On the heels of a successful wave of fundraising and milestone trials, Isotropic Systems is closing in on the commercial launch of its revolutionary multi-beam antenna. Thousands of new satellites are bound for orbits in LEO, MEO, HEO and GEO to offer unprecedented connectivity across a broad range of markets, including defense, aero, maritime, and corporate networks. But the nextgen ecosystem could fall flat without an equally transformational ground game. Isotropic Systems Chief Commercial Officer Scott Sprague provides the very latest on the company and its patented, optics-based multi-beam terminal that’s set to fill the ground gap and launch commercially next year.

NGOs in recent years have recognized how the powerful combination of dedicated software technology and reliable satellite communications can help safeguard workers and optimize resources. But the pandemic has brought the value of this advanced tech into even sharper focus.

DARPA’s LEO network continues its proliferation of satellites intended for its Blackjack constellation project for demonstration in 2021-22, establishing a dedicated network for government and military connectivity including the Pit Boss autonomous mission management system. The first two payloads are planned for rideshare in the summer of 2021, which will continue on to 2024, and likely beyond.

Battlefield communications are fraught with complex challenges like security, reliability, and availability. The PACE (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency) methodology, employed widely within international defence groups, provides a means of assuring communications.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a widely explored topic in the last couple of decades, with many predictions that the machines will ultimately be the undoing of us all. Nevertheless, AI is very much reality, and proving exceedingly useful to militaries across the world.

The US Army’s newest recruitment effort, the ‘What’s Your Warrior?’ campaign, aims to engage younger recruits from a generation becoming increasingly disaffected by the military. Sgt. Jennifer Smith, Signal Support System Specialist, and Paul Mehney, Public Communications Director, US Army Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications-Tactical, outline the new strategy and discuss how the US Army has changed in recent years.

Laser technology, namely a highly focused beam of light, has come a long way in recent years, making its way well into the forefront of new military and defence architectures. With resources being spread across a wide range of new laser activities, it’s an exciting time to be in the field.

Satellite technology has long delivered vital capabilities to defence groups across the world, enabling secure and assured communications between forces at home and abroad. Satcom for military has a long and rich history with frequent upgrades and advancements, culminating in unparalleled efficiency.

Like so many emergent technological trends, the state of 5G tends to change as expectations
and reality find surer footing. As a year of booming emphasis on digitization comes to a close,
recent achievements and research in 5G draws new conclusions.

Myriota is an enterprising NewSpace Australian scale-up aiming to work with the Australian Space Agency’s unique advantages in nurturing Australian space industries and honing their competitiveness on a global stage. Dr Alex Grant, Co-Founder of Myriota, explains how the company fits into Australia’s
NewSpace strategy.

Arianespace has maintained impressive performance under the pandemic, managing several distinctive launches, and being trusted with the continuation of the OneWeb contract. Vivian Quenet, Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, Arianespace, outlines how they have maintained a competitive edge under such
unprecedented circumstances.

This paper explains the dynamic range capability of the ViaLiteHD L-Band HTS Hyper Wide Dynamic Range (HWDR) Series 2 (S2) link, compared to a standard ViaLiteHD L-band HTS link. It also explains how dynamic range can be manipulated to improve P1dB, IP3, Intermodulation (IMD) and Minimum Detectable Signal (MDS), plus what trade-offs occur when you optimize each of these values.