed spectrum transfer to the wireless
industry.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS ABS C-BAND EUTELSAT FCC HISPASAT INTELSAT SES STAR ONE TELESAT
Airbus leveraging partnerships, investments to deliver greater ground truth

François Lombard, who took the helm at Airbus Intelligence in early 2017, is encouraging this
type of innovation and partnerships like the ones formed recently with Earth observation
constellation operator Planet and Orbital Insight, a geospatial analytics company.
FROM THE MAGAZINE AIRBUS INTELLIGENCE AIRBUS ZEPHYR
Satellite operators offer communications for autonomous ships

SMM Hamburg, the biennial international maritime conference in Germany Sept. 4-7,
attracted not only shipbuilders but also satellite operators eager to offer global
communications for autonomous vessels.
FROM THE MAGAZINE AUTONOMOUS VESSEL COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES ROLLS-ROYCE
Does the satellite industry have antenna de cit disorder?

by Caleb Henry and Debra Werner — October 17, 2018
To connect the masses, megaconstellations will need mega antennas mega cheap. Antenna
makers need mega orders to make that happen.
FROM THE MAGAZINE ANTENNAS MEGACONSTELLATIONS
Rocket Lab selects Wallops for U.S. launch site

Small launch vehicle company Rocket Lab announced Oct. 17 that it will build its second
launch pad, and first in the United States, at Wallops Island in Virginia.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH BREAKING NEWS ROCKET LAB WALLOPS
Antenna builder ThinKom makes push for constellation market

ThinKom’s recent collaborations with satellite operators Telesat and SES have the antenna
builder jockeying to compete with Viasat, IsoTropic Systems and others in the race to build
affordable high-tech antennas that can link with satellite constellations in non-
geosynchronous orbits.
COMMERCIAL ANTENNAS MEGACONSTELLATIONS THINKOM
Kepler Communications raises $16 million for telecom constellation

Canadian satellite startup Kepler Communications raised $16 million from investors,
securing funding to build and launch its first-generation constellation of up to 15 satellites,
the company announced today.
COMMERCIAL CUBESATS IOT KEPLER COMMUNICATIONS
Eric Béranger leaves OneWeb a month after demotion

Eric Béranger, former chief executive of satellite constellation venture OneWeb, has left the
company entirely, OneWeb confirmed Oct. 15.
COMMERCIAL MEGACONSTELLATIONS ONEWEB
Harris, L3 CEOs say merger will catapult company among prime contractor elite
Harris Corp. and L3 Technologies expect their $34 billion merger, announced Sunday, will
create the sixth largest defense contractor in the United States while saving $500 million in
corporate costs by three years of closing.
COMMERCIAL
Phase Four aims for constellation orders

Phase Four, an El Segundo, California startup, is expanding its leadership team as part of a
campaign to direct its advanced electric propulsion system toward the growing satellite
constellation market.
COMMERCIAL NGSO PHASE FOUR
Virgin Galactic preparing for next phase of SpaceShipTwo test ight program
Virgin Galactic’s chief executive says the company is approaching the “next phase” of the
flight test program for the company’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle as the company’s
founder predicts the company reaching space in “weeks.”
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH RICHARD BRANSON SUBORBITAL VIRGIN GALACTIC
Air Force funding three new rockets to compete with SpaceX but only intends to buy launch
services from two providers
Phase 2 of the Launch Service Agreement will be an open competition. All there winners have
to compete - or they would have to return their development funds back to the government.
SpaceX presumably would bid as well.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH LAUNCH SERVICE AGREEMENT
LeoSat and partners put satellites on a diet

LeoSat’s strategic partners, Spanish satellite operator Hispasat and Sky Perfect Jsat of Japan,
are helping the constellation developer update its satellite design.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE INNOVATION 2018 HISPASAT LEOSAT NGSO SKY PERFECT JSAT
SES’s future GEO satellites will be more like O3b, CEO says
Fresh off the success of a recent contract win to connect IBM Cloud customers with O3b
satellites, SES’s chief executive said many of the operator’s future geostationary satellites will
have attributes of O3b to appeal to more cloud networks.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE INNOVATION 2018 O3B SES
NASA inspector general sharply criticizes SLS core stage development

A report by NASA’s inspector general Oct. 10 criticized both NASA and Boeing for delays and
cost overruns in the development of a key component of the Space Launch System, and
warned of more delays and overruns to come.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH PEOPLE BOEING NASA SLS
GMV wins 250 million euro ground control contract for Europe’s Galileo navigation system
by Megan Gannon — October 10, 2018
The company’s contract with the European Space Agency, signed in September, marks the
biggest deal for GMV and the biggest for Spain's space industry.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS BREXIT ESA EUROPEAN COMMISSION GALILEO
Fire y Aerospace and York Space Systems partner to provide integrated satellite solutions
Small launch vehicle company Firefly Aerospace announced Oct. 10 it’s partnering with
smallsat developer York Space Systems to offer customers a combined package of satellite
and launch services.
COMMERCIAL FIREFLY AEROSPACE YORK SPACE SYSTEMS
Boeing investing in satellite propulsion startup

Boeing: "Accion's scalable technology can help bring game-changing capabilities to satellites,
space vehicles and customers."
COMMERCIAL ACQUISITIONS BOEING
Draper bids on NASA commercial lunar lander competition

The organization that helped NASA’s Apollo spacecraft land on the moon a half-century ago is
now working with an industry team that includes a Japanese lunar lander company to
propose a commercial return to the lunar surface.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS DRAPER GENERAL ATOMICS ISPACE LUNAR LANDER SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES
Price swings expected during launch industry shakeout

The next two to three years will be a time of adjustment in the space launch industry,
according to panelists at Satellite Innovation 2018 here.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE INNOVATION 2018 ARIANESPACE BLUE ORIGIN ROCKET LAB SPACEX SPIRE VIRGIN ORBIT
Army to introduce new requirements for GPS receivers in weapon systems

Companies in the defense industry see assured PNT as a growing business as the military
looks for equipment that can operate without GPS signals.
COMMERCIAL GPS U.S. ARMY
Army still not sold on satellite broadband as a service

One of the Army's concerns is that commercial satellite services may not be compatible with
most of the military’s terminals, antennas and modems.
COMMERCIAL NETWORKING U.S. ARMY
Army buying portable satcom gear that ts in soldiers’ backpacks

These kits are a departure from traditional Army communications systems that are large,
bulky and require a lot of setup time.
COMMERCIAL NETWORKING
Intelsat: losing 200 or more megahertz of C-band will require new satellites
Intelsat says some satellite operators will be forced to buy new spacecraft if U.S. telecom
regulators demand the transfer of 200 or more megahertz of C-band spectrum from satellite
operators to cellular companies.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS C-BAND FCC INTELSAT SES SPECTRUM
Airbus CEO calls for reforms to European space governance

The chief executive of Airbus used an international space conference to call for reforms in
how Europe manages and funds space activities in order to better compete on the global
market.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE POLICY & POLITICS AIRBUS ESA EU
HyperSat reveals hyperspectral plans

HyperSat LLC emerged from stealth mode in September to announce it raised $85 million to
launch two high-resolution hyperspectral imaging satellites in 2020.
COMMERCIAL HYPERSAT HYPERSPECTRAL NORSTAR SPACE DATA
Big money in small satellites: Space RCO selects three companies to compete for future contracts
Maxar Technologies' SSL, Sierra Nevada Corp. and Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems
were selected to compete for future small satellite development contracts that could be worth
up to $750 million.
SN MILITARY.SPACE MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES NORTHROP GRUMMAN INNOVATION SYSTEMS SIERRA NEVADA CORP.
Lockheed Martin considering ying commercial payloads on Orion

Lockheed Martin is in the early stages of studying the feasibility of flying small commercial
payloads on future NASA flights of the Orion spacecraft in cislunar space.
COMMERCIAL LOCKHEED MARTIN NANORACKS ORION
Lockheed Martin selects payload providers for next-generation missile warning satellites
The Air Force made the next-gen OPIR missile warning satellites one its top acquisition
priorities to keep pace with adversaries’ advances in anti-satellite weapons.
COMMERCIAL SBIRS
FIRST UP Satcom | BridgeSat, Sitael joint forces on lasercomm; Orbcomm enters China; UK,
Singapore plan quantum cubesat
Italian small satellite builder Sitael and American laser communications startup BridgeSat
announced plans to form a joint venture in the European Union.
FIRST UP SATCOM BLUE ORIGIN CHINA HARRIS CORP. NEW GLENN ORBCOMM
Space Tango to form hemp subsidiary

Space Tango, a Kentucky startup that develops microgravity research platforms, announced
plans Oct. 4 to form a subsidiary focused on the plant biology and properties of hemp.
COMMERCIAL MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH SPACE TANGO
Do smallsats even need insurance?

Insurers who specialize in the space industry, seeing no quick turnaround, are starting to look
beyond its traditional customers to new markets.
FROM THE MAGAZINE GEO SATELLITES SPACE INSURANCE
Small satellites rolling off Raytheon’s missile assembly line

Raytheon wants to show that small satellites operated by military users on the ground can
deliver tactical imagery faster than commercial providers and more economically than aerial
drones.
COMMERCIAL SMALL SATELLITES
First SpaceX commercial crew test ight could slip to 2019

A SpaceX executive said Oct. 3 that the company’s first commercial crew test flight could be
delayed until early 2019 because of paperwork issues.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS BOEING COMMERCIAL CREW SPACEX
Lockheed Martin unveils lunar lander concept

As NASA gears up to support work on lunar lander designs, Lockheed Martin released details
Oct. 3 about a proposed reusable human lunar lander that leverages technology used on the
Orion spacecraft and concepts that could later be used for missions to Mars.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS LOCKHEED MARTIN LUNAR LANDER
Satellite operators don’t know what to buy, but ESA is still helping European manufacturers get
ready to sell
How does ESA decide what technology to invest in when few have confidence on what
operators will want? Three experts overseeing ARTES, the European Space Agency’s
Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems division, explain.
FROM THE MAGAZINE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY
New version of Aerojet’s RL10 upper-stage engine to be almost entirely 3D printed

Years of Pentagon and NASA investments in nontraditional manufacturing technology appear

to be paying off as government contractors step up the use of 3D printed components in space
systems.
SN MILITARY.SPACE 3D PRINTING AEROJET ROCKETDYNE RL10
Australia’s new space agency plans commercial focus

A year after the Australian government announced plans to establish a national space agency,
that office is now in operation with plans to help support the country’s emerging space
industry.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE POLICY & POLITICS
Viasat, ULA insist ViaSat-3 launch was competitively procured

United Launch Alliance and satellite operator Viasat are defending the “competed” status of a
launch contract that other launch companies say they had no part in.
FROM THE MAGAZINE UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE VIASAT VIASAT-3
Is ISIS Space the new space unicorn? Probably not. But you’ve got to like their odds.
In an exhibit hall filled with metal spacecraft components, it was hard to miss the pink
unicorn perched on a cubesat at the Innovative Solutions in Space booth.
FROM THE MAGAZINE CUBESAT ISIS SPACE
Telesat changes tune, joins C-band spectrum group

Canadian fleet operator Telesat has joined Intelsat, SES and Eutelsat as part of an industry
consortium it once threatened to oppose.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS C-BAND EUTELSAT FCC INTELSAT SES TELESAT
What the satellite industry needs to know about where 5G stands

As governments, companies and everyone in between prepare to trade out 4G wireless

infrastructure for 5G, questions linger about what the transition will entail.
FROM THE MAGAZINE 5G SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Audacy customer MOUs top $100 million
Customers for Audacy, a Silicon Valley startup, have signed memoranda of understanding to
spend more than $100 million annually on the company's proposed inter-satellite data relay
network, Audacy announced Oct. 2.
COMMERCIAL AUDACY SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Moon Express raises $12.5 million

Moon Express, a former Google Lunar X Prize competitor developing commercial lunar
landers, has raised $12.5 million to further development of its spacecraft for commercial and
government customers.
COMMERCIAL MOON EXPRESS
Three American space startups to establish of ces in Luxembourg

by Jeff Foust — September 29, 2018
Three U.S. companies will set up offices in Luxembourg, the latest sign of an ongoing effort
by the small European country to diversify its space economy.
COMMERCIAL ASTROBOTIC CUBEROVER HYDROSAT LUXEMBOURG MADE IN SPACE
Op-ed | Commercial space startups should be wary of some foreign investment

by Greg Autry — September 29, 2018
It 29/05/2019 Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
should be no surprise that space startups are aggressively pursued by global investors.
Properly valuing potential foreign investments requires parsing more than exchange rates.
FROM THE MAGAZINE COMMERCIAL SPACE INVESTORS
LeoLabs forges agreement with New Zealand

by Debra Werner — September 29, 2018
LeoLabs plans to install its next phased array radar on New Zealand's South Island, marking
the space mapping startup’s first move into the Southern Hemisphere.
COMMERCIAL LEOLABS NEW ZEALAND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS SPACE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Australian startup raises $14 million for smallsat launchers

by Caleb Henry — September 28, 2018
The company’s namesake says he now has sufficient capital to see his Queensland, Australia-
based venture through to a first launch of an orbital rocket in 2020 but acknowledges he’s
still looking for a domestic launch site.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH AUSTRALIA LAUNCH SMALLSAT
Stratolaunch releases new details about rocket engine work

Stratolaunch revealed new details Sept. 27 about a rocket engine it is developing for use on
future launch vehicles that will fly from a giant aircraft approaching its first flight.
29/05/2019
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH STRATOLAUNCH Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
ULA selects Blue Origin to provide Vulcan main engine

United Launch Alliance announced Sept. 27 that it has selected Blue Origin to provide the
main engine for its next-generation Vulcan launch vehicle, a decision long expected by the
industry.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH AEROJET ROCKETDYNE AR1 BE-4 BLUE ORIGIN BREAKING NEWS UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE
VULCAN
Former OneWeb Satellites CEO joins Akash Systems

Former OneWeb executive Brian Holz, has joined AkashSystems as chief architect to help the
San Francisco startup create communications systems for small satellites.
COMMERCIAL ONEWEB SMALLSAT
Cruz wants NASA to consider revenue opportunities from commercial activities

As NASA shows growing interest in commercial activities, from space station research to
merchandise, one senator wants the agency to financially benefit from them.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS JIM BRIDENSTINE NASA SENATE
World Satellite Business Week: May the satellite industry live in interesting times
Satellite operators had long sought less expensive launch as one way of reducing the overall
cost of deploying new satellites. They’ve achieved that with the rise of SpaceX and the
competitive pressures it has placed on other companies who have been forced to adapt or
else.
FROM THE MAGAZINE GEO SATELLITES WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK
FIRST UP Satcom | Thales InFlyt eyes global Ka-band network • Iridium to connect Ocean Cleanup
effort •SES opens Isle of Man teleport
Thales InFlyt's new CEO Philippe Carette said he wants the company to offer worldwide Ka-
band satellite connectivity for aircraft, a service that would position the company as a
competitor with Viasat and Inmarsat.
FIRST UP SATCOM IRIDIUM SES THALES INFLYT
Air Force con rms it received a second mystery bid for GPS 3
by Sandra Erwin — September 26, 2018
Lockheed Martin vice president Kay Sears said the new GPS 3F is a “brand new” satellite
design and not a “carbon copy” of the GPS 3.
COMMERCIAL GPS
Lockheed Martin strengthens position in military satellite market

So far the company that has most benefitted from the push for faster acquisitions and more
security is Lockheed Martin.
SN MILITARY.SPACE AIR FORCE LOCKHEED MARTIN
Capella Space raises $19 million for radar constellation

Capella Space, a startup planning a constellation of radar imaging satellites, has raised an
additional $19 million to fund continued development of its system.
COMMERCIAL CAPELLA SAR
Japanese company ispace selects SpaceX for lunar missions

A Japanese company that has roots in the former Google Lunar X Prize competition
announced Sept. 26 that it has selected SpaceX to launch a pair of missions to the moon in
2020 and 2021.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS ISPACE SPACEX
Spacecom
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cancels Amos-8 contracts with SSL and SpaceX
Israeli satellite operator Spacecom said Sept. 25 that it has terminated contracts awarded
earlier this spring to manufacturer Space Systems Loral and launch provider SpaceX for
Amos-8, a telecommunications satellite the Israeli government said Sept. 3 would be built in
Israel instead.
COMMERCIAL AMOS IAI SPACECOM SSL
Aerojet Rocketdyne seeks other customers for AR1 engine

With growing doubts it will be selected by United Launch Alliance for its Vulcan rocket,
Aerojet Rocketdyne is looking to smaller launch vehicles as potential customers for its AR1
engine.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH AEROJET ROCKETDYNE AR1 BE-4 BLUE ORIGIN UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE VULCAN
Where no commercial satellite bus has gone before

If all goes as currently planned, sometime in 2022 a rocket will lift off carrying a payload that
at first glance will look familiar. This payload, though, won’t be destined for geostationary
orbit. Instead, the spacecraft will head to cislunar space.
FROM THE MAGAZINE NASA PPE
Northrop
29/05/2019
Grumman seeking to cut costs on Commercial
small launch vehicles
Archives - SpaceNews.com
Faced with growing competition from startups entering the field, Northrop Grumman
Innovation Systems is looking to reduce costs on its existing Pegasus and Minotaur rockets.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH MINOTAUR NORTHROP GRUMMAN INNOVATION SYSTEMS PEGASUS SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES
Op-ed | Toward a robust space economy

by Ian Fichtenbaum — September 21, 2018
It is evident we need to examine how to build a robust space economy and infrastructure, one
built to accommodate future growth.
FROM THE MAGAZINE SPACE ECONOMY
Three companies win NOAA commercial weather data pilot contracts

NOAA awarded more than $8 million in contracts this week to three companies in the second
round of a commercial satellite weather data pilot program.
COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL WEATHER DATA GEOOPTICS NOAA PLANETIQ SPIRE
Northrop Grumman con dent Air Force will continue to fund the company’s new rocket
Whoever signs up for one of two certification flights for the Omega rocket,will get a ride “at a
reduced rate."
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH LAUNCH SERVICE AGREEMENT NORTHROP GRUMMAN INNOVATION SYSTEMS
With debt down and cash up, Aerojet Rocketdyne hunting for acquisitions
"It doesn't necessarily mean buying a company. It could be buying a product line. It could be
buying a portion of a business that fits with us. We want to make sure that it's strategic."
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH AEROJET ROCKETDYNE AR1 ROCKET ENGINES ULA
Commercial crew providers believe they now meet NASA safety requirements
Boeing and SpaceX, who have been struggling to meet safety thresholds established by NASA
for commercial crew vehicles, now believe their vehicles can meet those requirements as they
prepare for test flights scheduled in the next several months.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS BOEING COMMERCIAL CREW CST-100 DRAGON NASA SPACEX
Orbital Insight acquires computer vision startup FeatureX

Orbital Insight, a Silicon Valley geospatial analytics company, announced the purchase Sept.
18 of FeatureX, a Boston-based artificial intelligence firm specializing in computer vision for
satellite imagery. The terms of the purchase were not disclosed.
COMMERCIAL FEATUREX GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE ORBITAL INSIGHT
Air Force eyes commercial options to gain intelligence on space threats

Melanie Stricklan, Slingshot Aerospace: “We see a big need for SSA solutions, not just in the
military but also in academia and in satellite owners and operators."
AIR SPACE CYBER 2018 COMMERCIAL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SSA
SpaceX signs up Japanese billionaire for circumlunar BFR ight

SpaceX announced Sept. 17 that a Japanese billionaire will be paying an undisclosed but
significant sum to buy a flight of the company’s next-generation rocket for a flight around the
moon carrying a group of artists.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH PEOPLE BFR BREAKING NEWS ELON MUSK SPACEX YUSAKU MAEZAWA
Airlines wary of in ight connectivity disruption

Airline customers are well aware of the financial troubles plaguing satellite-enabled inflight
connectivity providers.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 AVIATION COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORS DELTA AIRLINES ETIHAD AIRWAYS
NORWEGIAN AIR SHUTTLE
Satellite operators see opportunities in Latin America and Africa

Satellite operators Yahsat of the United Arab Emirates, Brazil's Star One and Bermuda-based
ABS are moving into new markets in Latin America and around the world, according to
speakers at the World Satellite Business Week conference here Sept. 10.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 ABS STAR ONE YAHSAT
IAI studying follow-on opportunities for SpaceIL lunar lander

As it completes a lunar lander scheduled for launch late this year, an Israeli company says it’s
looking for opportunities to do similar future spacecraft to tap into the growing demand for
lunar missions.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 IAI LUNAR LANDER SPACEIL
SSL’s Amos-8 contract in doubt as Maxar eyes a GEO exit

by Brian Berger and Caleb Henry — September 16, 2018
One of the two commercial GEO satellite contracts Space Systems Loral announced this year
now appears in doubt following Israel's announcement that Amos-8 will be built
domestically.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 AMOS-6 IAI MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES SPACECOM SSL
Air Force to award $7.2 billion contract to Lockheed Martin for 22 GPS satellites
The first GPS 3F satellite is expected to be available for launch in 2026.

COMMERCIAL MISSIONS GPS
Airbus forecasts 15 to 18 commercial GEO orders as new annual norm

As satellite manufacturers grapple with what increasingly looks like a permanent decline in
the number of commercial geostationary communications satellites purchased worldwide,
one offered hope that a partial rebound will ensue in the coming years.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 AIRBUS BOEING GEO SATELLITES LOCKHEED MARTIN SSL
THALES ALENIA SPACE
Yahsat and Hughes Network Systems form partnership

Emirati satellite fleet operator Yahsat and Echostar’s Hughes Network Systems are seeking
regulatory approval for a joint venture to offer ka-band broadband service in Africa, the
Middle East and southwest Asia.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 ECHOSTAR HUGHES SATCOM YAHSAT
Communications providers prepare for spike in demand

Satellite communications providers are forming partnerships, making acquisitions and

developing new business models in anticipation of new satellite constellations and surging
demand for data links.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 HUGHES NETWORK SYSTEMS IDIRECT SATCOM SPEEDCAST
TELESPAZIO
CNES seeks 80 to 100 million Euros for CosmiCapital venture fund

The French space agency CNES plans to raise 100 million Euros ($1.16 million) by the first
quarter of 2019 for CosmiCapital, a venture fund to support 50 European space-related
startups.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 CNES COSMICAPITAL SERAPHIM CAPITAL
PlanetWatchers to target sugar cane, energy markets

PlanetWatchers, a geospatial analytics startup focused to date on forestry, is preparing to

expand its focus from forestry to sugar cane and energy, said Ariel Smoliar, PlanetWatchers
chief executive and co-founder.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE PLANETWATCHERS SAR
Former Stratolaunch executive to lead smallsat industry group

A former vice president of Stratolaunch who previously worked in Congress and the
intelligence community has been named to run a smallsat industry group.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 SMALLSAT
Luxembourg establishes space agency and new fund

The government of Luxembourg continued work to expand its role in the global space
economy Sept. 12 by formally establishing a national space agency, a move designed in part to
ensure the effort continues after an upcoming election.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE POLICY & POLITICS LUXEMBOURG
GapSat places GEO smallsat order with Terran Orbital

GapSat, a company that resells underused satellite capacity, is entering the market with a
satellite of its own through the Lockheed Martin-backed Terran Orbital.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 SMALLSAT
Airbus, Orbital Insight forge alliance

Airbus Defense and Space's Intelligence business announced a strategic partnership Sept. 12
with Orbital Insight, a geospatial analytics firm founded in 2013 in Palo Alto, California, to
build a suite of geospatial analytics services and tools.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE EARTH OBSERVATION ORBITAL INSIGHT
Amid concerns, OneWeb gets vague about constellation’s cost

by Caleb Henry and Brian Berger — September 12, 2018
OneWeb in 2015 set the goal of building 900 satellites for no more $500,000 a piece. Now
the startup's president will only say "below $1 million."
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 MEGACONSTELLATIONS ONEWEB
“Golden period” for space startup investment continues

Venture capitalists see no sign of a slowdown in funding of space-related startups even

though only a handful of those companies have provided significant returns to their investors.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 INVESTORS VENTURE CAPITAL
Iridium to nish deorbiting legacy constellation early next year

Iridium will deorbit the last of its original satellites around the beginning of 2019, entrusting
its second-generation with all network responsibilities, CEO Matt Desch said Sept. 10.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 IRIDIUM NEXT
Defense contractors step up investments in commercial space companies

Boeing's investment in BridgeSat and Raytheon's strategic investment in Hawkeye 360

continues the trend of major defense contractors placing bets on enabling technology.
SN MILITARY.SPACE BOEING BRIDGESAT HAWKEYE 360 RAYTHEON
Effective Space announces partnership with IAI for satellite servicing development
Effective Space, a startup developing a satellite servicing system, announced Sept. 11 an

agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to provide technical and financial support.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 EFFECTIVE SPACE IAI SATELLITE SERVICING
Telesat says ideal LEO constellation is 292 satellites,
29/05/2019
but could be 512
Satellite fleet operator Telesat says the desired size of its future low Earth orbit broadband
constellation is more than twice the number of satellites authorized by U.S. regulators, and
could ultimately scale to 512 spacecraft.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 BROADBAND CONSTELLATIONS LEO NGSO TELESAT
SES wants eet of identical, interchangeable satellites

Instead of buying individual satellites tailored for a specific job at a precise orbital location,
fleet operator SES wants homogenous satellites with digitally processed payloads it can
reconfigure in orbit to perform any job.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 MARTIN HALLIWELL O3B SES STEVE COLLAR
Bankers see a growing industry shift to smallsats

Investment bankers increasingly believe that the satellite industry is fundamentally shifting
from large geostationary spacecraft to constellations of low Earth orbit smallsats, forcing
existing companies to respond while creating opportunities for investors.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 SMALLSATS
Kepler, Phasor test at panel antenna with LEO cubesat

Startups Kepler Communications and Phasor said Sept. 10 that they successfully
demonstrated a link between Kepler’s cubesat and a Phasor flat panel antenna.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 ANTENNAS CUBESAT KEPLER COMMUNICATIONS LEO PHASOR
The FSS sector and the LEO-GEO stalemate

by J. Armand Musey — September 10, 2018
Is the industry jumping the gun and prematurely dismissing investment in geostationary
satellites? There are a lot of LEO constellations ready to compete with GEO satellites in the
media; there are far fewer of them in the factories, much less in orbit.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018
Inmarsat battles to maintain leadership in connecting the high seas

Inmarsat’s largest market — connecting ships at sea — is becoming increasingly competitive.

FROM THE MAGAZINE INMARSAT KVH
French IoT company plans $139 million smallsat constellation

French maritime-tracking company CLS is starting a 120 million euro ($139 million) effort to
build, launch and operate a constellation of 20 small satellites for connecting Internet of
Things devices at sea and elsewhere.
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 CUBESAT IOT
What to look forward to at World Satellite Business Week 2018

Big questions that will hopefully find answers at this year’s conference include: how many
satellite manufacturers and launch providers can the market support? Do markets like the
Internet of Things and inflight connectivity hold as much promise as satellite operators hope?
And, of course, what to satellite operators actually want?
COMMERCIAL WORLD SATELLITE BUSINESS WEEK 2018 EARTH OBSERVATION IFC SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Ursa Major Technologies wants outsourcing engines to be the norm

Founded in 2015, Ursa Major wants to build engines for companies building small launch
vehicles. Most such ventures want to make nearly everything in house, just like SpaceX and
Blue Origin.
FROM THE MAGAZINE ROCKET ENGINES URSA MAJOR TECHNOLGIES
Sener eyes larger stake in satellite component market

Spanish space hardware supplier Sener hopes to provide more equipment to satellite
manufacturers thanks to its $93 million acquisition of Tryo Aerospace, but faces challenging
market conditions as satellite operators continue to order fewer telecom spacecraft.
COMMERCIAL SPAIN
French space startup raises $4.1 million to develop smallsat electric thruster technology, software
by Jaroslaw Adamowski — September 6, 2018
French space startup Exotrail has secured $4.1 million in funding to develop its electric
thruster technology and software for smallsats.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE ELECTRIC PROPULSION SMALLSATS
Jay Monroe drops Globalstar CEO position to focus on spectrum

Jay Monroe, CEO of low-Earth-orbit-satellite operator Globalstar for the past 13 years, is
leaving his position, but not the company, following a failed merger with another company he
controls.
COMMERCIAL GLOBALSTAR
Airspace usage a priority for new commercial industry group chairman

The new chairman of a commercial space industry group says addressing growing demands
for airspace, and conflicts with commercial aviation, will be a major priority for him.
29/05/2019
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE COMMERCIAL SPACE CSF Commercial
TABER Archives - SpaceNews.com
MACCALLUM
ÅAC Clyde looks to constellations as future of business

by Caleb Henry — August 31, 2018
ÅAC Clyde, the company being formed by Sweden’s ÅAC Microtec and Scotland’s Clyde
Space, says its primary business is shifting from satellite subsystems to constellations as
smallsat operators begin fielding more satellites.
COMMERCIAL AAC CLYDE CUBESATS SMALLSATS
Extended: SpaceNews Awards reader nominations close Sept. 30

by Brian Berger — August 31, 2018
The 2nd annual SpaceNews Awards for Excellence & Innovation honor excellence and
innovation among space professionals, companies, programs and organizations during the
previous 12 months.
COMMERCIAL
Air Force soon to announce decision on future launch vehicles

by Sandra Erwin — August 31, 2018
GAO’s Cristina Chaplain: The Air Force will be challenged to sustain two suppliers, let alone
three or four.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH MILITARY AIR FORCE EELV
New NASA advisory committee to explore enhanced commercial activities

by Jeff Foust — August 30, 2018
NASA has tasked a new advisory committee with studying greater commercial activities at the
agency, including selling naming rights for NASA missions and allowing astronauts to
perform commercial work.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS COMMERCIAL SPACE ISS NASA
Kepler Communications opens launch bids for Gen-1 LEO constellation

Canadian startup Kepler Communications announced Aug. 28 it is accepting bids from

launch providers to orbit its first-generation constellation of up to 15 cubesats, but with the
stipulation that the launches must happen within two years.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH KEPLER COMMUNICATIONS
Speedcast buying Globecomm for $135 million

Satellite communications provider Speedcast is purchasing Globecomm for $135 million in

cash and debt, further expanding the company’s presence in the defense market.
COMMERCIAL GLOBECOMM SPEEDCAST
Audacy invites partners to sell compatible products, services

by Debra Werner — August 28, 2018
Audacy, a Silicon Valley startup developing a satellite data-relay constellation, is forming a

network of companies to build compatible components, resell communications capacity and
refer customers.
COMMERCIAL AAC CLYDE AUDACY SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS SPACEQUEST
Startup plans “gas stations” for satellite servicing

A startup company planning to develop orbital propellant depots to assist satellite servicing
ventures has raised an initial round of funding to support a first launch as soon as next year.
COMMERCIAL ORBIT FAB SATELLITE SERVICING
ÅAC Clyde to build Kepler Communications TARS satellite

Kepler Communications, a Canadian startup designing a telecommunications constellation,

selected ÅAC Clyde, the company being formed by Sweden’s AAC Microtec and Scotland’s
Clyde Space, to build TARS, a six-unit cubesat for machine-to-machine communications.
COMMERCIAL AAC CLYDE INTERNET OF THINGS KEPLER COMMUNICATIONS
Luxembourg’s Kleos Space raises $8 million, stock trades in Australia

Kleos Space, a Luxembourg-based satellite Earth observation startup, raised 6.96 million
Euros ($8 million) from investors and began trading on the Australian Stock Exchange.
COMMERCIAL GOMSPACE KLEOS SPACE LUXEMBOURG
Small satellites are at the center of a space industry transformation

No longer the province of university researchers and technology developers, small satellites
are moving into the aerospace mainstream.
FROM THE MAGAZINE AEROSPACE CORP. HONEYWELL SMALL SATELLITES
Trident Space’s challenge: Standing out from the crowd of SAR satellite startups
More companies and investors are moving to capitalize on the potential of small satellites
equipped with synthetic aperture radar, creating what looks likely to become a highly
competitive market.
FROM THE MAGAZINE SMALLSAT TRIDENT SPACE
NASA to study use of commercial partnerships for space communications services

NASA plans to seek proposals soon for studies on the use of public private partnerships to
develop the next generation of space communications services.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE NASA SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Stratolaunch con rms launch vehicle development plans

Stratolaunch announced Aug. 20 that it is developing a family of vehicles, including a

reusable spaceplane, that could launch from the giant aircraft it is developing.
Space: The ultimate education disrupter

by Carie Lemack — August 21, 2018
Space is the third — and newest — disrupter in the last 156 years of education. Not since the
passage of the Morrill Act in 1862 and the rise of America’s land-grant colleges has there been
a movement this massive. Not since the enactment of the G.I. Bill in 1944 has there been a
milestone this memorable.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS EDUCATION
Op-ed | Talent gap jeopardizes space business, national security

by Bill Beyer and Mary Lynne Dittmar — August 20, 2018
A growing talent gap is one of the biggest economic, cultural, and security risk this nation
faces in the critical next two decades.
FROM THE MAGAZINE TALENT GAP WORKFORCE
Veteran aerospace executive joins Relativity Space

Relativity Space, the startup developing a small launch vehicle making extensive use of 3D-
printing technologies, has brought on board a former SpaceX and Virgin Orbit executive to
help grow the company.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE RELATIVITY
Foust Forward | Balancing big and small in space science

Big missions, in terms of size and cost, will remain a part of NASA’s science portfolio for the
indefinite future, but there’s more room at the other end for small but increasingly capable
missions.
FROM THE MAGAZINE NASA SMALLSAT
Small launch industry growing, but with growing pains

The number of small launch vehicles under development continues to grow despite some
high-profile setbacks and uncertainty about the demand for such vehicles.
FROM THE MAGAZINE SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES
UrtheCast, amid restructuring, acquires analytics rm from Land O’Lakes

Canadian remote sensing company UrtheCast says it has sufficient resources to cover the $20
million purchase of analytics firm Geosys from U.S. dairy giant Land O’Lakes.
COMMERCIAL URTHECAST
Boeing to acquire Millennium Space Systems

Millennium Space Systems was founded in 2001 and has approximately 260 employees. It
has developed satellites ranging from 50 kg to more than 6,000 kg.
COMMERCIAL BOEING MERGERS
SSL to develop antenna subsystems for U.S.Commercial
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Air Force Archives - SpaceNews.com
SSL, a company known for building communications satellites and spacecraft systems, will
help the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center define its next generation of
protected military communications, the Maxar Technologies company announced Aug. 16.
COMMERCIAL MILITARY MISSIONS MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES SPACE ENTERPRISE CONSORTIUM SSL
Foust Forward | As the launch industry grows, it nds it needs to share

The commercial spaceflight industry has been enjoying success both on and off the launch
pad this year.
FROM THE MAGAZINE BLUE ORIGIN COMMERCIAL SPACE SPACEX VIRGIN GALACTIC
Descartes Labs forms imagery partnership with Airbus

Descartes Labs announced Aug. 15 a partnership with Airbus to feed high resolution global
imagery into its geospatial data platform. The Sante Fe, New Mexico-based startup also
completed beta testing of its cloud-based “data refinery,” and added weather data.
COMMERCIAL AIRBUS DESCARTES LABS LANDSAT REMOTE SENSING SENTINEL
Lockheed Martin awarded $2.9 billion Air Force contract for three missile-warning satellites
The Air Force will use “rapid procurement authorities” in this program and is targeting the
first next-generation OPIR launch in 2023.
COMMERCIAL LOCKHEED MARTIN SBIRS
Exos Aerospace reschedules rst suborbital launch

Exos Aerospace, a Texas company developing a reusable suborbital rocket, now plans to carry
out a first flight of its vehicle in late August as it sets its sights on a follow-on orbital vehicle.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH EXOS SPACEPORT AMERICA SUBORBITAL
Viasat’s Dankberg explains medium Earth orbit thinking, global expansion strategy
Viasat is still working on a medium-Earth-orbit satellite constellation idea revealed almost

two years ago, but has not finalized what that system would look like, Mark Dankberg, CEO of
Viasat, said Aug. 9.
COMMERCIAL MEO VIASAT
Mike Grif n’s tough talk to Pentagon contractors: Be a team player, look at your own red tape
Griffin: "The bumper sticker version of my job is that I don’t have anything to do with
anything that the Defense Department is currently buying. "
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE DEFENSE PROCUREMENT DOD
NASA funds commercial technology development and market studies

NASA announced more than 20 contracts valued at $55 million Aug. 8 intended to develop
commercial technologies for space exploration as well as study future markets for commercial
activities in low Earth orbit.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE COMMERCIAL SPACE NASA SPACE TECHNOLOGY
Eutelsat sells shared satellite to Es’hailSat

French fleet operator Eutelsat sold a jointly-owned satellite to partner Es’hailSat of Qatar,
expanding Es’hailSat’s fleet as the company awaits the launch of its second satellite late this
year on a Falcon 9 rocket.
COMMERCIAL ES’HAILSAT EUTELSAT
Jim Simpson no longer CEO of eet operator ABS

Jim Simpson, chief executive of Bermuda-based fleet operator ABS since December, is no
longer head of the company.
COMMERCIAL ABS
Harris small satellite business jumps to $100 million in revenues

Harris Corp.’s small satellite business is growing rapidly, jumping from no revenue in 2016 to
$100 million now. During the same period, Harris small satellite revenues jumped from zero
to $100 million, Bill Gattle, Harris Space and Intelligence president, told SpaceNews in a
recent interview.
COMMERCIAL SMALLSAT 2018 HARRIS SMALL SATELLITES
Electric propulsion startup ThrustMe gets $2.8 million from European Commission
French propulsion startup ThrustMe received 2.4 million euros ($2.8 million) from the
European Commission to commercialize an electric propulsion system for small satellites.
COMMERCIAL SMALLSAT 2018 SMALL SATELLITES THRUSTME
Helios Wire sees a hidden fortune in nding lost assets

Helios Wire is preparing to launch its first satellite in October on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
COMMERCIAL SMALLSAT 2018 HELIOS WIRE SMALL SATELLITES
EchoStar’s Charlie Ergen: Inmarsat bid refusal a disappointment, industry needs scale and
broadband is the future
EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen said analyst missed synergies apparent in an EchoStar-
Inmarsat merger, and that the satellite industry needs bigger players to tackle the mammoth
global need for connectivity as satellite operator strength shifts from television to broadband.
COMMERCIAL CHARLIE ERGEN DISH NETWORK ECHOSTAR
Small satellite sector grapples with cybersecurity requirements, cost

For cybersecurity experts, it’s clearcut: smallsat operators should take the same precautions
as large satellite operators, including encrypting uplinks and downlinks, safeguarding ground
stations and monitoring network activity.
COMMERCIAL SMALLSAT 2018 CYBERSECURITY SMALL SATELLITES
Made In Space proposes printing large solar arrays for small satellites
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Made In Space, the Silicon Valley startupCommercial
focusedArchives - SpaceNews.com
on additive manufacturing in orbit, plans to
boost the power available to small satellites with Archinaut, the company’s in-space
manufacturing and assembling technology.
COMMERCIAL SMALLSAT 2018 3D PRINTING MADE IN SPACE SOLAR PANELS
New thruster aims to help microsats bust out of the kiddy pool
LOGAN, Utah — Stellar Exploration, a space technology company based in San Luis Obispo,
California, is in the midst of qualification testing of a miniature propulsion system for
planetary microsatellite missions.
What’s unusual about th…

COMMERCIAL SMALLSAT 2018 PROPULSION SMALLSATS
Smallsat developers focus on improving reliability

As cubesats and other smallsats transition from technology demonstration and student
projects to operational missions supporting a growing array of applications, companies large
and small are working to improve their reliability.
COMMERCIAL SMALLSAT 2018
Rocket Lab announces order for 10 Electron launches from new Dubai company
Rocket Lab announced an agreement Aug. 7 with a new Dubai-based smallsat company for 10
launches of its Electron small rocket.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH SMALLSAT 2018 CIRCLE AEROSPACE ECLIPTIC ENTERPRISES ELECTRON HOSTED PAYLOAD
ROCKET LAB
Op-ed | SmallSat Alliance is on a path toward a new space horizon

by Charles Beames — August 8, 2018
The early returns of this economic revolution are already on our doorstep: space data
capabilities are exponentially growing elements of the 21st century world economy.
FROM THE MAGAZINE COMMERCIAL SPACE SMALLSAT
Capella’s rst satellite launching this fall

Capella Space is preparing for its first launch on a SpaceX rocket this fall, an important
milestone in the company’s plan to build a constellation of the world’s smallest commercial
radar satellites.
COMMERCIAL SMALLSAT 2018 CAPELLA RADAR SAR SMALL SATELLITES
Fire y ‘back in full force’ following last year’s near-death experience

Two years ago, Firefly Space Systems appeared to be flying high. Then the bottom fell out of
the company.
FROM THE MAGAZINE FIREFLY SPACE SYSTEMS
Iridium posts sharply higher revenue, forecasts decade-long capex holiday

Iridium Communications had what Chief Financial Officer Thomas Fitzpatrick called its “best
quarterly revenue growth in company history,” logging $135 million for April, May and June,
an increase of 21 percent over the same time last year.
COMMERCIAL IOT IRIDIUM IRIDIUM NEXT SPACEX
Space ight gears up for dedicated Falcon 9 launch

Spaceflight announced Aug. 6 that it’s beginning final preparations for a dedicated Falcon 9
launch later this year carrying more than 70 smallsats for a variety of commercial,
government and educational customers.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH SMALLSAT 2018 FALCON 9 RIDESHARE SMALLSATS SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES
Etisalat sells Thuraya stake for $37 million

Emirati telecommunications company Etisalat has sold its 28 percent stake in satellite
operator Thuraya to fellow Emirati satellite operator YahSat for $37 million.
COMMERCIAL THURAYA YAHSAT
Inmarsat not for sale, CEO says

Inmarsat CEO Rupert Pearce said Wednesday the two purchase offers Inmarsat received from
EchoStar this summer priced the company too low to take seriously.
COMMERCIAL ECHOSTAR EUTELSAT INMARSAT
MEO startup Methera plans “high density” HTS constellation

In medium Earth orbit, the only system providing satellite broadband today is SES Networks’
constellation of 16 O3b satellites. A British startup with its own 16-satellite constellation idea
wants to change that.
COMMERCIAL BROADBAND CONSTELLATIONS METHERA O3B
Space launch vehicles eyed by the military to move supplies around the world
Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart: If the military wanted to transport cargo across the globe, the
technology is available to do that, but a lot of planning and engineering would be required.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH DOD VIRGIN ORBIT
Commercial space technologies a key theme in Air Force intelligence and data strategy
There will be tens of thousands of commercial satellites mapping the globe in minutes. The
Air Force wants to take advantage of that technology.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE REMOTE SENSING
Eutelsat to buy two all-electric satellites from Airbus to replace Hotbird constellation
Eutelsat will replace a trio of satellites with two larger all-electric satellites from Airbus
Defence and Space, company officials said Wednesday.
COMMERCIAL AIRBUS AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE EUTELSAT
Telesat picks Airbus Defence and Space as second
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constellation design partner
Telesat awarded a second constellation design contract Aug. 1, choosing Airbus Defence and
Space to begin studies on the company’s proposed system of 117 low Earth orbit
communications satellites.
COMMERCIAL AIRBUS SSTL TELESAT
FIRST UP Satcom | Globalstar scraps FiberLight merger • Intelsat nds new Ariane 5 co-passenger
FIRST UP Satcom is a weekly SpaceNews newsletter for satellite and telecom professionals.
FIRST UP SATCOM GLOBALSTAR INTELSAT NIGCOMSAT
SES lowers video forecast, gives glowing review of O3b mPower progress
by Caleb Henry — July 31, 2018
Satellite fleet operator SES of Luxembourg lowered its revenue forecast for its television
broadcast market July 27 while forecasting stable growth of data services.
COMMERCIAL C-BAND O3B SES
Maxar creating new smallsat division as it shrinks SSL

Maxar Technologies is setting up a new organization focused solely on small satellites while
continuing to downsize its geostationary satellite manufacturing business at Space Systems
Loral.
COMMERCIAL BROADBAND CONSTELLATIONS GEO MAXAR SSL
Telesat selects Thales-Maxar team for LEO constellation design work

Canadian fleet operator Telesat on July 30 selected Thales Alenia Space and Maxar
Technologies’ Space Systems Loral division to collaborate on the design of its low Earth orbit
broadband satellite constellation.
COMMERCIAL MAXAR SMALLSAT SSL TELESAT THALES
Pentagon moves to cut procurement red tape in a bid to catch up with technology
by Sandra Erwin — July 29, 2018
How the Pentagon buys technology in the digital age is a major concern as more of the
innovation the military needs is privately funded.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS ACQUISITIONS DOD
Northrop CEO offers to link JWST pro t to mission success

by Jeff Foust — July 26, 2018
The chief executive of Northrop Grumman said July 26 he is willing to make the profit his
company earns on the James Webb Space Telescope contingent on the overall success of the
mission.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS POLICY & POLITICS HOUSE JWST NASA NORTHROP GRUMMAN
KT Sat aims to nearly triple revenue by 2025

With a comfortable business supporting 4.4 million television subscribers for parent
company KT Corp., the largest telco in South Korea, KT Sat hasn’t been very aggressive in
pursuing new sources of revenue. That is changing.
COMMERCIAL ASIA-PACIFIC KT SAT
LeoLabs raises $13 million in Series A funding

by Debra Werner — July 26, 2018
LeoLabs, a Silicon Valley space mapping startup raised $13 million in a Series A funding
round led by WERU Investment of Tokyo and Airbus Ventures, the European aerospace
giant’s early-stage investment group.
COMMERCIAL AIRBUS VENTURES BREAKING NEWS LEO LEOLABS WERU INVESTMENT
SN Military.Space | Airbus to build ‘combat cloud’ • Major developments in strategic nuclear

systems • Senate panel targets EELV
Defense contractors for years have floated ideas for how to build the elusive “combat cloud”
bringing together the latest and greatest communications technology.
SN MILITARY.SPACE AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE U.S. STRATEGIC COMMAND
Delta Faucet and Goodyear Tires sending experiments to International Space Station
Delta Faucet Co. and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. announced partnerships July 24 with the
Center for the Advancement of Science is Space to send microgravity experiments to the
International Space Station later this year.
COMMERCIAL CASIS DELTA FAUCET GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER CO. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
Introducing Momentus, a Silicon Valley startup focused on water plasma engines

Russian entrepreneur Mikhail Kokorich is backing Momentus, a Silicon Valley startup

developing water plasma engines.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE ASTRO DIGITAL HELIOS WIRE MIKHAIL KOKORICH MOMENTUS
Maxar considering exiting GEO satellite manufacturing business

Maxar Technologies, owner of satellite manufacturer Space Systems Loral, may shut down its
geostationary manufacturing line as a result of a multi-year order drought that management
considers the new norm.
COMMERCIAL MAXAR SSL
Op-ed | Geospatial Intelligence: The totally made-up term that’s changing the world
by Keith J. Masback — July 24, 2018
USGIF proposes that geospatial intelligence is ready to take its place alongside business
intelligence, artificial intelligence and competitive intelligence in the business world.
COMMERCIAL GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE
No GPS? No problem, there are increasingly more options

Experts say GPS can be strengthened but the military still needs alternatives.
COMMERCIAL GPS
More startups are pursuing cubesats with electric thrusters

As concerns grow about orbital debris and the need for space traffic management, cubesats
without propulsion have no means to maneuver to avoid collisions or deorbit at the end of
their operational lives.
29/05/2019
FROM THE MAGAZINE CUBESAT ENPULSION Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
PHASE FOUR
Hispasat cites inter-satellite links as pivotal for LeoSat investment

Inter-satellite links, a technology that has given some of LeoSat’s would-be investors pause,
were actually what convinced Hispasat to invest in the low-Earth-orbit constellation startup
last week, according to Hispasat’s CEO.
COMMERCIAL HISPASAT LEO CONSTELLATION LEOSAT
Op-ed | Networking the space-terrestrial frontier

by Juan Fraire, Jorge Finochietto and Scott Burleigh — July 23, 2018
The planned deployment of thousands of LEO satellites by OneWeb and SpaceX’s Starlink are
proof that the crusade for high throughput, low latency and wide coverage has only started.
FROM THE MAGAZINE GLOBALSTAR INTERNET OF THINGS LEO CONSTELLATION
Air Force gets rst real look at future ICBM designs

Boeing and Northrop Grumman submitted "trade studies” to help the Air Force draft GBSD
program requirements.
COMMERCIAL GBSD
British launch startups optimistic about continued government support

Despite missing out in a U.K. government competition, early-stage launch vehicle developers
in the country remain optimistic about their prospects and ability to win future government
support.
COMMERCIAL FARNBOROUGH AIRSHOW 2018 LAUNCH POLICY & POLITICS
Printing the next generation of rocket engines

For the last several years, aerospace companies have been examining ways to use additive
manufacturing, or 3D printing, to aid the production of rocket engines.
FROM THE MAGAZINE 3D PRINTING AEROJET ROCKETDYNE
British government to promote space industry exports

The British government announced July 19 a new effort to help space companies in the
country win business outside of Europe amid concerns about the effects Brexit will have on
the industry.
COMMERCIAL FARNBOROUGH AIRSHOW 2018 POLICY & POLITICS SATELLITE EXPORTS U.K. SPACE AGENCY
FIRST UP Satcom | Arabsat refutes World Cup piracy involvement • Court lifts ban on Telebras-
Viasat deal • Spanish MoD to buy two satellites
FIRST UP SATCOM ARABSAT BRAZIL SPAIN VIASAT
Orbex stakes claim to European smallsat launch market

With about $40 million in hand and an agreement to use a new launch site, British small
launch vehicle startup Orbex argues that it’s joined the small group of companies in this
sector of the industry that should be taken seriously.
COMMERCIAL FARNBOROUGH AIRSHOW 2018 LAUNCH ORBEX SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES
Earth observation startup Planet trims workforce by “less than ten percent”
Earth observation startup Planet laid off dozens of employees July 13. The move affected less
than ten percent of the firm's workforce, a company spokesperson said.
COMMERCIAL EARTH OBSERVATION PLANET
SN Military.Space | Selling U.S. aerospace overseas amid trade tensions • U.S. Air Force excited
about U.K. space • Quantum computing as space weapon
Trump administration officials are at the Farnborough Airshow in the United Kingdom this
week on a mission to sell American aerospace and weapons.
SN MILITARY.SPACE FARNBOROUGH AIRSHOW LOCKHEED MARTIN PENTAGON
Astrobotic selects Dynetics for lunar lander propulsion system

As Astrobotic prepares to compete for NASA lunar payload delivery contracts, the company
has signed an agreement with Dynetics for the last major component of its lunar lander.
COMMERCIAL ASTROBOTIC DYNETICS LUNAR LANDER
Maxar acquires robotics rm Neptec for $32 million

Maxar Technologies on July 16 purchased Neptec, a Canadian company with robotic expertise
deemed useful for in-space activities like satellite servicing and building space stations.
COMMERCIAL CANADA MAXAR SPACE ROBOTICS
Gogo considers splitting company, overhauls business plan amid nancial pressures
Gogo, an inflight connectivity provider leasing capacity on dozens of satellites, bulldozed its
old business plan July 13 amid looming concerns over unprofitability, encroaching debt
deadlines, and a potential buyout.
COMMERCIAL GOGO IFC
China Satcom’s LEO, HTS projects driven by desire not to fall behind foreign counterparts
China’s state-owned fleet operator is making forward-leaning investments in high-

throughput satellites and low-Earth-orbit constellations without worrying, at least initially,
about whether these projects are backed by sound business plans.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS CHINA HTS LEO
SN Military.Space | AI race moves to space • China’s heavy rockets a concern for U.S. • Soldiers learn
to operate satellites
Using free data from the European Space Agency, a startup in Finland created a geospatial
information service that is entirely enabled by artificial intelligence.
SN MILITARY.SPACE AIRBUS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CHINA
Report: U.S. aerospace a trade winner, but tariffs threaten future exports
U.S. aerospace and defense in 2017 posted a positive trade balance. But there are concerns
that escalating trade wars could hurt future growth.
COMMERCIAL EXPORT-IMPORT
Electric satellite propulsion company raises $10 million

A Silicon Valley startup developing electric propulsion systems for satellites has raised $10
million and added the billionaire founder of LinkedIn to its board.
COMMERCIAL APOLLO FUSION SATELLITE ELECTRIC PROPULSION
Why Intelsat’s going with life extension over refueling

Intelsat-901, a 17-year-old communications satellite running low on propellant, is awaiting a

first-of-its-kind service call from a robotic spacecraft carrying a fresh tank of fuel.
FROM THE MAGAZINE INTELSAT MEV SATELLITE SERVICING
Kepler to co-develop third satellite with UK’s Satellite Applications Catapult

Kepler Communications, a Canadian startup designing a network of 140 telecom cubesats,

has teamed up with the Satellite Applications Catapult in the U.K. to build a third and final
prototype before pressing on with the full constellation.
COMMERCIAL CUBESATS IOT KEPLER
RBC Signals forges deal with Antrix to expand global network

San Francisco RBC Signals is joining forces with Antrix Corp., the commercial arm of the
Indian space agency ISRO, to provide communications services to satellite operators.
COMMERCIAL ANTRIX RBC SIGNALS SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
LeoSat gains Hispasat as second investor, drops demo satellite plans

LeoSat says Spanish satellite operator Hispasat has matched Sky Perfect Jsat’s investment in
its low Earth orbit broadband constellation, bringing the company closer to completing its
$100 million Series A.
COMMERCIAL HISPASAT LEOSAT SKY PERFECT JSAT
Blue Origin plans to start selling tickets in 2019 for suborbital space ights
Blue Origin expects to start flying people on its New Shepard suborbital vehicle “soon” and
start selling tickets for commercial flights next year, a company executive said June 19.
FROM THE MAGAZINE BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPARD SUBORBITAL VIRGIN GALACTIC
Op-ed | We’ll need more than Trump’s Space Policy Directive to x commercial remote-sensing
regulations
by Adam Routh — July 10, 2018
At the rate the commercial sector is innovating, regulatory practices will need to be agile,
evolving quickly while still providing needed order and protections.
FROM THE MAGAZINE COMMERCIAL SPACE SPACE POLICY DIRECTIVE 2
Energomash raises alarm over U.S. ban on Russian rocket engines

by Matthew Bodner — July 10, 2018
With no domestic demand for Energomash’s premier products — the RD-180 and RD-181
engines — the company faces a potentially daunting gap.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH ENERGOMASH RD-180 RD-181
Indonesia seeking industry partner for 150 Gbps national HTS project
The government of Indonesia aims to team up with a satellite operator to build, launch and
operate a high-throughput satellite to bring internet access to unreached parts of the island
nation.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS ASIA-PACIFIC HTS INDONESIA
Virgin space companies sign new agreements with Italy

Virgin Galactic and Virgin Orbit announced a set of agreements July 6 with Italian companies
and the Italian Space Agency that could lead to suborbital and orbital launches from a
proposed Italian spaceport.
COMMERCIAL ITALY SPACEPORT VIRGIN GALACTIC VIRGIN ORBIT
Satellite operators view antennas as weak link in broadband business plans

As new high-tech satellite antennas start hitting the market, several satellite operators
expressed concern that existing and future antennas won’t meet their needs.
COMMERCIAL
Inmarsat rejects second EchoStar merger proposal

U.S. fleet operator EchoStar on July 6 abandoned a $4.25 billion effort to buy Inmarsat after
the British satellite operator rejected EchoStar’s second merger offer in less than a month.
COMMERCIAL ECHOSTAR INMARSAT
With a new satellite factory in the U.S., Airbus eyes opportunities in military space
Airbus will be producing at least two 150-kilogram satellites per day at the Florida facility.
Tim Deaver: “We’re confident we can get to 10 per week quickly."
COMMERCIAL AIRBUS ONEWEB
A trillion-dollar space industry will require new markets

Forecasts that predict the space industry to grow to a trillion dollars by the 2040s will require
the development of new markets, even with the modest annual growth rates needed to
achieve that goal.
COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL SPACE NEWSPACE SIA
Canada’s LEO constellation fund draws interest from Telesat, MDA

by David Pugliese — July 5, 2018
Telesat and MDA will be requesting money from the Canadian government’s new special fund
to finance low-Earth-orbit satellite systems, officials from both companies say.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS CANADA LEO CONSTELLATION MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES TELESAT
Measat to join Asia’s HTS stampede with spacecraft in 2021

Malaysian fleet operator Measat will soon join the increasingly crowded club of companies
with high-throughput satellites in the Asia Pacific.
COMMERCIAL ASIA HTS
Sirangelo leaving Sierra Nevada Corporation

Mark Sirangelo, the longtime leader and public face of Sierra Nevada Corporation’s space
business, has resigned from the company for personal reasons but as part of a “friendly
transition,” the company confirmed July 2.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE DREAM CHASER SIERRA NEVADA
Japanese smallsat rocket explodes on second launch attempt

Japanese startup Interstellar Technologies’ Momo-2 rocket crashed back to Earth seconds
after liftoff, destroying the vehicle and damaging launch pad infrastructure.
COMMERCIAL JAPAN SMALLSAT
OneWeb says regulatory concerns main reason it’s forgoing inter-satellite links
Wyler said OneWeb’s network will use more than 40 gateways around the world, each capable
of “seeing” satellites up to 4,000 kilometers away. OneWeb may add more gateways to
appease regulators, he said, but the current architecture provides global coverage.
COMMERCIAL MEGACONSTELLATIONS ONEWEB TELESAT
Sky Perfect JSAT mulls future technology investments

Sky Perfect JSAT operates 18 satellites, more than any other Asian telecom operator. JSAT's
scale has allowed it to make industry-shaping investments in technologies ranging from
antennas to drones. But, like many of the world's largest operators, JSAT's revenue has been
falling.
29/05/2019
COMMERCIAL SKY PERFECT JSAT Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
Virgin Orbit wins FAA license for rst LauncherOne mission

Virgin Orbit has received a license from the Federal Aviation Administration for the first
launch of its LauncherOne vehicle, which the company hopes to perform later this summer.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH FAA LAUNCHERONE VIRGIN ORBIT
Rocket startup sees big future in military launch

As a member of the National Space Council’s users advisory group, Relativity Space CEO Tim
Ellis sees himself as the voice of privately backed space startups.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES STARTUPS
Thaicom weighs life-extension options for pioneering IPstar satellite

by Caleb Henry — June 29, 2018
Thaicom is considering ways to prolong the life of IPstar, its pioneering high-throughput
satellite currently projected to run out of fuel in 2022.
COMMERCIAL ASIA HTS IPSTAR THAICOM
Satcom companies willing to partner with China to gain market access

Multiple satellite communications companies say they are willing to team up with Chinese
companies in order to sell into its sizeable but regulatorily challenging market.
COMMERCIAL CHINA LEOSAT NEWTEC SES VIASAT
To predict the future of military satellite communications, ‘follow the terminals’

by Sandra Erwin — June 28, 2018
There are about 150 program managers who oversee satcom terminals across the Defense
Department.It could take decades to upgrade up to 17,000 systems.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS COMSATCOM SATCOM
Virgin Orbit gears up for captive carry test ight

by Jeff Foust — June 28, 2018
Virgin Orbit is planning a key test of its LauncherOne vehicle as soon as next week, a final
step before the vehicle’s first launch later this summer.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH VIRGIN ORBIT
Satellite industry doing surprisingly well against cyber threats, experts say
The satellite industry has done a good job bolstering its cyber defenses absent the sort of
high-profile attack that has spurred other industries to step up their efforts. But the risk of a
“defining cyber event” remains, a panel of experts said June 25.
COMMERCIAL
ABS puts 15 unused orbital slots on the market

Satellite feet operator ABS says it has more orbital slots than it can use and is willing to sell
the extras to other satellite operators.
COMMERCIAL
Thai startup mu Space seeks builder for satellite bound for leased orbit
The request for proposal, released June 25, is for the construction of satellite mu Space says it
will launch in 2021 on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket.
COMMERCIAL ASIA HTS MU SPACE THAILAND
Space Force impact on investment • Air Force trying to prove critics wrong
Wall Street investment bank Morgan Stanley sees big money coming to the space sector
following the president’s announcement that a new military branch for space will be formed.
SN MILITARY.SPACE AIR FORCE MORGAN STANLEY SPACE FORCE
In the wake of Northrop-Orbital merger, Aerojet’s solid rocket engine business teetering on the
brink
There are now technically two companies that still manufacture large solid rockets for
military ICBMs. The industry is poised to become a monopoly, however, as Aerojet’s large
solid rocket motor business is on not-so-solid ground.
FROM THE MAGAZINE AEROJET ROCKETDYNE NORTHROP GRUMMAN INNOVATION SYSTEMS ORBITAL ATK
Boeing constellation stalled, SpaceX constellation progressing

Boeing is not actively building any satellites for the constellation it proposed to U.S.
regulators two years ago, an industry executive said June 25.
COMMERCIAL BOEING MEGACONSTELLATIONS SPACEX STARLINK
Commercial laser comm edges closer to reality

“If you build it, they will come” is the motto of BridgeSat, a company building a network of
laser-equipped ground stations for high-speed communications with satellites.
“Optical communications is tech…
COMMERCIAL BRIDGESAT
Asian satellite operators worried U.S. C-band debate will affect their markets
Satellite operators in Asia say the debate over C-band in the United States is triggering
similar discussions in their markets, causing concern that cellular operators could end up in
control of the spectrum in other parts of the world.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS ABS APT ASIA-PACIFIC ASIASAT C-BAND EUTELSAT FCC INTELSAT SES
SKY PERFECT JSAT
FCC unveils proposal for C-band reallocation

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission issued a draft proposal June 21 for giving the
wireless industry access to C-band spectrum commercial satellite operators use to deliver
cable and broadcast network programming.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS C-BAND FCC INTELSAT SES
RL10 engine added to Air Force agreement with Aerojet Rocketdyne

Aerojet Rocketdyne and the U.S. Air Force have revised an existing agreement supporting
development of a new large rocket engine to include work on an updated version of an upper
stage engine.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH AEROJET ROCKETDYNE AIR FORCE AR1 RL10 SMC
Eutelsat says it’s weighing a bid for Inmarsat

by SpaceNews Staff — June 25, 2018
Eutelsat's disclosure comes less than three weeks after London-based Inmarsat rejects an
unsolicited acquisition offer from EchoStar.
COMMERCIAL BREAKING NEWS EUTELSAT INMARSAT
First order of business for Air Force space innovation of ce: Decide what it wants to build
Randy Walden, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office:“It’s not the label on the door that actually
makes you rapid. It’s the culture.”
COMMERCIAL AIR FORCE AIR FORCE SPACE COMMAND
Viasat leases Hylas-4 capacity from Avanti

Viasat on June 25 acquired a quarter of the steerable capacity on Avanti’s newest satellite,
Hylas-4, providing fresh Ka-band resources the company can use anywhere from the
Americas across the Atlantic to the Middle East.
COMMERCIAL AVANTI HTS VIASAT
Planet, Airbus start joint satellite-imagery product initiative

Planet and Airbus Defense and Space’s geospatial division have agreed to co-develop imagery
products that leverage both companies’ satellites.
COMMERCIAL AIRBUS PLANET SAR
Space ight signs agreement with Virgin Orbit

Spaceflight announced June 25 an agreement with Virgin Orbit for a future dedicated
rideshare mission as it seeks to diversify its options for launching smallsats.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH SMALLSAT SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES VIRGIN ORBIT
Air Force pressing on with space programs amid uncertainty about future reorganization
“We’re executing exactly the way we’ve been executing to try to speed up acquisition,” said Lt.
Gen. Arnold Bunch Jr., military deputy at the office of the assistant secretary of the Air Force
for acquisition.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS AIR FORCE SPACE FORCE
Blue Origin plans to start selling suborbital space ight tickets next year
Blue Origin expects to start flying people on its New Shepard suborbital vehicle “soon” and
start selling tickets for commercial flights next year, a company executive said June 19.
COMMERCIAL BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPARD SUBORBITAL
C-Com, University of Waterloo test hardware for new phased array antenna
Canadian satellite antenna manufacturer C-Com said June 21 it successfully tested the
building blocks of a phased array antenna it hopes to sell next year.
COMMERCIAL ANTENNAS MEGACONSTELLATIONS SATELLITE BROADBAND
SES, Intelsat plead for an extension for C-band dish registration

Fleet operators SES and Intelsat asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to
extend the deadline for their customers to register C-band dishes before the commission
decides on the band’s future use.
Trump wants a Space Force; will Congress oblige? • DoD: ‘This will be a deliberate process’
The National Space Council meeting at the White House on Monday was supposed to be all
about the Trump administration’s new approach to managing space traffic and debris.
SN MILITARY.SPACE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PRESIDENT TRUMP SPACE FORCE
Defense budget bill creates path for future network of military, commercial communications
satellites
The House Appropriations defense subcommittee approved $49.5 million to create a new
“program of record for commercial satellite communications."
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS AIR FORCE COMSATCOM CONGRESS
Astranis selects ECAPS green propulsion for geostationary communications constellation

by Debra Werner — June 14, 2018
Astranis, a startup developing geostationary satellites to offer broadband internet access,
plans to equip its MicroGEO spacecraft with Bradford of the Netherland’s high performance
green ECAPS thrusters.
COMMERCIAL ASTRANIS ECAPS SWEDISH SPACE CORP.
Oxford Space Systems raises $8.9 million for spacecraft component business
Oxford Space Systems, a British startup that hopes to compete with space industry giants
Harris Corp. and Northrop Grumman in the satellite component business, has raised 6.7
million British pounds ($8.9 million) from investors.
COMMERCIAL ANTENNAS LEO SAR SMALLSAT STARTUPS UK
KT Sat eyes North Korean business • Outdoor Wi-Fi interfering with Globalstar constellation • Viasat
buys British defense company
COMMERCIAL GLOBALSTAR KT SAT VIASAT
SN Military.Space | Space reforms near decision point • SMC Commander: Procurement slow but not
broken • Mattis downplays impact of Trump trade wars
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters the Pentagon appreciates the congressional focus
on space issues and is not being passive about space reforms, although he would like to see
further debate on the pros and cons of reorganizing the military.
SN MILITARY.SPACE DEFENSE PROCUREMENT JIM MATTIS SPACE FORCE
Angola eyes new satellite as African space race accelerates

by Jaroslaw Adamowski — June 12, 2018
While Angola’s first telecom satellite, Angosat-1, failed not long after reaching orbit late last
year, the sub-Saharan African nation will get a second shot at satellite ownership with the
planned 2020 launch of Angosat-2.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS AFRICA ANGOSAT RUSSIA
PLD Space raises additional $10 million for reusable smallsat launchers
Spanish startup PLD Space raised 9 million euros ($10.6 million) last month from public and
private investors to develop a pair of reusable launch vehicles.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH EUROPE PLD SPACE REUSABILITY SMALLSAT SPAIN
SSL aims to parlay NASA, DARPA work into viable in-orbit repair business
SSL is investing in on-orbit servicing because “mission extension is a game changer,” said
Michael Gabor, advanced programs director for SSL Government Systems.
FROM THE MAGAZINE SATELLITE SERVICING SSL
Orbital ATK’s giant leap into satellite servicing begins with baby steps
Orbital ATK subsidiary SpaceLogistics plans to offer customers a wide range of products and
services, beginning with its Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) and progressing to in-orbit
spacecraft assembly, repair and cis-lunar transportation.
FROM THE MAGAZINE MEV ORBITAL ATK SATELLITE SERVICING SPACELOGISTICS
Orbital ATK, SSL and others are gearing up to make house calls to ailing satellites
Satellite owners, satellite manufacturers, NASA and DARPA are planning a series of
demonstrations to prove spacecraft can be repaired or refueled in orbit without the type of
ambitious and expensive effort NASA devoted to servicing the Hubble Space Telescope.
FROM THE MAGAZINE DARPA ORBITAL ATK SATELLITE SERVICING
SpaceX proposing expansion of Florida launch processing facilities

SpaceX plans to significantly expand its footprint at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, a sign
that its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets will play a key role for the company for years to
come even as it develops a more powerful vehicle.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH FALCON 9 BLOCK 5 FALCON HEAVY KSC SPACEX
In-orbit services poised to become big business

The Mission Extension Vehicle built by Orbital ATK on behalf of subsidiary SpaceLogistics,
will the first of several such robotic craft that are poised to compete for a share of about $3
billion worth of in-orbit services that satellite operators and government agencies are
projected to buy over the coming decade.
FROM THE MAGAZINE IN-ORBIT SERVICING ORBITAL ATK SATELLITE SERVICING
Air Force chief buyer: Don’t believe the hype, space procurement ‘not broken’
Thompson: SMC is a "great industrial age model for building space weapons systems in a
benign environment” butnot suited to the current geopolitical reality.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS AIR FORCE SMC
SES, with FCC’s blessing, says O3b constellation can reach global coverage
SES says its constellation of medium Earth orbit O3b satellites now has the ability to expand
from an equatorial system to a global system thanks to new approvals from U.S. telecom
regulators.
COMMERCIAL FCC IRIDIUM O3B SES TELESAT VIASAT
Inmarsat rejects EchoStar takeover proposal

British satellite operator Inmarsat rejected an acquisition offer from EchoStar Corp. of
Englewood, Colorado, curbing hopes that consolidation could reduce an oversupply of
satellite capacity.
COMMERCIAL ECHOSTAR INMARSAT
Indonesia ordered to pay Avanti $20 million for missed satellite lease payments
Avanti has been awarded $20 million in a dispute with Indonesia's government over missed
payments on a borrowed communications satellite, the British satellite operator announced
June 7.
COMMERCIAL AVANTI INDONESIA
FCC Approves Audacy license for commercial satellite data-relay constellation

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission granted a spectrum license June 7 to Audacy,
the Silicon Valley startup planning to establish a space-based commercial communications
relay network.
COMMERCIAL AUDACY CLYDE SPACE FCC RALPH EWIG
Acquisition of Orbital ATK approved, company renamed Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has cleared Northrop Grumman's $7.8 billion purchase
of defense and space contractor Orbital ATK.
COMMERCIAL BREAKING NEWS MERGERS NORTHROP GRUMMAN NORTHROP GRUMMAN INNOVATION SYSTEMS ORBITAL ATK
SSTL orders launches from Fire y Aerospace

British smallsat developer Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) announced June 4 it has
signed an agreement for up to six launches from small launch vehicle developer Firefly
Aerospace.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH FIREFLY AEROSPACE SSTL
Maxar’s data analytics division adds jobs to sate U.S. government appetite for arti cial intelligence
“There is a strong desire to take capabilities to teach machines to recognize objects in optical
and radar imagery," said Radiant Solutions president Tony Frazier.
29/05/2019
COMMERCIAL GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE MAXAR Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
Solar array glitch sidelines transponders on Apstar-6 satellite

APT Satellite turned off several transponders on its 13-year-old Apstar-6 satellite after a
malfunctioning solar array caused a drop in power.
COMMERCIAL APT CGWIC CHINA THALES ALENIA SPACE
DARPA to begin new effort to build military constellations in low Earth orbit
DARPA plans to award $117.5 million in contracts over three phases to up to eight bus or
payload suppliers.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS DARPA LEO
NOAA declares rst JPSS weather satellite operational

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced May 30 that its first next-
generation polar-orbiting weather satellite is now fully operational as the government moves
to procure additional satellites.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS JPSS JPSS-2 NOAA
Avanti CTO Retiring in June

Bestwick will be the second major executive departure for Avanti in less than a year. David
Williams, chief executive and fellow co-founder, left the company in August 2017.
FIRST UP SATCOM ARIANE 6 AVANTI VEGA C YAHSAT
Viasat preps big insurance claim for ViaSat-2 antenna anomaly

Viasat expects to file an insurance claim soon for an antenna glitch that reduced the
performance of its newest satellite by around 15 percent, CEO Mark Dankberg said May 24.
COMMERCIAL BOEING VIASAT VIASAT-2
Geospatial industry exploiting radar, RF data for maritime security and disaster response
What is making SAR more desirable is the magic that happens when the data is fused with
optical images, radiofrequency and hyperspectral data.
FROM THE MAGAZINE SAR
Second SpaceShipTwo makes second powered test ight

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane performed a successful test flight May
29, bringing the company one step closer to realizing its long-delayed dreams of space
tourism and research flights.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH BLUE ORIGIN RICHARD BRANSON SPACESHIPTWO SUBORBITAL VIRGIN GALACTIC
Viasat to start Asia-Paci c ViaSat-3 satellite this year

Satellite operator Viasat is in discussions with manufacturers to procure its third high-
capacity ViaSat-3 satellite, CEO Mark Dankberg said May 24.
COMMERCIAL VHTS VIASAT VIASAT-3
Former NASA Astronaut Greg “Box” Johnson becomes Space Nation’s chief space of cer
Former NASA Astronaut Greg “Box” Johnson is joining Space Nation, the startup offering
space training experiences for people around the world, as its new Chief Space Officer.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE ASTROBOTIC ASTRONAUTS ICELAND SPACE NATION
Rocket Lab reschedules next Electron launch

Rocket Lab announced May 25 it has rescheduled the next launch of its Electron small rocket
for late June after correcting a problem that delayed an April launch attempt.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH ELECTRON ROCKET LAB
Analysis | The rise of China’s private space industry

by Blaine Curcio and Tianyi Lan — May 25, 2018
The space race of old was between governments, but we may be on the brink of a 21st century
private space race on an international scale.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH CHINA NEWSPACE
AGI establishes commercial deep space radar tracking system

AGI, in partnership with a Canadian company, announced May 23 that it has established the
first commercial radar system capable of tracking objects in geostationary orbit and beyond.
COMMERCIAL AGI SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
SpaceX won’t seek U.S. rural broadband subsidies for Starlink constellation
SpaceX says it will not go after any of the $2 billion in rural broadband subsidies the U.S.
Federal Communications Commission will begin doling out this summer under its Connect
America Fund II program.
COMMERCIAL BROADBAND CONSTELLATIONS FCC SPACEX
Not convinced of the promise of commercial radar satellites? Meet the radar ma a.
Startups backed primarily by private venture capital have announced plans to launch dozens
of small SAR satellites within a decade to take advantage of the miniaturization of electronics.
FROM THE MAGAZINE GEOINT SAR
Q&A | ICEYE achieves the ‘impossible’ with miniature radar satellite

In January, ICEYE proved it could operate a synthetic aperture radar on a microsatellite. Now
the company is preparing to launch a constellation.
FROM THE MAGAZINE ICEYE SAR
Spacecom signs $55 million contract with Amos-17 customer

Israeli fleet operator Spacecom on May 21 announced a contract worth up to $55 million for
satellite capacity on its upcoming Amos-17 satellite.
COMMERCIAL AMOS SPACECOM
Parsons acquires Polaris Alpha, seeks bigger footprint in defense, space, intelligence
Parsons will be pursuing more Air Force and NASA work, especially in small satellite
prototyping and engineering development.
COMMERCIAL CYBERSECURITY INTELLIGENCE
Union votes to end ULA strike

Striking United Launch Alliance employees will return to work after voting May 19 to accept a
revised contract, ending a two-week strike.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE
Study offers pessimistic outlook for commercial space stations

As NASA formally requests proposals for studies on the commercialization of low Earth orbit,
another study presented at a congressional hearing May 17 concludes commercial space
stations are unlikely to be financially viable in the mid-2020s.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS COMMERCIAL SPACE ISS NASA
Op-ed | NewSpace 2.0: Moving beyond the Minimum Viable Product

by Brad King — May 18, 2018
Owing partly to the emergence of small satellites, NewSpace startups are disrupting
commercial space by addressing these and other questions on shoestring budgets compared
to government programs.
FROM THE MAGAZINE NEWSPACE SMALLSAT
With six new satellites and more coming, Planet looks to disrupt high-res imagery market
Planet hopes to grab market share by offering “guaranteed collection” twice a day.
COMMERCIAL REMOTE SENSING
Satcom companies commit free capacity, equipment to UN for emergency responses

Nine satellite companies agreed May 17 to donate satellite capacity and equipment to the
United Nations, seeking to coordinate their responses to natural disasters.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Striking ULA workers to vote on new contract

Nearly 600 members of a union that has been on strike against United Launch Alliance for
almost two weeks will vote on a new contract May 19 that would end the labor dispute.
COMMERCIAL ULA
Internet for the masses not a focus for Kymeta, Phasor

SpaceX and OneWeb, two companies building thousands of satellites for broadband services,
both expect to connect billions of the world's least-served to the internet. The two most
prominent developers of electronically steered antennas don’t share that aspiration, however.
COMMERCIAL ANTENNAS KYMETA MEGACONSTELLATIONS PHASOR
Billionaire invests in British company planning deep space communications network

A British billionaire has invested in a company operating a ground station that has
aspirations to support commercial missions beyond Earth orbit.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE ASTROBOTIC GOONHILLY EARTH STATION SSTL
Satellite operators want to carry more military
29/05/2019
payloads and are looking to Congress for help
Todd Harrison, CSIS senior fellow: “With hosted payloads, there are a lot of great
opportunities to increase resiliency and capacity.”
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS HOSTED PAYLOAD
Aireon partner invests $69 million in space-based aircraft tracking system

Aireon raised $69 million from a British partner, enabling the aircraft-tracking startup to
begin making hosting payments to Iridium Communications.
COMMERCIAL AIREON FAA HOSTED PAYLOAD IRIDIUM IRIDIUM NEXT
Global Eagle to collaborate on Telesat LEO constellation

Inflight connectivity provider Global Eagle will help Telesat in design and test the operator’s
low Earth orbit satellite constellation, the companies announced May 15.
COMMERCIAL GEE GLOBAL EAGLE LEO CONSTELLATION TELESAT
Eutelsat pivots for competition with Viasat on European broadband

29/05/2019
Eutelsat on May 14 said it is taking steps Commercial
to secure Archives - SpaceNews.com
a foothold in the European broadband
market after last month’s decision to forgo jointly funding a satellite with Viasat turned the
two companies into direct competitors.
COMMERCIAL BROADBAND EUROPE EUTELSAT VHTS VIASAT
Air Force Gen. Pawlikowski: Military satellites will be smaller, more mobile
Gen. Pawlikowski: "The size of satellites will change. The mobility of satellites will change.”
COMMERCIAL MILITARY PEOPLE AIR FORCE
Iridium to complete next-generation satellite deployment by this fall

Iridium expects to have its next-generation satellite constellation deployed and in service by
this fall as it looks to win approvals for new maritime and aviation applications.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH IRIDIUM IRIDIUM NEXT SPACEX
DigitalGlobe unveils subscription service for tasking Earth-imaging satellites without ground
station
DigitalGlobe is expanding its product line to include a new multi-year subscription service
that allows customers to focus the company’s high-resolution optical imaging satellites on
targets of interest without paying to own and operate a ground station.
29/05/2019
FROM THE MAGAZINE DIGITALGLOBE Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
NGA of cial: Arti cial intelligence is changing everything, ‘We need a different mentality’
NGA is modernizing its cloud architecture “to allow our analysts to live in the data."
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS GEOINT NGA
ULA selects Aerojet to provide Vulcan upper stage engine

United Launch Alliance has picked Aerojet Rocketdyne’s RL10 engine to power the upper
stage of its next-generation Vulcan rocket, the second such contract Aerojet has secured in as
many months.
COMMERCIAL AEROJET ROCKETDYNE BLUE ORIGIN RL10 ULA VULCAN
Boutique sensors, commercial tasking could expand market for geospatial analytics rms
Geospatial data analytics firms could expand their commercial markets with custom-built
satellite sensors or the ability to direct existing sensors toward targets of interest.
FROM THE MAGAZINE ORBITAL INSIGHT SPACEKNOW
GEO order drought bottoming out, Maxar Technologies says

Maxar Technologies won't have access to the Canadian military's three-satellite Radarsat
Constellation Mission (RCM), forcing the company to continue relying on the Radarsat-2
satellite launched in 2007 to support its radar business.
COMMERCIAL CANADA GEO MAXAR RADAR SSL
DigitalGlobe brings WorldView-4 imagery into SecureWatch, prepares to add Radarsat-2 data
Customers of SecureWatch, DigitalGlobe’s geospatial intelligence subscription service, now

have access to imagery from the company’s WorldView-4 high resolution optical imaging
satellite launched in 2016.
FROM THE MAGAZINE DIGITALGLOBE SECUREWATCH
NOAA seeks proposals for second round of commercial weather data pilot
NOAA is soliciting proposals for a second round of a commercial satellite weather data pilot
program even as it wraps up the evaluation of the first round.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS COMMERCIAL WEATHER GPS RADIO OCCULTATION NOAA
CNES creating a space startup fund

The French space agency CNES is creating an investment fund of 80 to 100 million euros
($95 to $119 million) to spur innovation in the space sector.
COMMERCIAL CNES FRANCE NEWSPACE
Panasonic Avionics bribery settlement spurs consolidation talk

The conclusion of a year-long federal investigation into Panasonic Avionics could lay the
groundwork for consolidation among satellite-enabled inflight connectivity providers
struggling to turn a profit providing Wi-Fi to airline passengers.
COMMERCIAL
German startup takes Kymeta-like LCD approach to at panel antenna manufacturing

Alcan Systems, whose name stands for “Adaptive Liquid Crystal ANtenna,” is designing
phased array antennas to be priced below 10,000 euros for enterprise-grade units and under
1,000 euros for consumer models.
COMMERCIAL ANTENNAS SATELLITE BROADBAND
DoD taps Hughes, Kratos to prototype joint military-commercial satellite network

A Defense Department pilot program will gauge how multiple satellite communications
system can work together to support the military.
COMMERCIAL MILITARY HUGHES WGS WIDEBAND
ULA machinists go on strike

Nearly 600 United Launch Alliance workers at three sites voted May 6 to reject the company’s
latest contract and go on strike.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE
Air Force moves to acquire new missile-warning satellites: What we know so far
The decision to sole-source the development of a new constellation further solidifies

Lockheed Martin’s and Northrop Grumman's dominance.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS AIR FORCE SBIRS
Air Force to award contracts to Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman for future missile-warning
satellite constellation
The Air Force on Friday announced it will award two sole-source contracts to Lockheed
Martin and Northrop Grumman for the next-generation overhead persistent infrared
program.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS BREAKING NEWS SBIRS
Op-ed | Thinking historically about NewSpace

by Geoff Nunn — May 4, 2018
As the business of space becomes increasingly privatized, and companies more frequently
adopt a fast and lean entrepreneurial style, it complicates efforts to establish and preserve a
publicly accessible record of the industry’s progress.
FROM THE MAGAZINE COMMERCIAL SPACE NEWSPACE
Inmarsat hints at “GX Flex” next-gen satellite investment

Inmarsat said May 2 that the company is drawing up new spacecraft for the early- to mid-
2020s to bolster the two satellite constellations it operates today.
COMMERCIAL
Arti cial intelligence arms race accelerating in space

Geospatial data manipulation and analysis in real time is the holy grail in the military
intelligence business.
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE REMOTE SENSING
Telesat comes out against C-band proposal, girds for spectrum ght
Fleet operator Telesat, originally undecided about a joint-use spectrum plan put forward by
Intelsat, Intel and SES, is turning against the plan because of how participants would be
compensated.
COMMERCIAL C-BAND FCC LEO TELESAT
Blue Origin expects BE-4 quali cation tests to be done by year’s end
The chief executive of Blue Origin says he expects the company’s BE-4 engine to complete
qualification testing by the end of the year as the company ramps up work on its New Glenn
orbital rocket.
FROM THE MAGAZINE BE-4 BLUE ORIGIN NEW GLENN
America’s space industry has a hiring problem, and it must battle the Silicon Valley to solve it
Today, tech talent is being lured away from the space industry. The result is a “graying”
aerospace industry — one that is losing people to retirement faster than it can backfill jobs
with fresh talent.
FROM THE MAGAZINE AEROSPACE JOBS RECRUITING
Europe’s space workforce: Same age, less crisis

Similar to the U.S., Europe’s median age for members of its space workforce is between 45
and 55, but that doesn’t foretell an impending talent shortage.
FROM THE MAGAZINE AEROSPACE JOBS EUROPE RECRUITING
Intelligence agencies rethinking how to buy data from new Earth imaging companies
Officials are working on a transition plan to transfer commercial imagery acquisition from
NGA to NRO in fiscal year 2019.
COMMERCIAL NGA NRO REMOTE SENSING
Union recommends members reject ULA contract proposal

A union representing nearly 600 United Launch Alliance employees is urging its members to
reject a proposed contract in a vote this weekend, a move that could set up a strike.
COMMERCIAL UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE
Budget addition for WGS resets debate on the future of military space communications
An expansion of the WGS constellation to 12 satellites guarantees that the military will have
more of its own satcom capacity and may need less from commercial services, dealing a
setback to the industry that has argued for years that it can provide a better value for the
money.
FROM THE MAGAZINE BOEING PENTAGON WGS
Northrop Grumman sees big future in space • Another round of NDAA space reforms coming • New
concerns about military launch costs
Northrop Grumman sees a big future in space. That’s one of the takeaways from last week’s
earnings call for the first quarter of 2018.
SN MILITARY.SPACE DISA NORTHROP GRUMMAN
Fire y Aerospace to take over Vandenberg Delta 2 pad

Firefly Aerospace, a small launch vehicle developer, has won approval from the U.S. Air Force
to take over a launch pad at California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base used by the soon-to-
retire Delta 2.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH FIREFLY AEROSPACE VANDENBERG
OneWeb shifts rst launch to year’s end

OneWeb has shifted the debut launch for its satellite megaconstellation to the fourth quarter
of the year.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH ARIANESPACE LEO MEGACONSTELLATIONS ONEWEB SOYUZ
Israel may eld IAI-built satellite at Amos hotspot, Spacecom says

The Israeli government has told Spacecom it intends to operate a satellite at the same
location as most of Spacecom’s fleet, the Israeli satellite operator said April 30.
COMMERCIAL IAI ISRAEL SPACECOM
Op-ed | A new governance model to grow U.S. space launch capability

by Bill Beyer and Bill Miracky — April 30, 2018
The rapid market development for commercial space launch services over the past several
years threatens to overwhelm the capacity of the federal government to efficiently manage
airspace usage between planes, unmanned aerial vehicles, and spacecraft.
FROM THE MAGAZINE COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH
Croatian space industry players eye European, U.S. export prospects

by Jaroslaw Adamowski — April 30, 2018
Croatian industry players hope a cooperation agreement with the European Space Agency
could pave the way for a closer cooperation with their European counterparts and generate
foreign orders.
COMMERCIAL AMPHINICY TECHNOLOGIES CROATIA EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY
Boeing executive to become ULA chief operating of cer

United Launch Alliance has named a longtime Boeing executive who has led work ranging
from the International Space Station to commercial crew vehicles as its new chief operating
officer.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE
New concerns about U.S. Central Command’s access to weather satellite data
by Sandra Erwin — April 26, 2018
Air Force asked to submit a plan to provide the United States Central Command with
persistent weather imagery.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS AIR FORCE DOD WEATHER
Yahsat takes majority stake in Thuraya

Emirati fleet operator Yahsat on April 26 said it is acquiring a majority stake in fellow Emirati
operator Thuraya for an undisclosed amount.
COMMERCIAL THURAYA UAE YAHSAT
NASA will pay more for less ISS cargo under new commercial contracts
NASA will pay more money for less cargo delivered to the International Space Station under a
set of follow-on commercial cargo contracts awarded in 2016, according to a report by the
agency’s inspector general.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS COMMERCIAL CARGO CRS ISS NASA ORBITAL ATK SIERRA NEVADA SPACEX
Eutelsat takes French telecom regulator to court over Inmarsat’s EAN license
Continuing its country-by-country fight against Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network,

French satellite fleet operator Eutelsat is returning to its home country regulator to challenge
Inmarsat’s recently granted authorization.
COMMERCIAL EUROPEAN AVIATION NETWORK EUTELSAT INMARSAT VIASAT
LEO constellation rush not a threat to Iridium, CEO says

Large constellations of satellites planned for low Earth orbit (LEO) present little threat to
Iridium’s business despite sharing the same orbit, CEO Matt Desch said April 26.
COMMERCIAL BPI FRANCE COFACE IRIDIUM IRIDIUM NEXT LEO LEO CONSTELLATION SPACEX
Space resources company co-founder sets sights on next wave of space startups
A longtime space advocate is stepping away from the space resources company he helped
found more than five years ago and now plans to help develop the next generation of space
startups.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE DEEP SPACE INDUSTRIES RICK TUMLINSON
Globalstar merging with FiberLight for $1.65 billion

Thermo Capital, owner of Globalstar, is merging the satellite operator with a landline
company it owns in a $1.65 billion deal intended to help pay off Globalstar’s debts.
COMMERCIAL GLOBALSTAR
Northrop Grumman declines to bid on GPS 3 contract

Northrop Grumman executives said April 25 that the company declined to submit a proposal
for the next set of GPS 3 satellites, all but guaranteeing that Lockheed Martin will win the
competition.
COMMERCIAL GPS JWST NORTHROP GRUMMAN ORBITAL ATK
Intelligence community,companies give out satellite imagery to motivate app developers

The remote sensing industry is trying to contribute to “global transparency,” said Walter
Scott, chief technology officer of Maxar Technologies and founder of DigitalGlobe.
COMMERCIAL GEOINT 2018 DIGITALGLOBE HARRIS PLANET REMOTE SENSING
SN Military.Space | SecAF Wilson talks space reforms, ‘moving fast’ • SMC: Prototyping is back •
GEOINT 2018 news
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson made news last week at the Space Symposium with major
announcements on the reorganization of Space and Missile Systems Center and the standup
of a new office to eliminate bottlenecks in the system.
SN MILITARY.SPACE GEOINT HEATHER WILSON MILITARY SPACE
Lockheed Martin con dent about winning GPS 3 competition

Lockheed Martin executives said April 24 they are confident they will win an Air Force
competition for the next set of GPS 3 navigation satellites as questions swirl about what other
companies, if any, submitted proposals.
COMMERCIAL GPS LOCKHEED MARTIN
Speedcast posts 136 percent revenue jump, seeks debt re nancing

Speedcast’s revenues more than doubled in 2017 as the satellite network operator began
leveraging its acquisitions of U.S. companies Harris CapRock and UltiSat.
COMMERCIAL SPEEDCAST
To keep foothold in government market, satellite imaging companies have to gain trust
NGA Director Cardillo: “I want the market to work … but government shouldn’t be their first
customer. We should be their second customer.”
COMMERCIAL GEOINT 2018 GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE NGA
With Hylas-4 in orbit, Avanti hopes to take lead in African HTS

In the months preceding the launch of Avanti’s Hylas-4 satellite, the British operators didn’t
mince words when it described the importance of a successful mission as “critical.”
COMMERCIAL AFRICA AVANTI HYLAS
Debris removal missions face technical, legal and nancial hurdles

Even if a company obtains government permission to collect a defunct satellite or spent

rocket stage in orbit, the project raises legal questions.
34TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL SPACE DEBRIS SPACE DEBRIS REMOVAL
Boeing, Lockheed, ULA corner the government-funded
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space market. SpaceX moving up
Within the top five space contractors, from 2011 to 2017, ULA surpassed Boeing and became
the top overall vendor.
COMMERCIAL BOEING LOCKHEED MARTIN ULA
A test for Air Force space technology buyers: Fast prototyping

"Other transactions authorities" allow the Air Force to go faster to prototyping.

COMMERCIAL AIR FORCE SBIRS SMC
Lockheed Martin working to lower Orion costs

As Lockheed Martin prepares to complete assembly of the Orion spacecraft flying on the first
SLS mission, the company says it’s making progress in lowering the costs of the future
spacecraft, including through reuse.
34TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL MISSIONS EM-1 LOCKHEED MARTIN NASA ORION
Blue Origin expects BE-4 quali cation tests to be done by year’s end
Blue Origin's CEO says he expects the company’s BE-4 engine to complete qualification
testing by the end of the year as the company ramps up work on its New Glenn orbital rocket.
34TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL LAUNCH BE-4 BLUE ORIGIN NEW GLENN NEW SHEPARD
One way to measure China’s rise as a space power: Patent applications

The number of space-related technology patent applications filed in China over the five-year
period grew by 13.3 percent.
COMMERCIAL CHINA
Eutelsat completes $373 million Hispasat divestiture

WASHINGTON — French fleet operator Eutelsat finished a lengthy 302 million euro ($372.9
million) sale of its stake in Spanish fleet operator Hispasat after gaining long-awaited
approval from Spain’s government.
COMMERCIAL ABERTIS EUTELSAT HISPASAT
As space business grows, Ruag ramps up U.S. manufacturing

In anticipation of more business from rocket and satellite manufacturers, Ruag is ramping up
investments in its U.S. operations in Alabama, Florida and in a research center in California’s
Silicon Valley.
34TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL RUAG
Startup with SoftBank, Airbus investment planning video constellation with several hundred
satellites
A satellite startup that today announced SoftBank, Airbus, Bill Gates and OneWeb founder
Greg Wyler as investors says it has plans to field a constellation of hundreds of satellites to
provide global video of the Earth, but provided few details on how it will accomplish that
goal.
COMMERCIAL AIRBUS EARTH OBSERVATION ONEWEB SOFTBANK
Open Cosmos raises $7M in Series A funding round

Open Cosmos, a British startup planning to manufacture and operate inexpensive cubesats
for customers, announced April 18 it raised $7 million in Series A funding in an investment
round led by London-based BGF Ventures.
34TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL ESA HARWELL OPEN COSMOS
Boeing bows out of GPS 3 competition

Boeing has decided to not challenge Lockheed Martin for the next production lot of up to 22
GPS 3 satellites.
34TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL BREAKING NEWS GPS
34th Space Symposium: A different mood • DoD’s Kitay talks space policy • Orbital ATK’s new rocket
name revealed
Over the next couple of days at the 34th Space Symposium, DoD and military VIPs are
expected to announce new initiatives on space as a domain of war and efforts to “go fast” in
space procurement programs.
SN MILITARY.SPACE MILITARY SPACE ORBITAL ATK
Missile defense engineer takes over Lockheed Martin’s space technology lab
Lockheed Martin picked a veteran missile defense engineer to lead the company’s space
research organization known as the Advanced Technology Center, in Palo Alto, California.
34TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL PEOPLE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY CENTER LOCKHEED MARTIN
Op-ed | For active debris removal, today’s concern is tomorrow’s opportunity

by Paola Leoni — April 18, 2018
Despite the pressing need for intervention and technology approaching maturity, it has been
difficult to gather wide public consensus and deploy a maiden active debris removal mission.
34TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL SPACE DEBRIS
Rise of the megaconstellations breathes lifeCommercial
29/05/2019
into active debris removal schemes
Archives - SpaceNews.com
The megaconstellations promising global broadband service are heightening concern about
orbital debris and creating demand for space-based trash collection.
34TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM MEGACONSTELLATIONS SPACE DEBRIS SPACE DEBRIS REMOVAL
SMC 2.0: Air Force begins major reorganization of acquisition of ces

The first test for SMC 2.0 will be the next-generation missile-warning constellation that will
replace the current Space Based Infrared System.
34TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL AIR FORCE SMC
Technical issue delays next Rocket Lab Electron launch

Rocket Lab is postponing its next launch by a few weeks because of a technical problem, but
the company says it is optimistic about its long-term prospects as demand for its small launch
vehicle grows.
34TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL LAUNCH ELECTRON ROCKET LAB
Foust Forward | For commercial space, a question of forgiveness versus permission

Incidents with SpaceX and Swarm Technologies may result in more scrutiny of space
companies by these and other regulators, like the FAA, even as the White House backs efforts
to update and streamline rules governing commercial space activities.
FROM THE MAGAZINE FOUST FORWARD SPACEX SWARM TECHNOLOGIES
Op-ed | Dear National Space Council: Please keep doing what you’re doing
by Bob Richards — April 17, 2018
For the first time, NASA is planning to leverage commercial spacecraft for exploration
missions, extending the proven public-private partnership model beyond Earth’s orbit.
34TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS MOON NASA NATIONAL SPACE COUNCIL
Stratolaunch planning rst aircraft ight this summer

Stratolaunch expects to conduct the first flight of its giant aircraft this summer as it develops
a broad spectrum of launch services that will make use of it, the company said April 16.
34TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM COMMERCIAL LAUNCH PEGASUS STRATOLAUNCH
AsiaSat CEO Andrew Jordan stepping down

Andrew Jordan, chief executive of regional fleet operator AsiaSat, resigned April 16 a year
and a half after taking the position.
COMMERCIAL ASIA-PACIFIC ASIASAT
Why Sierra Nevada’s owners are betting big on Dream Chaser

Sierra Nevada Corp.’s largest investment to date is in Dream Chaser, the spaceplane NASA
selected in the initial rounds of its campaign to encourage companies to build private space
taxis to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
FROM THE MAGAZINE DREAM CHASER SIERRA NEVADA CORP.
Pentagon procurement chief Ellen Lord cautiously optimistic about OCX

OCX effective April 1 transitioned to agile software development.

COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS DOD GPS
Bullish Globalstar investor offers $150 million loan to offset operator’s nancial troubles
An investor in Globalstar is ready to put $150 million into the low-Earth-orbit satellite
operator in the company’s stock should be trading at five times current prices.
COMMERCIAL GLOBALSTAR LEO
Space ventures raise nearly $1 billion in rstCommercial
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quarterArchives
of 2018, led by SpaceX
- SpaceNews.com
A new report concludes space ventures raised nearly $1 billion in the first quarter of 2018,
half of that as a new funding round for SpaceX that has the company has yet to publicly
announce.
COMMERCIAL
Pentagon advisory panel: DoD could take a page from SpaceX on software development
The Defense Science Board cited SpaceX as an example of a company that can meet stringent
military requirements and still use agile software development methods.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH DOD SPACEX
Leidos bests Raytheon for FAA hosted payload contract

Defense and IT company Leidos triumphed over competitor Raytheon this week in a
competition to build a hosted payload for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for honing
GPS signals.
COMMERCIAL FAA GPS INTELSAT GENERAL CORP. LEIDOS
U.S. military trying to be a player, not a bystander,
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in the new space race
“Today feels like 1998, that was the last time we had the same level of enthusiasm with
startups,” says Randy Kendall, vice president of launch program operations at The Aerospace
Corporation.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS AIR FORCE DOD
Help wanted to operate and maintain Air Force deep space telescopes
The Air Force Space Command last week posted a “sources sought” notice for the operations
and maintenance of the Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance System.
COMMERCIAL AIR FORCE SSA
Wall Street analysts balk at Viasat-Eutelsat split on European broadband

Eutelsat’s decision to scrap an investment in Viasat’s ViaSat-3 system in favor of a fully-

owned satellite means the two companies will now be competitors in the European
broadband market — a stance analysts view as bad for both operators.
COMMERCIAL BROADBAND EUROPE EUTELSAT VHTS VIASAT VIASAT-3
Startup announces plans for low-cost commercial space station

A startup claims it will be able to place a single-module commercial space station into orbit
by 2022, although the company faces multiple and significant technical and financial hurdles.
COMMERCIAL ORION SPAN SPACE TOURISM
Eutelsat ditches ViaSat-3 investment, buys half-terabit satellite from Thales Alenia Space
Global fleet operator Eutelsat, after months of protracted negotiations with partner Viasat, on
April 5 said it would go it alone on a powerful new satellite instead of investing in Viasat’s
second ViaSat-3 satellite.
COMMERCIAL EUTELSAT VHTS VIASAT VIASAT-3
Second SpaceShipTwo performs rst powered test ight

Virgin Galactic’s second SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle successfully performed its first
powered flight April 5, the first such test flight since a fatal crash nearly three and a half years
ago.
Virgin Orbit aims to offer responsive launch and constellation maintenance services
Virgin Orbit plans to offer customers a variety of services including responsive launch,
maintenance of large satellite constellations and potentially debris removal.
29/05/2019
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH DAN HART LAUNCHERONE Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
LEO CONSTELLATION ORBITAL DEBRIS VIRGIN ORBIT
Op-Ed | Supporting America’s plan to lead on the moon

by John Thornton — April 4, 2018
As we prepare to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Apollo lunar landings, we’re on the
cusp of an exciting return to our nearest planetary neighbor with the administration’s 2019
proposed budget for NASA.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS ASTROBOTIC MOON SPACE POLICY DIRECTIVE 1
Astra Space preparing for suborbital test launch

A secretive California company is gearing up for a test flight of a small launch vehicle it has
developed as soon as April 5, according to government notices.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH KODIAK LAUNCH
Global Eagle looks abroad for new aviation business

Satellite connectivity provider Global Eagle Entertainment on April 2 detailed three nearly
complete international connectivity deals with airlines in Europe and Asia that have the
potential to increase its number of connected aircraft by a third.
COMMERCIAL GLOBAL EAGLE IFC IFEC INDIA
Military’s focus on space a boon for cloud, IT companies

The Air Force is looking to upgrade its cloud computing systems to support the massive
downloads of weather data from satellites.
COMMERCIAL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INTELLIGENCE SSA
Iridium Next enters the homestretch

As Iridium finishes its new constellation, it’s facing a changing competitive landscape.
FROM THE MAGAZINE IRIDIUM NEXT SATELLITE
Op-ed | Moon Direct:How to build a moonbase in four years

by Robert Zubrin — March 30, 2018
The recent amazing success of the Falcon Heavy launch offers America an unprecedented
opportunity to break the stagnation that has afflicted its human spaceflight program for
decades. In short, the moon is now within reach.
FROM THE MAGAZINE FALCON HEAVY MOON BASE
FCC approves SpaceX constellation, denies waiver for easier deployment deadline
U.S. telecom regulators the evening of March 29 accepted SpaceX’s application to launch a
megaconstellation of 4,425 broadband satellites, but denied the company’s request to relax
the deadline by which it must have its entire constellation in orbit.
COMMERCIAL MEGACONSTELLATIONS SPACEX STARLINK
National security think tank recommends military invest in small-satellite networks

Study: The Pentagon needs to invest in a new mix of space constellations and information
systems.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS DOD SATCOM SMALL SATELLITES
World View raises $26.5 million for near-space balloon systems

World View, the Arizona company developing high-altitude balloons to provide services
typically performed by satellites, announced March 29 that it has raised $26.5 million in a
round that marks the entry of another high-profile venture capital firm into the space
industry.
COMMERCIAL WORLD VIEW
Thaicom hires new CEO

Thai satellite operator Thaicom on March 29 appointed Anant Kaewruamvongs to succeed

Paiboon Panuwattanawong as chief executive May 1.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE ASIA-PACIFIC THAICOM
Without Amos-8, IAI angling for government lifeline in telecom satellite manufacturing
Israeli satellite operator Spacecom’s decision to buy its next satellite from U.S. manufacturer
Space Systems Loral isjeopardizing Israel’s domestic comsat manufacturing capability.
COMMERCIAL AMOS IAI ISRAEL SPACECOM
Surprise addition of military satellites to DoD budget irks commercial industry

Peterman: While WGS is an important capability for the military, it is technology that has
been surpassed by the private sector.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS DOD SATELLITE SATELLITE BROADBAND WGS
AsiaSat “cautiously optimistic” as revenues Commercial
29/05/2019
reboundArchives - SpaceNews.com
Satellite fleet operator AsiaSat of Hong Kong reported a 6 percent increase in revenue for
2017, bolstering the company’s claim that Asia’s demand for broadcast and connectivity
services is strong enough to gradually overcome a regional oversupply of satellite capacity.
COMMERCIAL ASIA-PACIFIC ASIASAT HTS
Relativity closes $35 million Series B round

Relativity Space, a startup developing small launch vehicles using 3D-printing technologies,
announced March 27 a $35 million funding round led by a venture fund making its first space
investment.
COMMERCIAL RELATIVITY
Space communications: As the industry launches new products, military can’t decide what to buy
Air Force Col. George Nagy, who oversees the DoD wideband communications analysis of
alternatives study: “Today we operate a hybrid commercial and military architecture."
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS POLICY & POLITICS COMSATCOM DOD GOVSATCOM
SSL bags Amos-8 and BSAT-4b manufacturing contracts

Satellite manufacturer Space Systems Loral on March 26 announced two satellite operators
contracted the company to build geostationary telecommunications satellites ahead of fast-
approaching 2020 deadlines.
COMMERCIAL BSAT MAXAR SPACECOM SSL
Air Force stakes future on privately funded launch vehicles. Will the gamble pay off?
The Launch Service Agreement fits the Air Force’s broader goal to get out of the business of
“buying rockets” and instead acquire end-to-end services from companies.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH AIR FORCE LAUNCH VULCAN
Scepter Inc. unveils plan for global atmospheric monitoring constellation

Scepter Inc., a Silicon Valley startup, plans to establish a satellite constellation in low Earth
orbit capable of offering hourly updates on air pollution in vertical air columns globally.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES PHILIP FATHER SCEPTER SPACE SYSTEMS LORAL
Exos Aerospace prepares for rst suborbital launch

With a key test completed and a launch license in hand, Exos Aerospace is preparing for the
first flight of its reusable suborbital rocket in April.
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COMMERCIAL LAUNCH EXOS SUBORBITAL Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
Belgian court punches hole in Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network

A Belgian court reversed approval for Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network in the country
after fleet operator Viasat challenged the legality of its authorization.
COMMERCIAL EUROPEAN AVIATION NETWORK EUTELSAT INMARSAT VIASAT
Relativity reaches deal to use Stennis test stand

Relativity, the startup company developing small launch vehicles using additive
manufacturing technologies, announced March 21 an agreement with NASA’s Stennis Space
Center to take over one of its test stands.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING RELATIVITY SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES STENNIS
Space Force takes Capitol Hill by storm • What is the true cost of space programs? • Space budget
deep dive
President Trump's riff on creating a military space force captured the public’s imagination,
spawning memes and jokes about starship ninjas gearing up to fight the nation’s wars in
space.
SN29/05/2019
MILITARY.SPACE LEOSAT PRESIDENT TRUMP Commercial
SPACE FORCE Archives - SpaceNews.com
TORY BRUNO U.S. AIR FORCE ULA
New fund to boost Japanese space startups

The Japanese government, working with private ventures, announced plans March 20 to
establish a nearly billion-dollar fund to support the development of space startups in the
country.
COMMERCIAL ASTROSCALE ISPACE JAXA
OneWeb asks FCC to authorize 1,200 more satellites

Citing recent reforms that provide more time to orbit a new satellite constellation, satellite
broadband-startup OneWeb asked U.S. telecom regulators to nearly triple the size of its
authorized low-Earth-orbit constellation.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS FCC LEO LEO CONSTELLATION ONEWEB
Spacecom less than two months from Amos-8 purchase

Seeking to return a borrowed satellite as soon as possible, Israeli fleet operator Spacecom is
very close to purchasing a new satellite dubbed Amos-8, a company official said March 14.
COMMERCIAL AMOS SPACECOM
Is the cost of military space programs going up or down? Depends on how you count
For the space-based infrared SBIRS satellites 5 and 6, the Air Force says the per-unit cost
went down 12 percent — from $1.9 billion to $1.6 billion.
COMMERCIAL AEHF EELV SBIRS
Smallsat launch providers face pricing pressure from Chinese vehicles

Companies that are developing small launch vehicles or who provide rideshare launch
services say they expect new Chinese launch vehicles to drive down launch prices, raising
concerns among some of unfair competition.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH SATELLITE 2018 CHINA FIREFLY AEROSPACE NANORACKS SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES
SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES SPIRE VIRGIN ORBIT
Loral warns of possible Telesat legal battle, Xtar restructuring

Loral Space and Communications wants to move ahead with a “strategic transaction”
involving fleet operator Telesat that may spark a legal fight with Telesat’s other major
shareholder, a Canadian pension fund.
COMMERCIAL LORAL TELESAT XTAR
What would it take for SoftBank to invest in SpaceX?

by Blaine Curcio — March 15, 2018
Broadband megaconstellations are expensive propositions, with SpaceX’s Starlink

constellation expected to cost$10 billion or more, and OneWeb expecting to spend $3 billion.
The actual cost could ultimately be higher.
FROM THE MAGAZINE MEGACONSTELLATIONS ONEWEB SOFTBANK SPACEX
Op-ed | Balancing terrestrial & satellite 5G needs for international spectrum harmonization
by Jennifer A. Manner — March 15, 2018
The introduction of 5G services will bring users globally the ability to have true anytime,
anywhere capabilities to support a myriad of user devices and applications never imagined.
FROM THE MAGAZINE 5G TELECOMMUNICATIONS
ULA to focus more attention on commercial launch market

United Launch Alliance plans to increase its activities in the commercial launch market using
both the current Atlas and future Vulcan rockets, while acknowledging that the U.S.
government will remain its major customer for the foreseeable future.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH SATELLITE 2018 ATLAS 5 TORY BRUNO ULA VULCAN
Space component suppliers endangered by GEO
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order slowdown
Satellite manufacturers say they are trying to protect their component suppliers from the
drought of commercial telecom spacecraft that threatens to put such companies out of
business.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2018 GEO SATELLITES HTS
Air Force awards big launch contracts to SpaceX and ULA

WASHINGTON — The Air Force on Wednesday awarded two major launch contracts to
SpaceX and United Launch Alliance.
Under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, SpaceX received a $290
million firm-fixed-price contract for thre…
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH BREAKING NEWS SPACEX ULA
Satellite capacity prices down 60 percent in some cases and still dropping
The downward trend of satellite capacity pricing, brought about largely by the increase in
more powerful high-throughput satellites, has prices trending between 35 and 60 percent
lower than where they were two years ago, according to Northern Sky Research.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2018
St.29/05/2019
Helena looks to unlikely patron to pay itsCommercial
subseaArchives
cable- bill: the satellite industry
SpaceNews.com
Inhabitants of the tiny tropical island pay through the nose for internet service that
mainlanders would have considered painfully slow during the pre-Netflix era.
FROM THE MAGAZINE ST. HELENA SUBSEA CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Orbital ATK unveils new version of satellite servicing vehicle

Orbital ATK announced March 13 it is developing a new version of a satellite life extension
vehicle intended to provide more flexibility to customers while also moving the company
closer to more advanced in-space servicing.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2018 ORBITAL ATK SATELLITE SERVICING
LEO and MEO broadband constellations mega source of consternation

The world’s biggest, best established satellite operators talk of broadband as an enormously
lucrative opportunity. But in truth, nothing is causing them more frustration.
FROM THE MAGAZINE BROADBAND LEO BROADBAND MEO BROADBAND
Satellite startup promises communications network that can’t be hacked

LeoSat sees itself as a disruptor in a military market where GEO satellite operators are the
only commercial options.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2018 LEO BROADBAND
Space ight raises $150 million for BlackSky constellation

Spaceflight Industries announced March 13 that it has raised $150 million to fund
development of the next phase of its BlackSky Earth imaging constellation, with Thales Alenia
Space and Telespazio taking minority stakes.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2018 BLACKSKY SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES TELESPAZIO THALES ALENIA SPACE
SoftBank says GEO operators besides Intelsat can sell OneWeb capacity
OneWeb’s largest investor SoftBank expects to bring in several partners to help sell OneWeb
capacity, including potentially other geostationary satellite operators.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2018 MEGACONSTELLATIONS ONEWEB SOFTBANK
Industry worried about regulatory backlash after unauthorized cubesat launch

The launch of several cubesats by an American company without authorization from a federal
agency has the rest of the industry worried of a potential regulatory and public relations
backlash.
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COMMERCIAL LAUNCH POLICY & POLITICS SATELLITECommercial
2018 ArchivesSPACEFLIGHT
FCC - SpaceNews.com
INDUSTRIES SWARM TECHNOLOGIES
Mysteries surrounding July 14 Soyuz ight solved? Not quite.

For the first time since a Russian Soyuz rocket launched 73 satellites in July 2017,
Glavkosmos, a subsidiary of Russian state space corporation Roscosmos, is confirming a
problem with the Fregat upper stage.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH ASTRO DIGITAL DAURIA AEROSPACE GLAVKOSMOS ROSCOSMOS
U.S. military a potential big customer for satellite industry’s new low-cost terminals
An anticipated growth in commercial and government demand for small satellite antennas
means more competitors are breaking into the market.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS SATELLITE 2018 ANTENNAS SATELLITE BROADBAND
Effective Space reserves ILS Proton rideshare for two satellite servicers
Effective Space Solutions, a company developing spacecraft that can extend the lives of
telecommunications satellites, has arranged to launch its first two spacecraft on a Russian
Proton rocket in 2020.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE 2018 ILS PROTON SATELLITE SERVICING
Musk reiterates plans for testing BFR

SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk said March 11 the company could begin tests of part of its
Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) launch system as soon as next year, reiterating a schedule he
provided last month.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH BFR ELON MUSK SPACEX
Planetary Resources revising plans after funding setback

Planetary Resources has successfully tested key technologies needed for future asteroid
prospecting spacecraft on a recently launched cubesat, but the company is revising its
timelines because of a funding setback.
COMMERCIAL PLANETARY RESOURCES
U.S. satellite manufacturers to discuss impact of Trump’s metal tariffs

Aerospace Industries Association CEO Eric Fanning's letter to President Trump: “We
respectfully ask you to reconsider imposing tariffs on aluminum and steel imports."
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS SATELLITE 2018 SATELLITE EXPORTS
Insurance rm paid Astro Digital’s claim for lost cubesats, sources said
An insurance company paid Astro Digital’s claim for the loss of two cubesats sent into orbit
on a Russian Soyuz rocket after the Earth imaging and analysis company proved the failure
stemmed from a launch problem, according to two space industry executives.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH ASTRO DIGITAL GLAVKOSMOS RUSSIA SOYUZ SPACE INSURANCE
Global Eagle raises $150 million, appoints new CEO

Satellite connectivity provider Global Eagle Entertainment on March 8 announced $150

million in fresh capital from a private investment firm and the appointment of its second
chief executive in 13 months.
COMMERCIAL GEE GLOBAL EAGLE IFC
Trump praises commercial space at Cabinet meeting

President Donald Trump offered praise for the U.S. commercial space industry in comments
March 8 that appeared to cement previous policy on the issue rather than create new policy.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE POLICY & POLITICS DONALD TRUMP NATIONAL SPACE COUNCIL SPACEX
LEO momentum builds with Eutelsat smallsat purchase, Optus-Telesat partnership

In a surprise shift, Eutelsat Communications, a staunch defender of geostationary satellites as

the way forward, on March 8 said it is buying a low Earth orbit (LEO) demonstration
nanosatellite.
COMMERCIAL EUTELSAT LEO LEO CONSTELLATION OPTUS SMALLSAT TELESAT
Air Force changing how it buys weapons and satellites, but software still a headache
Air Force acquisitions chief William Roper said software acquisition "continues to lead to
overruns.”
Surge of new space companies has impressed even veteran industry observers
The surge of new space companies in the last few years has impressed even veteran industry
observers.
FROM THE MAGAZINE
Aerospace Corp.’s iLab encourages out-of-the-box thinking without leaving home

Instead of designing satellites years before they launch to perform specific tasks, what if small
multipurpose satellites were designed for a variety of jobs? And what if those satellites could
be launched separately before linking in orbit to perform one mission, then reconfigured to
tackle a different job? That’s the concept behind the Aerospace Corporation’s adaptable
multipurpose satellite concept, called Hive.
FROM THE MAGAZINE AEROSPACE CORP. HIVE ILAB SATELLITE
Classi ed cyber event focuses on common threats, common solutions

When the nonprofit Space Foundation began devoting the first day of its annual Space
Symposium to cybersecurity in 2010, the forum was unclassified. In recent years, however,
the event has been restricted to U.S. citizens with Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented
Information or code-word clearance.
FROM THE MAGAZINE CYBERSECURITY SECURITY CLEARANCE SPACE FOUNDATION
Grif n rails at DoD procurement culture: ‘We make things expensive that don’t need to be’
Griffin: In the DoD space business there is a culture of “perfect mission assurance” that leads
to overly complex and expensive systems.
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COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS Commercial
DEFENSE PROCUREMENT DOD Archives - SpaceNews.com
SN Military.Space | Lockheed going after future SBIRS; USAF to bring warrior mentality to space;
DARPA’s plan to kill Battlestar Galactica
One of Lockheed Martin’s most prized military satellite programs is being nixed by the Air
Force as the military seeks to transition to more resilient, less expensive systems.
SN MILITARY.SPACE AIR FORCE AIR FORCE SPACE COMMAND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LOCKHEED MARTIN
SES’s departing CEO takes job at UAE cybersecurity rm

The departing CEO of satellite fleet operator SES will return to the United Arab Emirates to
lead a cybersecurity company headquartered there.
COMMERCIAL SES
DoD delivers report to Congress on space reforms: Air Force acquisition system a big problem
Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis: “The biggest challenge we face is the acquisition
system."
First BlackSky operational satellite ready for launch

Spaceflight Industries said March 6 that the first operational satellite for its BlackSky Earth
imaging constellation is now complete and awaiting launch later this year.
COMMERCIAL BLACKSKY SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES TELESPAZIO THALES ALENIA
SpaceX launches Hispasat satellite, completes 50th Falcon 9 mission

SpaceX launched its 50th Falcon 9 rocket on March 6, carrying a large telecom satellite for
Spanish fleet operator Hispasat.
COMMERCIAL FALCON 9 HISPASAT SPACEX
Lockheed CEO: To lead in space, U.S. needs globally competitive industry

Lockheed CEO Hewson: The industry has to be competitive so "America can continue to be a
leader in space.”
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE LOCKHEED
Xtar hires Comtech exec as CEO

Satellite fleet operator Xtar on March 5 said it is hiring a senior executive from satellite
ground equipment company Comtech to replace President and Chief Operating Officer Philip
Harlow.
COMMERCIAL XTAR
Commerce Department pressing ahead with commercial space regulatory reform

Backed by a set of recommendations endorsed by the National Space Council, the Secretary of
Commerce says he is moving ahead with efforts to improve the regulatory environment for
commercial space.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE POLICY & POLITICS COMMERCE DEPT. OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCE REGULATORY
BE-4 engine tests continue as ULA waits to make Vulcan engine decision
As Blue Origin continues tests of its BE-4 engine, United Launch Alliance is keeping quiet
about when it might select that engine or an alternative for its Vulcan rocket.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH BE-4 BLUE ORIGIN NEW GLENN ULA VULCAN
Telesat touts LEO constellation over M&A as best growth strategy

Telesat CEO Dan Goldberg said his company has refrained from running headlong with other
fleet operators in adding new telecom satellites over areas now burdened by an oversupply of
capacity.
COMMERCIAL C-BAND HTS TELESAT TELESAT LEO
Op-ed | The business ROI on NASA research investments

by Michael Mo — March 2, 2018
President Donald J. Trump’s proposed 2018/2019 NASA budget represents a slight overall
increase in funding while aiming to close out a handful of programs and projects. While the
uptick is welcome, program cuts can still have consequences and may undercut job creation,
research and even private sector business development.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS BUDGET NASA BUDGET
Globalstar plays up spectrum strategy as debt deadline looms

Low-Earth-orbit satellite fleet operator Globalstar is meeting with telecom regulators around
the world in an effort to globally authorize some of its satellite spectrum for mobile
broadband services.
COMMERCIAL GLOBALSTAR LEO CONSTELLATION SPECTRUM
Startup plans to provide broadband using small GEO satellites

Startup company Astranis has raised $18 million to provide broadband internet access from
space using small satellites in geostationary orbit.
COMMERCIAL ASTRANIS BROADBAND
On National Security | Lessons from SpaceX about the power of incentives

Whether it’s space or defense technology, successful innovation doesn’t come easy, even for
SpaceX. CEO Elon Musk revealed that the company almost terminated the Falcon Heavy
program three times after it started in 2011.
FROM THE MAGAZINE ELON MUSK FALCON HEAVY SPACEX
Sky Perfect Jsat investing $4.5 million in maritime satcom company KVH
Asia’s largest geostationary satellite operator Sky Perfect Jsat has agreed to buy $4.5 million
worth of stock in U.S. maritime connectivity company KVH Industries.
COMMERCIAL
Northrop Grumman moves ahead with new ICBM design, impact of Orbital merger still unclear
Boeing and Northrop Grumman initially had been expected to compete the rocket motor work
between Orbital and Aerojet. With Orbital under Northrop Grumman ownership, that type of
competition would not be possible.
COMMERCIAL ORBITAL ATK SOLID ROCKET MOTORS
Op-ed | Small businesses, beware of DoD technical support contracts

by James Gill — February 26, 2018
Small businesses are the backbone of the defense industrial base. So why do government
contracting methods sometimes harm, rather than help, small businesses?
FROM THE MAGAZINE CONTRACTS DOD SMALL BUSINESS
Viasat taps into Brazilian market with Telebras pact

Fleet operator Viasat will soon challenge Hughes, Eutelsat, Hispasat, and others with satellite
broadband businesses in Brazil thanks to a new agreement that will let the Carlsbad,
California company use capacity on a Brazilian satellite.
COMMERCIAL BRAZIL HUGHES VIASAT
Iridium raising new debt to cover late Aireon payments

A company that fleet operator Iridium formed to help finance its second-generation satellite
constellation is taking longer than expected to pay Iridium back for carrying its sensor
network to orbit.
COMMERCIAL AIREON COFACE HOSTED PAYLOAD IRIDIUM
KBR to acquire NASA contractor SGT

KBR, seeking to expand its government services business, particularly with NASA, announced
Feb. 23 that it will acquire Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies, Inc. (SGT) for $355 million.
COMMERCIAL KBR SGT
Air Force space laboratory invites companies to pitch ideas

The Air Force Research Laboratory is looking to "advance the technology and scientific
knowledge supporting all aspects of space systems.”
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS AIR FORCE SPACE SCIENCE
Smallsat ground station operators expect consolidation, eye new antennas, optical links
Companies that collect data beamed down from small satellites say they expect partnerships
and mergers will stem the rising number of new entrants offering ground station services in
their market.
COMMERCIAL GROUND STATION SMALLSAT
National Space Council backs incremental space regulatory reform

Vice President Mike Pence and members of the National Space Council approved a series of
recommendations Feb. 21 that make modest, and expected, reforms to regulations of
commercial space activities.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS NATIONAL SPACE COUNCIL
Air Force space budget choices under scrutiny; SecAF Wilson explains why SBIRS and JSTARS
must go
For those who have been waiting for the Air Force to shake up its space investment portfolio,
the budget request for 2019 was as disruptive as can be expected from the military.
SN MILITARY.SPACE AIR FORCE LOCKHEED MARTIN PENTAGON SPACE T SPACE THREATS U.S. BUDGET
Satellite communications rms remain vigilant as cyber threats evolve

In spite of all the safeguards, companies must continually monitor traffic on their global
networks to detect attempted or successful penetration and take steps to mitigate the impact
of security breaches.
FROM THE MAGAZINE CYBERSECURITY INTELSAT SATELLITES
Bigelow Aerospace establishes space operations company to look at commercial space station
market
Bigelow Aerospace has established a space operations subsidiary whose first task will be to
study the market for the company's commercial space stations as it grapples with competition
from China and NASA.
COMMERCIAL BIGELOW AEROSPACE ISS
Foust Forward | SpaceX, Rocket Lab seize the spotlight but miss an opportunity
The images that attracted the most interest from the Falcon Heavy launch, though, had
nothing to do with the rocket itself. For several hours after liftoff, SpaceX provided a live feed
from cameras mounted on the upper stage, showing its attached payload: a Tesla Roadster
sports car with a spacesuited mannequin, dubbed “Starman,” sitting in the driver’s seat.
FROM THE MAGAZINE ELON MUSK FALCON HEAVY SPACEX TESLA
Vector planning rst orbital launch this summer

Vector, one of a growing number of companies developing small launch vehicles, plans to
carry out its first orbital launch this summer from Alaska.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH VECTOR SPACE SYSTEMS
Plan to modernize air and space systems takes Air Force out of its comfort zone
Air Force leaders say changes in procurement spending are necessary for the military to
ensure air and space supremacy.
Telesat to announce manufacturing plans for LEO constellation in coming months

Telesat, with one demonstration satellite for its planned broadband satellite constellation in
orbit, expects to announce plans for manufacturing the full system in the coming months as it
seeks partners to help fund its development.
COMMERCIAL TELESAT LEO
Eutelsat CEO optimistic on shorter broadcast contracts, OTT potential

Eutelsat Chief Executive Officer Rodolphe Belmer is taking a contrary view on short-term
capacity leases and the explosive growth of video streaming — two disruptive video trends
causing angst among satellite operators with substantial television broadcast business.
COMMERCIAL EUTELSAT OTT SATELLITE DTH
Air Force and Aerojet Rocketdyne renegotiating AR1 agreement

The U.S. Air Force and Aerojet Rocketdyne are working to revise an agreement to support
development of the company's AR1 rocket engine, as questions continue about the engine's
long-term future.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH AEROJET ROCKETDYNE AIR FORCE AR1 SMC
Gilat courts mobile telcos with self-funded satellite networks

Satellite hardware and network builder Gilat of Israel, seeking to interest cellular operators in
expanding their reach by satellite, is pressing forward with a strategy of building the entire
network for them in exchange for multi-year commitments to pay for the service.
COMMERCIAL GILAT VSAT
Pentagon budget funds ‘small launch services’ to gain greater access to space
The Air Force creating a budget line for small launch is a “very good thing for the industry,”
said Steve Nixon, vice president of strategic development at Stratolaunch.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH DOD LAUNCH
Viasat says ViaSat-2 business plan intact despite antenna glitch

Fleet operator ViaSat’s newest satellite could lose around 15 percent of its intended
throughput due to an antenna problem discovered after launch.
COMMERCIAL IFC VIASAT
FCC chairman urges approval for SpaceX’s satellite internet constellation

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai wants his agency approve SpaceX’s
15-month-old application to serve the U.S. with its proposed megaconstellation.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS FCC LEO MEGACONSTELLATIONS NGSO SPACEX
Planet sets deadline for Canadian ground station license

Stymied by extended regulatory delays, Planet is planning to remove a ground station it built
in Canada if it does not receive a government license for it by June.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS CANADIAN GOVERNMENT PLANET
SN Military.Space | DoD space budget: Billions for next-gen satellites, launch vehicles; New funding
lines for ‘rapid acquisitions’
An initial look at the budget documents released on Monday reveals that spending on space is
up only modestly but that priorities appear to be shifting.
SN MILITARY.SPACE BUDGET DARPA DOD FALCON HEAVY LOCKHEED MARTIN PENTAGON
Air Force to acquire new jam-resistant GPS satellites

In a Feb. 13 solicitation, the Air Force announced it will “conduct a full and open
competition” for the production of 22 GPS 3 satellites.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS DOD GPS
O3b’s Steve Collar to lead SES, Karim Michel Sabbagh stepping down
Satellite fleet operator SES on Feb. 12 announced that CEO Karim Michel Sabbagh will be
leaving the company April 5, exactly four years after assuming the position.
COMMERCIAL O3B SES
Largest cubesat operators say 25-year deorbit guideline a priority

Planet and Spire, operators of the two largest commercial cubesat constellations in orbit, say
they manage their fleets to prevent retired spacecraft from lingering in space beyond
internationally accepted guidelines.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS CUBESAT LEO PLANET SPACE DEBRIS SPIRE SSA
SES allies with Intelsat, Intel on revised US C-band proposal

Satellite fleet operator SES has agreed to join Intelsat on an amended proposal to let 5G
networks use some of the satellite industry’s coveted C-band spectrum for next-generation
cellular systems in the United States.
Foust Forward | Space startups face new competition for investment dollars — or bitcoins
The growth of crypto was a theme at the Space Tech Summit conference. It was a new, and
puzzling, experience for some in the space industry, for whom ICO is a failed communications
satellite venture and not “Initial Coin Offering,” a way some startups are raising money
through cryptocurrencies.
FROM THE MAGAZINE BITCOIN CRYPTO CRYPTOCURRENCY VC
Lockheed Martin posts satellite data online to lure space entrepreneurs

Lockheed Martin has decided to publicly release the technical specifications of its satellite
platforms.
COMMERCIAL LOCKHEED MARTIN SATELLITE
The still-unrealized promise of commercial Earth science data

by Caleb Henry and Jeff Foust — February 8, 2018
Proponents of commercial satellite weather programs have talked up the promise of

government data buys from such systems. The results so far have been underwhelming.
FROM THE MAGAZINE COMMERCIAL WEATHER DATA GEOOPTICS NOAA SPIRE WEATHER
Sierra Nevada gets NASA approval for rst Dream Chaser ISS cargo mission
NASA has given Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) formal approval for the company's first
cargo mission to the International Space Station in late 2020.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS CRS ISS NASA SIERRA NEVADA
Judge rejects motion to dismiss SSL-Orbital ATK suit

A federal judge denied a motion by Orbital ATK to dismiss a lawsuit filed last year by Space
Systems Loral seeking damages for alleged unauthorized access to information about its
satellite servicing technologies.
COMMERCIAL ORBITAL ATK SATELLITE SERVICING SSL
Military certi cation the next big test for Falcon Heavy
Elon Musk: "This vehicle opens up a whole new class of payloads and it’s up to customers
what they want to launch.”
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH LAUNCH MILITARY SPACEX
International ground stations tricky for smallsat operators to license

Small satellite operators wanting to build ground stations in multiple nations to connect with
their satellites are finding it complicated dealing with different sets of regulations.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS GROUND SEGMENT
Op-ed | How will the Earth-observation market evolve with the rise of AI?
by Valery Komissarov — February 7, 2018
For the Earth-observation industry, 2017 was an eventful year. Several trends emerged that
could transform the market landscape as profoundly as the proliferation of smallsats already
have.
FROM THE MAGAZINE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SATELLITE IMAGERY
Mattis incensed there’s still no budget – DepSecDef at Space Command – Military pulling for Falcon
Heavy
The budget impasse has been beyond exasperating, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told the
House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. "I cannot overstate the impact to our troops
morale over all of this uncertainty."
SN MILITARY.SPACE DOD FALCON HEAVY JIM MATTIS MILITARY SPACE SPACEX U.S. BUDGET
Don’t expect deep discounts on pre own SpaceX boosters

SpaceX intends to decrease launch costs over time but it will not offer deep discounts on
preflown boosters while it strives to recover its investment in the technology, including ships,
it relies on to make rockets reusable.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH REUSABILITY SPACEX
SoftBank interested in more satellite, OneWeb-related investments

SoftBank is actively considering future investments in the satellite industry, including

investments related to low-Earth orbit broadband startup OneWeb, the head of SoftBank’s
merger and acquisition and corporate finance division said today.
COMMERCIAL ONEWEB SMALLSATS SOFTBANK
Inmarsat, Deutsche Telekom complete European Aviation Network

British satellite operator Inmarsat and mobile network operator Deutsche Telekom have
finished building the ground infrastructure for the hybrid satellite and cellular European
Aviation Network (EAN).
COMMERCIAL EUROPEAN AVIATION NETWORK INMARSAT
Global Eagle submits overdue SEC lings, details $223 million loss
Satellite connectivity and content provider Global Eagle Entertainment on Jan. 31 handed in
the last of its late financial documents to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC), and expects the Nasdaq stock exchange will soon halt its delisting process.
COMMERCIAL GLOBAL EAGLE IFC IFEC
UK-Ukrainian launch vehicle developer Skyrora to establish smallsat launch site

by Jaroslaw Adamowski — February 1, 2018
U.K.-based Skyrora has unveiled plans to host a suborbital test flight in the fourth quarter of
2018. As part of its strategy to meet the rising demand for small satellite launches in a cost-
effective manner, the company aims to set up a facility to launch smallsats from Scotland.
COMMERCIAL SKYRORA UK UKRAINE
Air Force attempts to bring private-sector investment, innovation to space

Efforts to bring commercial technology into military space programs is good news for the
growing population of startups and other businesses that are investing in this sector.
COMMERCIAL DOD MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES SSL
Thaicom reports sharp revenue decline, blames weak broadcast market

Satellite fleet operator Thaicom’s revenue fell by $60 million last year, a nearly 23 percent
decline the regional operator blamed on a slowdown in Thailand’s broadcast sector.
COMMERCIAL ASIA-PACIFIC THAICOM
SpaceX and ULA poised to face off in the next round of military launch competition
The Air Force kicked off the sixth competitive launch service solicitation under the current
phase of the EELV program.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH MISSIONS LAUNCH MILITARY
SN Military.Space | Vice Chief Selva: With no budget ‘We’re gambling’ – Why it’s hard to defend
space – Space industry adapts to changing market
With still no budget four months into fiscal year 2018, the Pentagon is waiting to see where
the chips fall. Defense officials are ready to take the FY19 budget proposal up to Capitol Hill
but that may prove a tricky bet not knowing what Congress will appropriate for FY18.
SN MILITARY.SPACE BUDGET MILITARY MILITARY SPACE NSDC PENTAGON U.S. AIR FORCE UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE
Spain’s Indra teams up with balloon operator and launch startup Zero2In nity
Spanish IT company Indra will assist Barcelona-based Zero 2 Infinity in developing and
promoting balloon-enabled systems for reaching the stratosphere and low Earth orbit.
COMMERCIAL BLOOSTAR SPAIN
Akash Systems raises $3.1 million to build its own line of energy-ef cient cubesats
Akash Systems, a San Francisco startup that sells RF power amplifiers for satellites,
announced Jan. 30 it has raised $3.1 million in seed round funding, which it plans to use to
develop its own line of cubesats.
COMMERCIAL AKASH SYSTEMS CUBESATS INVESTORS SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
OneWeb spars with SpaceX, Boeing, SES and Space Norway over FCC coverage rule
A U.S. Federal Communications Commission requirement that developers of non-

geostationary-orbit (NGSO) satellite systems provide full coverage of the United States to get
market access hasprospective megaconstellation operators pitted against each other.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS BOEING LEO MEGACONSTELLATIONS NGSO ONEWEB SPACEX
New companies needed to maintain small satellite market growth

The number of small satellites launched in 2017 exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts,
but continued growth of the market will require new companies to start deploying
constellations in the next few years.
COMMERCIAL PLANET SATELLOGIC SMALLSAT SPIRE
CASIS focuses on near-term ISS utilization despite long-term uncertainty

Despite reports that the administration will seek to end NASA involvement in the
International Space Station in the mid-2020s, the nonprofit organization that operates the
national laboratory portion of the ISS is more concerned with near-term utilization issues.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS PEOPLE CASIS ISS
Sigfox’s CTO on where satellite ts in an IoT-only network

When it comes to connecting untold scores of low-power devices across broad expanses,
French telecom startup Sigfox is one of the biggest influencers.
FROM THE MAGAZINE BUSINESS INTERNET OF THINGS SIGFOX
Op-ed | Do we care about orbital debris at all?

by James E. Dunstan — January 30, 2018
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has promised to integrate better economic analysis across the
commission’s work. Orbital debris would be a fine place to start, and the sooner the better.
FROM THE MAGAZINE AMC-9 ECHOSTAR-3 NSS-806 ORBITAL DEBRIS SATELLITES TELKOM-1
Lockheed Martin space sales growth lags

Lockheed Martin recorded record sales in 2017, but growth in the company's space division
was far smaller than in its other sectors.
COMMERCIAL LOCKHEED MARTIN
Quika promises (mostly) free satellite broadband service

Satellite network operator Quika Ltd. is launching an “entirely free” internet service this
spring in Afghanistan and Iraq and plans to reach nearly half of all African nations this
summer.
COMMERCIAL QUIKA SATELLITE BROADBAND
Jury awards Intuitive Machines $4.1 million in cash and Moon Express equity
by Debra Werner and Jeff Foust — January 26, 2018
A Delaware jury awarded $4.1 million in cash and Moon Express equity to Intuitive
Machines, a Houston-based company Moon Express hired to write flight software and
develop a terrestrial return vehicle for its commercial lunar transportation business.
COMMERCIAL INTUITIVE MACHINES LAWSUIT MOON EXPRESS
Boeing satellite workers keeping busy with commercial orders while awaiting defense work
Boeing is striving to keep a core of 4,000 to 4,500 workers busy at its El Segundo, California,
satellite manufacturing plant to prevent losing highly experienced workers during a slow
down in commercial and government satellite orders
COMMERCIAL BOEING COMSAT
Satellites placed into incorrect orbits by Ariane 5 can be recovered, owners say
Two satellites placed into incorrect orbits by an Ariane 5 that suffered an anomaly during its
Jan. 25 launch can be recovered and placed into their desired orbits, their operators said Jan.
26.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH
X Prize teams plan to keep shooting for the moon

The finalists in the Google Lunar X Prize competition say they will continue efforts to send
spacecraft to the moon despite the expiration of the prize in March.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS GLXP GOOGLE LUNAR X PRIZE ISPACE MOON EXPRESS SPACEIL SYNERGY MOON TEAMINDUS
Solar panel suppliers adjust to GEO satellite slowdown

Suppliers of solar panels and related equipment for the space industry are pivoting to serve
customers planing satellites for low and medium Earth orbits as the slow down in
geostationary satellite orders persists.
FROM THE MAGAZINE GEO SATELLITES SATELLITES SOLAR
To stay competitive in the launch business, ULA courts commercial customers

by Sandra Erwin and Caleb Henry — January 24, 2018
Competition from SpaceX and a projected slump in the demand for defense missions
complicates the outlook for ULA, analysts say.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH ULA
Op-ed | Applauding the Google Lunar X Prize

by Bob Richards — January 23, 2018
How do you top the world’s first private spaceship redefining the possible in accomplishing
something only superpowers had done before?
FROM THE MAGAZINE COMMERCIAL SPACE GOOGLE LUNAR X PRIZE X PRIZE
Eutelsat CEO joins Net ix board of directors

Eutelsat CEO Rodolphe Belmer, who ran the French film and television studio Canal Plus
before taking the helm of the world’s third largest satellite fleet operator, has joined the board
of directors of Netflix.
COMMERCIAL EUTELSAT OTT
Google Lunar X Prize to end without winner

The foundation running the Google Lunar X Prize announced Jan. 23 that the $20 million
grand prize for a commercial lunar lander will expire at the end of March without a winner.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE GLXP GOOGLE LUNAR X PRIZE HAKUTO ISPACE MOON EXPRESS SPACEIL TEAMINDUS
Telenor Satellite eyes even split between broadcast, connectivity businesses

Morten Tengs, Telenor Satellite’s CEO, says direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting is still the
largest revenue generator for the operator, but Thor-7 now has “a substantial maritime
datacom business,” as well as some land-based customers in the Middle East.
COMMERCIAL HTS MARITIME TELENOR VSAT
Space industry hit hard by military spending downturn

CSIS: From 2013 to 2015, contracts on space products plummeted by 56 percent, and R&D
fell by 47 percent.
COMMERCIAL DOD MILITARY
Op-ed | A one-stop-shop for private space exploration

by U.S. Rep. Brian Babin — January 22, 2018
This op-ed originally appeared in the Dec. 4, 2017 issue of SpaceNews magazine.
In the inaugural meeting of the reconstituted National Space Council, Vice President Mike
Pence called for an overhaul of how the U.S. regulates commer…
FROM THE MAGAZINE COMMERCIAL SPACE NASA NATIONAL SPACE COUNCIL
SpaceX, Iridium set March 18 launch date for fth Iridium Next mission
SpaceX and mobile satellite services provider Iridium, now halfway through deploying the
Iridium Next constellation, are preparing for their fifth mission on March 18 from
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH
Foust Forward | Riding a big wave of small rockets

At last count, at least 35 small launch vehicles were in development. Some of them may
actually fly. Will that wave of activity continue to swell this year, or will it break and crash?
FROM THE MAGAZINE LAUNCHES ROCKET LAB SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLES
Gettingthe cloud above the clouds(and survivinga dry spell)

Sending data to and from different spots on Earth is big business for satellite operators, but
Cloud Constellation sees a lucrative opportunity to offer satellites as the ultimate cloud
storage solution for sensitive data.
FROM THE MAGAZINE CLOUD CONSTELLATION SATELLITES
SpaceX and customers defend Falcon 9 performance after Zuma mission

SpaceX reiterated at a congressional hearing Jan. 17 that its Falcon 9 rocket performed as
expected on its most recent launch, despite swirling questions about the potential failure of
the classified Zuma mission.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH MISSIONS FALCON 9 SPACEX ZUMA
GAO warns of further delays in certifying commercial crew vehicles

As the two companies developing commercial crew systems reiterated that they were on
schedule to carry out test flights later this year, a government analysis of schedules concluded
those vehicles may not be certified to carry NASA astronauts until late 2019 or early 2020.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS BOEING COMMERCIAL CREW GAO NASA SPACEX
Effective Space signs rst contract for satellite life extension services
Effective Space, a U.K.-headquartered company developing spacecraft to extend the life of

communications satellites, announced Jan. 17 that it has signed its first contract with an
undisclosed customer.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS EFFECTIVE SPACE
New MDA president seeks opportunities to grow Canadian space business

The new president of Canadian space technology company MDA says he sees opportunities
for growth both within the country and beyond, while maintaining the company’s Canadian
roots as part of a larger, and increasingly American, company.
COMMERCIAL PEOPLE MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES MDA CORP.
Air Force launches new project to update missile-warning ground software

The plan is to shift the current ground software architectureto an open-systems platform that
the Air Force would own and update with new technology as it becomes available.
COMMERCIAL AIR FORCE SBIRS
PSLV launch a milestone for India and several companies

The successful launch of an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) Jan. 11 marked not
just the return to flight of the rocket but also major achievements for several of the companies
with payloads on board the vehicle.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH MISSIONS ASTRO DIGITAL EARTH-I ICEYE PLANET PLANETARY RESOURCES PSLV SPIRE
TELESAT
Cambodia to buy Chinese satellite as relations tighten on Belt and Road Initiative
China Great Wall Industry Corp. landed a new satellite order Jan. 11 on the back of a bilateral
meeting between Chinese and Cambodian officials that included an agreement to increase
trade between the countries.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS ASEAN CGWIC CHINA
Rocket Lab sets new window for second Electron launch

Rocket Lab announced Jan. 11 it plans to make another attempt to launch its Electron small
rocket on its second mission later this month.
COMMERCIAL LAUNCH ROCKET LAB
SpaceX delays commercial crew test ights to latter half of 2018

SpaceX has delayed its two commercial crew test flights by four months, according to a new
NASA schedule released Jan. 11, raising questions about whether it or Boeing will be able to
send astronauts to the International Space Station by the end of the year as previously
planned.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS BOEING COMMERCIAL CREW NASA SPACEX
Spain’s PLD Space receives $2.4 million grant for smallsat launchers
Spanish rocket startup PLD Space received 2 million euros ($2.4 million) from a European
Commission grant program to further the development of a pair of launchers designed for
small satellites.
COMMERCIAL PLD SPACE REUSABILITY SMALLSAT
In 29/05/2019
space and cyber, China is closing in on the United States
The United States could soon be unpleasantly surprised as China continues to shore up its
domestic capacity to produce high-end weapons, satellites and encryption technologies.
COMMERCIAL POLICY & POLITICS CHINA CONGRESS
Boeing investigating antenna glitch on ViaSat-2 satellite

An on-orbit antenna issue identified during testing of the ViaSat-2 high-throughput satellite
has Boeing and ViaSat searching for answers.
COMMERCIAL BOEING HTS VIASAT VIASAT-2
Intelsat begins Galaxy eet refresh with Orbital ATK satellite order
Satellite fleet operator Intelsat kicked off the beginning of a partial constellation
replenishment focused on replacing the company’s Galaxy line of satellites with a Jan. 8 order
to Orbital ATK for the Galaxy-30 satellite.
COMMERCIAL C-BAND INTELSAT ORBITAL ATK
Sierra Nevada clears Dream Chaser test milestone

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announced Jan. 5 that NASA has confirmed that the
company’s Dream Chaser vehicle passed a key milestone during its November free flight test.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS COMMERCIAL CREW DREAM CHASER SIERRA NEVADA
Orbital ATK lands second Intelsat satellite servicing deal

by Sandra Erwin and Caleb Henry — January 4, 2018
Compared to the MEV-1, the MEV-2 will have new bells and whistles. It will be equipped to
carry hosted payloads from commercial companies and small satellites that could be deployed
for science missions.
COMMERCIAL MISSIONS MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES ORBITAL ATK SATELLITE
ArianeGroup stands up GEOTracker service to watch geostationary arc

An internal research and development program using widely available telescopes has evolved
into a space situational awareness business for ArianeGroup.
COMMERCIAL ARIANEGROUP FRANCE SSA
World View sees strong interest in stratospheric balloons despite test incident
World View, a company offering stratospheric balloon flights for research payloads, sees a
bright future ahead for a platform that it argues combines the best attributes of satellites and
aircraft, despite a recent testing incident at its Arizona headquarters.
29/05/2019
COMMERCIAL WORLD VIEW Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.com
Angosat-1 communications restored after post-launch glitch

Angola’s new satellite Angosat-1 is communicating normally with ground teams again after
losing contact shortly after launch.
COMMERCIAL ANGOSAT ENERGIA RUSSIA
Avanti tallies $114.1 million in impairment charges for Hylas-1 and 2 satellites
Avanti says the evolution of high-throughput satellites is outpacing the company’s satellite
fleet, making it difficult to secure business with the Hylas 1 and Hylas 2 broadband satellites.
COMMERCIAL AVANTI HYLAS
Contact lost with Angosat-1, manufacturer says

RSC Energia of Moscow said Dec. 27 that the satellite it built for Angola has stopped sending
telemetry data after separating from the Zenit rocket upper stage.
COMMERCIAL ANGOSAT BREAKING NEWS RUSSIA
Swedish company to acquire cubesat manufacturer Clyde Space

Swedish space company ÅAC Microtec announced Dec. 22 it plans to acquire Scottish cubesat
manufacturer Clyde Space, creating what the companies believe will be a dominant force in a
growing sector of the industry.
COMMERCIAL AAC MICROTEC CLYDE SPACE CUBESATS SMALLSATS
ViaSat bags $350 million defense contract

Satellite operator and hardware provider ViaSat of Carlsbad, California received a $350
million contract from the U.S. Special Operations Command for a mix of tactical radio and
satellite equipment.
COMMERCIAL DOD VIASAT
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29/05/2019 Commercial Archives - SpaceNews.

SpaceX raises over $1 billion through two funding rounds

NASA seeks a rapid launch of a lunar lander

Price, contract terms helped Maxar secure Gateway contract

NORTHROP GRUMMAN INNOVATION SYSTEMS PPE SIERRA NEVADA CORP.

Boeing completes tests of Starliner thrusters

SpaceX launches 60 Starlink satellites, begins constellation buildout

Amazon activates ground station business with rst two of 12 stations

NASA selects Maxar to build rst Gateway element

Op-Ed | Preserving NewSpace innovation while championing M&A in our ecosystem

Olis Robotics sees many space applications for autonomy software

Momentum grows for nuclear thermal propulsion

Hawkeye 360 and Windward to offer new maritime product

Are laser links ready for prime time?

Companies encourage NASA to press ahead with LEO commercialization efforts

In ection point coming for antenna equation

In ection point coming for antenna equation

U.S. launch companies not worried about Chinese competition

SPACE TECH EXPO

Industry seeks more time to review revised commercial launch regulations

Tethers Unlimited developing satellite servicer for LEO missions

Suppliers hope to tap into growing space market

SpaceX les bid protest in federal court

Industry wants NASA to move ahead quickly on Gateway module

Landspace assembles methalox engine, signs international agreements

Senate hearing examines commercial implications of Space Force

Musk says Starlink “economically viable” with around 1,000 satellites

Eutelsat’s Konnect Africa business struggles to lift off

Q&A: The changing assumptions of the small launch market

Parachute development a challenge for commercial crew

Inmarsat shareholders approve takeover offer

United States and Luxembourg sign space cooperation agreement

Virgin Galactic prepares to move vehicles, staff to Spaceport America

Op-ed | Satellite communications are an essential link for a connected world

Maxar quarterly revenues dip as rm restructures satellite business

Maxar Technologies reported a decrease in quarterly revenues May 9 due to lackluster

Blue Origin unveils lunar lander

ITU wants megaconstellations to meet tougher launch milestones

Arianespace completes manifest for Vega dedicated rideshare mission

Crew Dragon parachutes failed in recent test

Senate con rms Ex-Im board nominees

SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES VECTOR VIRGIN ORBIT

GEO smallsats emerging as a best-of-both-worlds approach

Consortium to develop “space sustainability” rating system

Satellite operators worried about losing Ka-band spectrum

Apollo Fusion obtains Hall thruster technology from JPL

Investors seek disruptive space startups in an overcrowded market

Measat buying single replacement for two satellites

Reprogrammable satellites make cybersecurity more critical, experts say

Space ight signs contract with Relativity for launches

by Caleb Henry — May 6, 2019

ArianeGroup applying launch cost reduction targets to satellite components

Senate prepares to vote on Ex-Im board nominees

Rocket Lab launches three U.S. military satellites

Falcon 9 launches Dragon cargo spacecraft to ISS

FAA commercial space of ce reorganization focuses on ef ciency

FCC asks for more input on C-band

Indonesian government chooses PSN team for 150 Gbps satellite

Telesat to receive constellation bids this summer

SpaceX offers new details on Crew Dragon test anomaly

Loft Orbital lls rst condosat, preps for quarterly launches

Cloud Constellation selects LeoStella to build 10 data-storage satellites

Blue Origin announces next New Shepard suborbital ight