Via Satellite
Industry magazine delivering news and analysis on satellite communications business, broadcast and broadband technology, and market trends.
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 and satellite coverage. OQ’s S‑band LEO satellites deliver low‑latency, high‑reliability links tailored for IoT and machine‑to‑machine applications, while Eseye adds extensive terrestrial carrier reach. The joint solution targets sectors such as maritime, logistics, energy, mining, agriculture and environmental monitoring.
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
Lufthansa Group to Deploy Starlink Across Fleet
Lufthansa Group announced a multi‑year partnership with SpaceX to install Starlink satellite broadband on roughly 850 aircraft across its six carriers. The rollout begins this year and is slated for completion by 2029, making Lufthansa the largest European airline group...
Swedish Armed Forces Sign Sovereign Satellite Deals with Planet and Iceye
Sweden’s Armed Forces have signed sovereign satellite contracts with Planet Labs and Iceye, granting the nation dedicated access to high‑resolution optical and synthetic‑aperture‑radar (SAR) imagery. The Planet agreement is a multi‑year, low nine‑figure deal that provides a suite of cutting‑edge...
Aetherflux Hires Joe Yaffe as COO and Chief Legal Officer
Aetherflux, the space‑solar startup founded by Baiju Bhatt, appointed Joe Yaffe as chief operating officer and chief legal officer. Yaffe arrives from Skadden, where he led the Palo Alto office, bringing deep operational and regulatory expertise. The hire follows a...
Twilight Rideshare Mission Set to Deploy First Tranche of Kepler’s Optical Network
SpaceX’s Twilight rideshare mission, slated for Jan. 11 from Vandenberg, will launch ten 300‑kg Kepler Communications satellites into a dusk‑dawn Sun‑synchronous orbit. Each satellite carries at least four optical‑terminal lasers, forming the first tranche of Kepler’s next‑generation space‑based internet. The constellation...
FlyExclusive Set to Bring Starlink IFC to Its Fleet
flyExclusive has become an authorized reseller and installer for SpaceX’s Starlink in‑flight connectivity, beginning installations on its Bombardier Challenger 350 fleet in early 2026. The private‑jet operator, which runs more than 90 aircraft and ranks as the fifth‑largest U.S. fleet,...
Hubble Network Collaborates With Texas Instruments on Bluetooth Connectivity
Hubble Network announced a partnership with Texas Instruments at CES 2026 to embed its satellite‑backed Bluetooth service into TI’s CC2340 and CC2755x wireless microcontrollers. The integration delivers device location plus up to 13 bytes of sensor data—temperature, motion, diagnostics, or...
OQ Technology Secures New IoT Partnership With Monogoto
OQ Technology announced a partnership with Monogoto at CES 2026, integrating its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation into Monogoto’s hybrid IoT connectivity platform. The deal expands Monogoto’s ecosystem, which already includes GEO satellite links, to offer a true multi‑layer...
Stellant Systems to Be Acquired by TransDigm for $960M
Stellant Systems, a U.S. maker of radio‑frequency and microwave amplification products, agreed to be acquired by TransDigm Group for $960 million in cash. The definitive agreement was announced on Dec. 31 and is subject to regulatory clearance. Stellant will retain its name...
Japan MoD Awards Astroscale Contract to Develop Gripping Mechanism System
Japan’s Ministry of Defense has awarded Astroscale Japan a ¥1 billion (≈$6.4 million) contract to develop a gripping mechanism capable of securing national security satellites under diverse on‑orbit conditions. The agreement includes a ground‑based demonstration and aligns with the 2025 Space Domain...
Evergreen Marine Taps Inmarsat Maritime for NexusWave Connectivity Upgrade
Evergreen Marine has become the first Taiwanese container‑shipping operator to upgrade its fleet to Inmarsat Maritime’s NexusWave bonded connectivity solution. After successful trials, the company is moving from its long‑standing Fleet Xpress service to a multi‑network platform that promises higher...
SDA Surveying Industry On Ability to Provide Ground Entry Points for Tranche 3
The U.S. Space Force Space Development Agency (SDA) is surveying firms capable of delivering ground entry points (GEP) for Tranche 3 of its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. A five‑year solicitation, expected next month, will cover civil engineering, procurement, installation, integration, testing...
Israel Space Agency Selects Team to Lead R&D Space Laboratory Development
The Israel Space Agency has awarded the Access to Space consortium, led by Creation Space and backed by ImageSat International, the Technion, and Ben‑Gurion University, to build and run a national R&D space laboratory. The government will contribute roughly $16 million,...