Satellite

Arctic connectivity competition is heating up
Satellite operators are venturing north to improve connectivity as the changing climate drives demand for more bandwidth in one of Earth’s last remaining frontiers.

Korea Aerospace Industries to invest $880 million to expand space business
Space will command nearly 45 percent of the $1.9 billion Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has set aside for a broader five-year growth plan.

Nikon snaps up Boeing-backed supplier of 3D-printed satellite parts
Japanese camera maker Nikon has acquired a controlling stake in U.S. startup Morf3D, an aerospace supplier that has produced 3D-printed hardware for Boeing satellites and helicopters.

Op-ed | Is AI key to the survival of satcoms?
As the world becomes more connected, many don’t see a need for satellite, yet we must remind ourselves that the global communications network cannot survive without satellite communication. How can satellite services survive? Could artificial intelligence (AI) be the answer?

Op-ed | Running interference on U.S. space policy
We’re lucky to have an administration that understands the importance of space. Unfortunately, one initiative may threaten this progress.

SN Military.Space | Space Command No. 2 takes office • NRO leading the way in innovation • Satellite as weapons in infowars
“Corporate advocacy and stewardship for Air Force space missions and capabilities.” That, in a nutshell, is the job description for Lt. Gen. David D. Thompson, who last Thursday became Air Force Space Command vice commander.

Iridium Next enters the homestretch
As Iridium finishes its new constellation, it’s facing a changing competitive landscape.

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.

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.

Army’s imaging satellite up and running, but its future is TBD
The Army would use small satellites to support tactical imagery needs in the field.

Lockheed Martin posts satellite data online to lure space entrepreneurs
Lockheed Martin has decided to publicly release the technical specifications of its satellite platforms.

Orbital ATK lands second Intelsat satellite servicing deal
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.

Sorry sci-fi fans, real wars in space not the stuff of Hollywood
Savvy space warriors like Russia’s military already are giving us a taste of the future. They are jamming GPS navigation signals, disrupting satellite communications links and sensors in space. Not quite star wars.

Lockheed selects NEC artificial intelligence software to study space data
Lockheed envisions many uses for artificial intelligence in space, such as being able to quickly detect changes in satellite performance and in the environment.

On-orbit satellite servicing: The next big thing in space?
A Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency project is being touted as a major step in the transition of on-orbit services from experiment to reality, and ultimate commercial success.

Satellite operators push plan to upgrade military spy drones
Could the military take advantage of cheaper and faster satellite broadband to siphon more data, faster, from its surveillance drones? It could, but it's easier said than done, according to satellite industry executives.

An ‘enormous’ supply of bandwidth available for defense, military
In the government and military, there is a “great debate” on how to procure available satellite capacity.

Satellite operators working to attract military business
The defense market in general is still uncertain, and will stay that way until the Pentagon finds a way to mesh commercial providers into its communications infrastructure.

Luxembourg eyes Earth-observation satellite for military and government
The low-Earth-orbit sun-synchronous mission will carry a panchromatic and multispectral camera.

Air Force: GPS 3 competition coming soon
Air Force officials predict more than one company will step up to challenge Lockheed Martin for the production of up to 22 GPS 3 satellites.