Satellites and wireless Communications will continue playing a vital role in the oil and gas industry
due to the fact that field exploration and production facilities operate in harsh environments: very
hot deserts, cold fields and open seas and oceans. They are located hundreds of miles from their
centralized offices in unpopulated areas, and basic requirements such as reliable terrestrial
commutations cannot be granted.

The digital divide has plagued us since the internet began its history, elevating some to extents of social, economic and cultural significance as an unacceptable remainder were left behind. With satellites becoming popularly understood as a key turning point in the struggle, we spoke to landmark connectivity providers at Forsway, as well as a foremost expert on the subject in Waheed Adam, Board Member at the Mobile Ecosystem Forum.

Low earth orbit satellite systems are providing the world significant new methods of surveying, communicating, and sharing information. From their position above, they are being used for surveillance to collect, process and transmit images and/or to enhance communications from earth to earth and/ or within space.

The advantage in using the lower level orbits is that it is a significantly lower cost to deliver and replace satellites compared to higher elevations, such as MEO. In response, we see launch and satellite delivery technology improving.

As much as we all want to see the tenets of the Outer Space Treaty, the Artemis Accords, and all other multilateral frameworks for peaceful cooperation in space hold up, geopolitical pressures here on Earth are already threatening the status quo. Then too, as the race to commercialize space intensifies, new menaces including debris and congestion, are certain to make space a more dangerous place. The question is: are we doing enough to circumvent the worst-case scenarios?

In mid-2022, Spire Global was called to Congress along with other academic and corporate representatives to discuss the state of weather prediction technology, and the private sector and academic power available for the United States Government to galvanize. Dr. Kevin Petty, Vice President of Weather and Earth Intelligence, Spire Global Inc, discussed the proceedings with us, and what they mean for the future of atmospheric sensing in a world facing ecological calamity.

The accelerated growth of the space sector in the UK demands an ever greater need to assess and quantify the impacts of this new and burgeoning industry, particularly when it comes to the safety and environmental consequences of such operations. In this article Ruth Fain, from leading environmental consultancy ITPEnergised, shares her experience preparing assessments of environmental effects (AEEs).

Intelsat, the largest provider of satellite capacity to the US government, is working with partners such as OneWeb, Microsoft, and other key industry players to build the nextgeneration unified network infrastructure needed to deliver resilient multi-layered connectivity everywhere. Dave Micha, President of Intelsat General Communications (IGC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Intelsat, which supports the US Department of Defense (DoD), the intelligence community, and global governments, discusses the importance of interoperability, 5G, and a multi-layered managed network approach to COMSATCOM.

After a healthy year, HUBER+SUHNER considers itself well-positioned to continue offering the aerospace and defence markets componentry with the paramount industry themes of longevity and sustainability in mind. Dr. Thomas Paul, VP / Market Manager for Aerospace, and Stefano Biagiotti, VP / Market Manager for Defence, discuss the company’s position.

It is difficult to imagine an environment more foreboding or forbidding to human life than space. It lacks oxygen, has an average temperature of negative 455 degrees Fahrenheit, and is pulsing with radiation that experts warn can cause cancer and other degenerative diseases. In short, space is not a place where any human should feel comfortable. Yet, despite all the arguments for avoiding space, we continue to explore it. Those at the forefront of the most recent wave of exploration are a new breed of private companies referred to collectively as NewSpace. Their vision is to make space accessible to everyone.

A particularly onerous complaint of the new era of LEO satellite networks across industry debates has been their longevity. As developers struggle to find the lowest possible cost for their platforms, quality, flexibility, and longevity are all sacrificed. With an effective servicing market still far on the horizon, measures must be taken as soon as possible to make space industries as reusable as possible. Sethu Saveda Suvanam, Founder & CEO of ReOrbit offers his plan for what can be done today.

Beyond the expected fascination with the Moon and Mars, Earth’s nearest gas giant, Jupiter, encapsulates a wealth of promising moons that scientists have long been eager to study, although the incredible distances involved, and challenging environments have made experimentation difficult. With new ESA and NASA technologies and expertise, the secrets of the biggest planet in our solar system could be set to unravel.

Following a series of high-profile research contracts in mid-2022, we’ve seen Viasat work closely with governments eager to drive modernization across their defences, seeking “information advantage” over their rivals. John Reeves, Managing Director of Viasat UK discusses their accomplishments, and how their technologies can maintain a peaceful world.