Telesat is a leading global satellite operator with a growing presence in Asia-Pacific. The company launched a new high throughput satellite (HTS) last September to serve the region, called Telstar 18 VANTAGE, and has already sold significant portions of its capacity. Danny Low, Head of Telesat Sales – Asia-Pacific, leads the Telesat office in Singapore. The following is a recent exchange we had with Danny on Telesat’s activities in the region and the company’s plans for its global LEO satellite constellation.

Internet connectivity has changed the world irreversibly; so many new doors have been opened from this always-on, always-available connectivity, and our lives have been changed forever. However, there is a stark divide between those with and those without connectivity. In some urban locations, download speeds greater than 100Mbps aren’t uncommon, while for other more remote areas, Internet may not be available at all. Satellite, and the ubiquitous, global coverage it can provide, is the answer.

UK-based Orbex was founded in 2015 to develop one of the world’s most advanced, low-carbon, high-performance micro-launch vehicles, in order to provide access to polar and sun-synchronous low Earth orbits (LEO) from Europe. Having already received funding from two of Europe’s largest venture capital funds (Sunstone Technology Ventures and the High-Tech Gründerfonds), as well as the UK Space Agency, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission Horizon 2020 programme, Orbex is well on its way to changing the face of the launch sector. Chris Larmour, CEO at Orbex, answers questions on the latest developments in the NewSpace sector, and Orbex’s place within the rapidly-changing marketplace.

LGS Innovations was established in 2006 to act as Alcatel-Lucent’s sole sales and contracting channel for all classified and unclassified business with the US Federal Government. The company was acquired by Madison Dearborn Partners and CoVant in 2014, after which it continued to act as the exclusive reseller of Alcatel-Lucent products to the US Government. The company delivers a range of next-generation solutions that solve the most complex networking and communications challenges facing governments, critical infrastructure operators, and large commercial enterprises. Linda Braun, Sr. Technical Vice President of Photonics at LGS Innovations, talks about the company’s latest activities with laser communications and other projects.

Space is the stuff of dreams – Anyone in the world can look up at night, and there it is, always present, and always out of reach. The distance between human kind and space is shrinking, however, as space tourism edges ever-nearer reality.

Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd acquired the Goonhilly satellite station in Cornwall, UK, from BT back in 2014, in order to realise the huge potential of the site. Plans for a multi-faceted space hub will see the firm forging ahead with a number of commercial and scientific endeavours. Ian Jones, CEO of Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd, talks about the future of Goonhilly Earth Station, and its role within the NewSpace sector.

Ask someone about deep space mining ten years ago, and people would have looked at you with incredulity. Today, however, we’re seeing the first companies pop into existence with just that in mind, while governments and associations the world over begin the onerous process of working out the legalities.

Satellite lifetimes are largely dependent upon how much fuel they have onboard. In what could be described as a massive waste of technological capabilities and money, many satellites are retired fully-functional, simply because they’ve run out of fuel. Accordingly, satellite life extension services, which promise next-generation space capabilities, weigh heavily on the agenda for several commercial and government space entities.

In the 10 years since its inception, Bitcoin has edged its way into the markets to such an extent that it’s now a major disruptive factor. Almost daily, we’re seeing newspapers reporting on the latest price trends, and why it’s good or bad, depending on your point of view. While formerly remaining within its only small niche, of interest only to techy people, financial companies and speculators, today Bitcoin has started to become truly global with the help of satellite.

Orbital ATK, a pioneering NewSpace company in many ways, has made heavy investments to deliver in-orbit satellite servicing capabilities in the next couple of years. Its subsidiary company, SpaceLogistics LLC, is developing the Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) as we speak, in order to deliver life extension services that are flexible, scalable, capital-efficient and low-risk. Amy Saunders visited the state-of-the-art Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD) facility at Orbital ATK’s headquarters just outside of Washington D.C to learn more about the program.

Small satellites have truly come into their own in recent years, with unique applications for Earth observation, research and development, and new communications solutions all paving the way for new applications, and in turn, new demand. Martin Jarrold, Chief International Programme Development at the Global VSAT Forum (GVF), opines on the key role small satellites will play in the NewSpace revolution.

Use the phrase ‘space graffiti’ in a room of satellite professionals, and until recently, they will have assumed you were talking about debris – namely, defunct or broken up old satellites moving orbiting the Earth and generally causing problems. All that has changed with the historic launch of Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle in January 2018…