All.Space "smart terminal” was designed to link cellular and satellite networks. Credit: All.Space

WASHINGTON — Chris Emerson, former head of Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, has been named chairman of the board of All.Space, a British manufacturer of terminals used to communicate with satellites in orbit.

All.Space was previously known as Isotropic Systems. The company was rebranded a year ago. Emerson’s appointment was announced Sept. 11. 

Emerson joins All.Space as the company prepares to start production of a new terminal — known as fifth-generation smart terminal — by the fourth quarter of 2023. 

The company previously forecast that the new terminal, designed to link cellular and satellite networks, would start production in late 2022. 

Chris Emerson

All.Space to date has raised more than $116 million. Emerson is a partner at Washington, D.C.-based AE Industrial Partners, one of the investors in All.Space. 

“All.Space is pioneering the next generation of satellite communications with our inventive smart terminal,” Emerson said in a news release. “Our technology will transform how individuals and organizations access and use satellite and cellular communications, enabling our customers to harness the power of every major network through one device.”

The smart terminal promises “3G, 4G, and 5G cellular multi-network integration plug-and-play options,” said John Finney, founder and CEO of All.Space.

He said the new terminal is undergoing performance and reliability tests. “Our initial market entry is dedicated to serving the needs of NATO and Five Eyes defense markets,” Finney said.  The Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance that includes Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense...