Welcome to your weekly newsletter from satsearch
In these emails, we share trending stories from the industry, along with insights from our work operating the global marketplace for space. Let's dive in and take a look at some of the developments that caught our eye last week.
Intelsat enters Indian market to offer inflight connectivity services
Intelsat has announced that it will begin offering inflight connectivity services in the Indian market through an agreement with Nelco, an Indian satellite communication service provider.
In this agreement, Intelsat’s airline partners and flyers will also be able take advantage of end-to-end broadband coverage on domestic and international aircraft flying to or from an Indian airport, as well as aircraft flying over the country. Find out more here.
Nelco will provide these services using Intelsat’s IS-33e high throughput satellite. The IS-33e satellite is also approved by Indian government regulators, paving the way for coverage with no interruptions or blackout zones.
The mobility satellite communication market is growing again, mainly due to the elimination of COVID-19 restrictions. While the aviation sector is now on track to recover from the pandemic losses, the maritime sector has also started recording numerous commercial opportunities in the post-pandemic world. Our next story focuses on some of the latest developments in the maritime satellite market as well as providing a brief outlook on the upstream satellite market.
Space Norway to build a radar satellite system for maritime surveillance
Space Norway AS signed contracts with multiple vendors to initiate the development of a radar satellite system optimized for maritime surveillance.
The payloads will be developed and built by Norwegian suppliers - WideNorth, Eidsvoll Electronics (EIDEL), Kongsberg Seatex and Norwegian Defence research Establishment (FFI). Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) will deliver the satellite platform. Find out more here.
SSTL will be also responsible for integration of the payloads on board as well as for building the radar antenna through their sub-contractor, and satsearch member, Oxford Space Systems (OSS).
The first satellite will be launched in 2025. Reportedly, there are also plans to launch several radar satellites to establish a constellation. The satellite system is named MicroSAR and it is optimized for covering Norwegian needs. But it will also offer and deliver maritime surveillance services in the global market; including services such as the surveillance of ship traffic, combating illegal fishing, search and rescue and oil spill detection.
Satellite applications are making industries more efficient in terms of operational efficiency as well as providing quick and real-time observations to the government agencies. While the NewSpace landscape has helped several countries take advantage of such innovative satellite solutions, the funding of NewSpace companies still requires more focus in order to help accelerate the growth of commercial solutions. Our next story provides an update on NewSpace financing and related satellite technologies.
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