Space Force to award up to $50 million in contracts for Space Test Program experiments
Original Publication Date: 2022-10-21 21:14
Space Force changing its approach to buying satellites for the Space Test Program. Instead of awarding separate contracts for STP missions, vendors will compete for $50 million. Plan is to select vendors that can produce spacecraft ranging from 12U cubesats to 180-kilogram ESPA-class satellites. Draft solicitation for the Space Test Experiment Platform 2.0 program published.
Iridium sheds more light on direct-to-smartphone plan
Original Publication Date: 2022-10-21 21:04
Iridium CEO: Initial direct-to-smartphone services will support occasional communications. Similar to rival Globalstar’s plan to bring basic SOS connectivity to the iPhone 14. Iridium’s long-term goal is to connect other types of consumer devices directly to satellites.
OneWeb launch sign of greater role for India in commercial launch market
Original Publication Date: 2022-10-21 11:53
OneWeb will launch 36 satellites on an Indian rocket Oct. 22. The launch is the first of two that the broadband satellite constellation company acquired. OneWeb turned to NSIL after terminating its contract for Soyuz launches in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. ISRO placed an order in 2018 for 10 GSLV Mark 3 vehicles over five years.
Satellite operators gear up for Asia’s tidal wave of satellite capacity
Original Publication Date: 2022-10-21 02:31
Satellite operators in Asia are banking on soaring demand for connecting plane passengers. More integration between satellite and mobile network operators will create opportunities. Northern Sky Research expects global capacity supply to soar from about 39 terabits per second to 172 Tbps by 2030. Viasat expects each of the three ViaSat-3 satellites it plans to start launching from this year will add about 1 Tbps of capacity.
Space Force tries to turn over a new leaf in satellite procurement
Original Publication Date: 2022-10-20 17:28
Space Systems Command next year will seek industry bids for four infrared sensing satellites. The satellites will add a new layer to the Pentagon’s planned multi-orbit architecture of space sensors. DoD is seeking $4.7 billion for missile-tracking satellites in the 2023 budget request.