Via Satellite
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Industry magazine delivering news and analysis on satellite communications business, broadcast and broadband technology, and market trends.
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Deals•Feb 24, 2026
Applied Aerospace & Defense Acquires Vestigo Aerospace to Boost Deorbit Drag Sail Capabilities
Applied Aerospace & Defense announced the acquisition of Vestigo Aerospace, a developer of drag sails for deorbiting satellites and launch vehicle stages. The private transaction, disclosed on Tuesday, expands Applied's portfolio in compliance with emerging FCC deorbit regulations. Financial terms were not disclosed.
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Deals•Feb 23, 2026
Contrivian to Merge with Big Network, Forming Unified Network Software Platform
Contrivian and Big Network announced a merger on Feb. 23, 2026, creating a combined company that will operate under the Contrivian name. The deal integrates Big Network’s multi‑WAN and edge connectivity technology into Contrivian’s Lighthouse platform, enhancing performance across fiber,...
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News•Feb 18, 2026
EDGX CEO Details the Startup’s Push for AI-Enabled Onboard Processing
Belgian AI space startup EDGX secured €2.3 million funding to accelerate its Sterna edge‑AI computer for satellites and has already signed a €1.1 million multi‑unit contract with a satellite operator. CEO Nick Destrycker says the company will focus on European defense and...
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News•Feb 18, 2026
Why Insider Threats May Make Satellite Hacking Significantly Easier
The article argues that insider threats could dramatically lower the barriers to satellite hacking, as insiders can bypass air‑gap protections and exploit the growing use of off‑the‑shelf Linux hardware. It highlights how complex supply chains, contractor relationships, and recent geopolitical...
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Deals•Feb 18, 2026
SpaceX Acquires xAI to Boost Orbital Data Center Ambitions
SpaceX announced the acquisition of Elon Musk’s AI venture xAI at the start of February 2026, aiming to integrate AI capabilities with its planned orbital data center satellite constellation. The deal, disclosed ahead of SpaceX’s anticipated IPO, underscores the company’s...
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News•Feb 17, 2026
BlackSky International Customer Orders Gen-3 Satellite for Sovereign Access
BlackSky announced that an unnamed international sovereign client has purchased a dedicated Gen‑3 Earth‑observation satellite along with the company’s imagery and AI‑enabled analytics services. The Gen‑3 platform delivers 35‑centimetre resolution and will operate in tandem with BlackSky’s existing constellation, providing...
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News•Feb 17, 2026
ST Engineering iDirect to Integrate G&S SatConnect Into Intuition Platform
ST Engineering iDirect announced a strategic partnership with G&S SatCom to embed the SatConnect service‑management platform into its Intuition ground‑system suite. The integration will add both OSS and BSS capabilities, linking network operations with service definition, delivery, and lifecycle management....
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News•Feb 9, 2026
Es’hailSat Form LEO Strategic Partnership With Telesat
Telesat and Qatar’s Es’hailSat announced a strategic partnership to bring low‑Earth‑orbit satellite connectivity to Qatar and other key markets. The agreement covers service validation, market development and local infrastructure integration. Telesat will launch two Lightspeed pathfinder satellites in late 2026,...
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News•Feb 9, 2026
Amazon Expects to Increase Spending on Amazon Leo by $1B in 2026
Amazon announced it will increase spending on its Leo satellite broadband constellation by roughly $1 billion in 2026, reflecting a surge in launch activity. CFO Brian Olsavsky said more than 20 launches are slated for 2026 and over 30 for 2027,...
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News•Feb 9, 2026
Momentus to Demonstrate Multispectral Sensor for Space Force, With NASA Support, in March
Momentus will launch its Vigoride 7 orbital service vehicle on a SpaceX Transporter mission in March, carrying NASA’s R5‑S10 cubesat and additional payloads. The flight will demonstrate a low‑cost multispectral rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) sensor suite under a $1.86 million SpaceWERX...
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News•Feb 6, 2026
Viasat Expects F2 Satellite to Enter Service in May, Posts 3% Revenue Growth in Q3
Viasat reported a modest 3% year‑over‑year revenue increase to $1.16 billion in Q3 FY2026, driven primarily by its Defense and Advanced Technologies segment, which grew 9%. The company announced that its second ViaSat‑3 satellite (F2) is about 34 days from on‑station...
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News•Feb 6, 2026
Blue Origin’s TeraWave Constellation: Analysts Size Up Competitive Positioning
Blue Origin unveiled TeraWave, a planned constellation of 5,280 low‑Earth‑orbit and 128 medium‑Earth‑orbit satellites linked by optical cross‑links and operating in the Q/V‑band. The service is aimed at roughly 100,000 enterprise and data‑center customers seeking fiber‑like throughput and resilient middle‑mile...
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News•Feb 5, 2026
Arabsat Taps Audimatic for IoT Video Analytics
Arabsat has signed a partnership with Audimatic to deploy its IoT‑driven, real‑time television viewership detection platform across the MENA region. The solution delivers second‑by‑second analytics on channel performance, viewing distribution, and satellite reach, giving Arabsat continuous visibility into live satellite...
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News•Feb 5, 2026
ReOrbit Partners With Google Cloud for Space Data Network
Helsinki‑based ReOrbit is teaming with Google Cloud to build Space Cloud, an orbital data network that links satellites with optical interconnects and on‑board AI compute. The system will be split into a sovereign cloud for national‑security workloads and a commercial...
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News•Feb 4, 2026
SDA Expands Atombeam Contract for Data Transmission Tech
Atombeam received an expanded Small Business Innovation Research contract from the Space Development Agency to further develop its Neurpac AI‑driven data compression technology for Link 16 tactical datalinks. The company demonstrated an 86‑89% reduction in data streams while boosting bandwidth seven...
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News•Feb 4, 2026
Kymeta Links Up with JDI for Unique Metasurface Terminal
Kymeta announced a partnership with Japan Display Inc. (JDI) to develop the industry’s first multi‑band metasurface terminal capable of simultaneous Ku‑ and Ka‑band operation. The collaboration builds on Kymeta’s 2025 lab demo of a single‑aperture antenna that could transmit and...
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News•Feb 3, 2026
Satlyt to Integrate Edge Computing Into Aerospace Corp DiskSat Platform
Satlyt has signed a commercial license with The Aerospace Corporation to embed its edge‑computing framework into the DiskSat platform, a novel one‑meter‑diameter, 2.5‑centimeter‑thick satellite architecture. The first four DiskSats were launched on a Rocket Lab mission in December 2025, marking...
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News•Feb 3, 2026
MasOrange to Trial Starlink Direct-to-Cell in Spain
MasOrange has secured regulator approval to pilot SpaceX’s Starlink Direct‑to‑Cell service in Spain’s Valladolid province. The trial will test satellite‑based supplemental coverage for remote, mountainous and coastal areas, positioning the service as a network complement rather than a full replacement....
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News•Feb 3, 2026
Telespazio and Italian Space Agency to Upgrade Historic Fucino Antenna
Telespazio and the Italian Space Agency announced the "Response" programme to modernise the 27‑metre FOC‑1A antenna at Italy’s Fucino Space Centre, a facility that has operated since 1967. The upgrade will retrofit the historic dish with hardware capable of near‑Earth...
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News•Feb 2, 2026
OHB Hellas and Parsimoni to Develop Sovereign Software Solution
OHB Hellas and Parsimoni announced a partnership to create a sovereign in‑orbit software platform, merging OHB's Orbital HPC hardware with Parsimoni's Satellite App Store powered by SpaceOS. The first commercial offering will bundle the ESA‑backed App Store, the OHB Versal...
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Deals•Feb 2, 2026
CesiumAstro Raises $470M in Growth Capital, CEO Sabripour Calls It a ‘Scale Moment’
CesiumAstro announced a $470 million Series C growth capital round, with $270 million in equity led by Trousdale Ventures and participation from Woven Capital, Airbus Ventures, Janus Henderson Investors, Development Bank of Japan, MESH, NewSpace Capital and others. The round also includes $200 million...
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News•Jan 30, 2026
Novaspace Report Predicts Global Space Economy Market Could Top $1 Trillion by 2034
Novaspace’s latest Space Economy Report projects the global space market to exceed $1 trillion by 2034, up from roughly $625 billion in 2025. The forecast attributes growth to sector maturation, increased financing, and the softwarization of space infrastructure. Government spending, especially on...
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News•Jan 30, 2026
L3Harris Space Business Flat in ‘25, Projects Growth in ‘26 With Reorganized Segments
L3Harris reported that its Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) segment posted flat revenue in 2025, reaching $6.9 billion, as a government shutdown delayed fourth‑quarter contracts. The segment improved its operating margin by 50 basis points to 12.3% thanks to steadier program...
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News•Jan 29, 2026
York Space Systems Goes Public in $629M IPO to Fund ‘Proliferation at Scale’
York Space Systems completed a $629 million upsized IPO, securing capital to accelerate its satellite‑proliferation strategy. The Colorado‑based firm currently builds about 300 satellites per year and aims to inventory spacecraft for on‑demand payload integration, targeting hundreds to thousands of units...
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News•Jan 29, 2026
Lockheed Martin Space Sales Grew 4% in 2025
Lockheed Martin reported a 4% year‑over‑year increase in its Space segment, delivering $13 billion in revenue for 2025. Growth was driven by $380 million from strategic and missile‑defense programs such as Next Generation Interceptor and Fleet Ballistic Missile, and $255 million from the...
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Deals•Jan 29, 2026
York Space Systems Goes Public in $629M IPO to Fund ‘Proliferation at Scale’
York Space Systems, a Colorado-based satellite manufacturer, completed an upsized IPO raising $629 million on Jan 29 2026. The proceeds will fund scaling production, inventory, and faster delivery for defense programs like Golden Dome and expand commercial business opportunities.
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News•Jan 27, 2026
Northwood Space Raises $100M in Series B and Works With Space Force on Satellite Control Network
Ground‑tech startup Northwood Space announced a $100 million Series B round, co‑led by Washington Harbour Partners and Andreessen Horowitz, and disclosed a $49.8 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to bolster the Satellite Control Network. The financing follows a $30 million Series A and...
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News•Jan 27, 2026
Gilat Secures More Orders for Sidewinder IFC Terminals
Gilat Satellite Networks announced a multimillion‑dollar order for its Sidewinder in‑flight connectivity (IFC) terminals from a major avionics manufacturer. The Sidewinder, an electronically steered antenna originally developed by Stellar Blu, operates on both GEO satellites and the OneWeb LEO constellation...
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News•Jan 27, 2026
KSAT Introduces New Maritime Detection Platform
KSAT announced the launch of Vake Powered By KSAT, a maritime vessel detection service that integrates satellite data with AI analytics. The platform combines KSAT’s extensive satellite antenna network and maritime expertise with VAKE’s AI‑driven analytics and visualization tools acquired...
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News•Jan 27, 2026
Capture-the-Flag in Space: D-Orbit Shares Lessons From Cyber Competition
D‑Orbit hosted the first in‑orbit capture‑the‑flag (CTF) cybersecurity competition on its ION Satellite Carrier, partnering with ESA and Mhackeroni. Five finalist teams tackled live telemetry, command sequencing and onboard software exploits in a controlled environment. The event exposed the distinct...
By Via Satellite
News•Jan 26, 2026
Slovenia Signs Enterprise-Scale Agreement With Planet
Planet Labs has signed an enterprise‑scale contract with Slovenia’s Surveying and Mapping Authority (GURS) to deliver PlanetScope imagery and high‑resolution tasking services. The data will be used across state and municipal agencies for agriculture monitoring, urban planning, and disaster management....
By Via Satellite
News•Jan 23, 2026
After Review of 60 Programs Last Year, 2026 Is SSC’s Year of Execution, Maj. Gen Purdy Says
The Space Systems Command (SSC) reviewed 60 programs in 2023, applying new acquisition directives that emphasize fixed‑price contracts, smaller satellites, and three‑year fielding cycles. Acting service acquisition executive Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy says 2026 will be the "year of execution,"...
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News•Jan 23, 2026
Spire to Support AiDash With Weather Intelligence Data
Spire Global has signed a weather‑intelligence agreement with AiDash, a vegetation‑risk and grid‑monitoring provider. The partnership embeds Spire’s high‑resolution satellite‑derived forecasts into AiDash’s AI‑driven outage and wildfire prediction platform for North American utilities. By merging detailed weather data with vegetation...
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News•Jan 23, 2026
AFRL Selects Aalyria for Space Data Network Experimentation Program
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s RAPID program has selected Aalyria’s Spacetime software for its Space Data Network Experimentation (SDNX) initiative. The effort, part of the STAR‑FISH fast‑track, will evaluate how Spacetime can orchestrate hybrid constellations across space, air, land,...
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News•Jan 22, 2026
Telesat Calls Creditor Lawsuits ‘Without Merit’
Telesat announced that lawsuits filed by creditors over its September 2025 equity distribution are "without merit." The suits, brought in New York and Ontario, claim the company moved its Low‑Earth Orbit Lightspeed assets to shield them from creditors holding 90%...
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News•Jan 21, 2026
Es’hailSat Secures New Deal With Qatar Armed Forces
Es’hailSat and the Qatar Armed Forces have signed a memorandum of understanding to deliver satellite communications, ground infrastructure, and secure network solutions for Qatar’s sovereign defense needs. The agreement, announced on Jan. 21, 2026, aims to bolster command‑and‑control capabilities and ensure...
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News•Jan 20, 2026
OQ Technology Links up with UK IoT Company Eseye
OQ Technology announced a partnership with UK IoT specialist Eseye to fuse its low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) satellite constellation with Eseye’s AnyNet Connectivity Hub. The collaboration leverages 3GPP Release 17 multi‑RAT standards, allowing a single SIM to roam seamlessly between terrestrial 5G networks...
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News•Jan 20, 2026
Ukraine Expands SAR Collaboration With Iceye
Finnish satellite firm Iceye announced on Jan. 19 an expanded agreement with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, granting broader access to its high‑resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery. The deal builds on Iceye’s 2022 transfer of a dedicated SAR satellite and its...
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News•Jan 20, 2026
Asia-Pacific Operator Signs $11M Order for Gilat SkyEdge Platform
Gilat Satellite Networks secured an $11 million contract with an unnamed Asia‑Pacific satellite operator for its SkyEdge platform. The platform will be used on very high throughput satellites (VHTS) to provide advanced mobility services and support multiple applications. Deployments are slated...
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News•Jan 20, 2026
BlackSky Reports Gen-3 Pilot Customers Signing Renewal Deals
BlackSky announced multiple expansion contracts for its Gen‑3 satellite program, converting early‑access pilots in the Americas, Asia and Europe into renewal deals. The Gen‑3 fleet, launched from early 2025, delivers 35‑centimeter imagery with sub‑hourly collection speeds, a capability critical for...
By Via Satellite
News•Jan 20, 2026
Jan/Feb Magazine: The Arctic Space Race
Via Satellite’s Jan/Feb issue spotlights the emerging Arctic space race, where shifting geopolitics, booming economic activity and accelerating climate change are forcing governments and operators to upgrade satellite communications in the high‑latitude region. The magazine also features a deep‑dive on...
By Via Satellite
News•Jan 20, 2026
10 Defining Moments in Space and Cybersecurity in 2025
2025 marked a turning point for space cybersecurity as the National Reconnaissance Office unveiled a centralized Space Cyber Program, while Ukraine publicly confirmed a 2023 hack on Russia’s Dozor‑Teleport satellite network. Academic research revealed that low‑cost satellite receivers can capture...
By Via Satellite
News•Jan 20, 2026
Competing in All Fields: Technologies for Multi-Orbit Architectures
The Pentagon and commercial sectors such as aviation and maritime are accelerating investment in multi‑orbit satellite architectures to combine Low‑Earth Orbit speed with Geostationary reliability. Projects like the Army’s Multi‑Orbit Modem, Space Force contracts, and SES’s SIMON illustrate a strategic...
By Via Satellite
News•Jan 20, 2026
The Next Space Race Will Be Won on the Ground
The article argues that the next commercial space race will be decided on Earth, not in orbit, as satellite lifespans shrink to eight‑ten years and constellations demand rapid iteration. Market pressure and Starlink’s fast‑generation cadence have forced a shift from...
By Via Satellite
News•Jan 16, 2026
Convergence Comes of Age: 2026 Shifts Satellite Promise Into Commercial Reality
Satellite-to-handset (direct‑to‑device) connectivity is moving from trial to commercial scale in 2026, driven by expanding constellations and maturing 3GPP NTN standards. The market is forecast to become a $30 billion revenue stream by 2035, with Starlink’s vertically integrated model and AST...
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News•Jan 15, 2026
Lynk Global Tests D2D in Philippines With Smart Communications
Lynk Global partnered with Smart Communications to test its direct‑to‑device satellite service on Catanduanes, a typhoon‑hit island in the Philippines. The trial successfully sent text messages between a phone on Catanduanes and one in Manila, and enabled two local phones...
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News•Jan 15, 2026
Sodern Execs Detail Expansion to Establish Star Tracker Manufacturing in US
French space‑optics leader Sodern announced the creation of Sodern America, a Colorado‑based subsidiary that will manufacture its flagship Auriga star trackers and test the high‑performance Hydra units. The company hired veteran space executive Tiphaine Louradour as CEO to lead the...
By Via Satellite
News•Jan 14, 2026
Airbus Plans Space Radio Access Network Demonstrator With Tech Partners
Airbus announced the UpNext SpaceRAN demonstrator to test a software‑defined 5G non‑terrestrial network satellite, beginning with a ground‑based simulation of a two‑satellite LEO constellation. The program will progress to an in‑orbit payload launch in 2027, with testing slated for 2028,...
By Via Satellite
News•Jan 14, 2026
Spacecoin to Run Connectivity Pilots in Kenya, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Cambodia
Spacecoin, a decentralized satellite startup, has signed agreements to run connectivity pilots in Kenya, Nigeria, Indonesia and Cambodia. The pilots will combine Spacecoin's satellite infrastructure with local partners handling ground operations and user support. The company secured a transmission licence...
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News•Jan 14, 2026
IonQ Hires Katie Arrington for CIO Role
IonQ announced the appointment of former Department of Defense acting CIO Katie Arrington as its new chief information officer. Arrington will oversee the protection, modernization and cyber‑resilience of IonQ’s global enterprise systems. The hire coincides with IonQ’s aggressive expansion into...
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News•Jan 14, 2026
Open Cosmos Awarded Liechtenstein Spectrum Filings for LEO Broadband Constellation
Open Cosmos has been awarded Liechtenstein’s priority Ka‑band spectrum filings to build a sovereign low‑Earth‑orbit broadband constellation for Europe. The company will launch the first two 100‑150 kg satellites by the end of Q1 2026 using Rocket Lab from New Zealand. Open Cosmos,...
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News•Jan 14, 2026
Europe Gets Ready for a New Polar Satellite Constellation
Europe’s weather agency Eumetsat has secured near‑unanimous backing for EPS‑Sterna, a new polar‑orbiting satellite constellation slated to launch its first six spacecraft in 2029 and operate through 2042. The programme, valued at up to €30 billion over its lifetime, will deliver...
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News•Jan 13, 2026
Intuitive Machines Completes Lanteris Space Systems Acquisition
Intuitive Machines has finalized the $800 million purchase of Lanteris Space Systems, paying $450 million in cash and $350 million in stock. The deal adds a proven spacecraft manufacturing line to Intuitive Machines, expanding its portfolio beyond lunar landers to include GEO, MEO...
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