Space Intel Report

TUPPER LAKE, NY — The seven-month negotiation among investors in Europe’s Iris2 multi-orbit network concluded Aug. 7 with the signature of an “implementation agreement” between the European Commission, the 23-nation European Space Agency (ESA) and the SpaceRise consortium of satellite operators SES, Eutelsat and HispaSat. Many questions remain after the Commission’s announcement that the RDV-1 negotiations on Iris2’s cost, schedule and performance had concluded. SES, in an Aug. 7 . . .

TUPPER LAKE, NY — Space hardware provider OHB SE of Germany said Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket is at risk of losing German and other government and commercial business if European political authorities don’t agree to a sharp ramp-up in launch capacity soon. In an Aug.

TUPPER LAKE, NY — Satellite telecommunications and radar satellite fleet operator Space42 said it will decide within months on what LEO- or MEO-orbit provider to use for civil and defense broadband connectivity to complement the company’s existing Al Yah satellites in geostationary orbit.

TUPPER LAKE, NY — Satellite-based space situational awareness service provide NorthStar Earth & Space has lost its two-year arbitration against Spire Global alleging under-performance of four Spire-built NorthStar satellites and awarded Spire about $12.4 million in counterclaims against NorthStar.

TUPPER LAKE, NY — Viasat Inc. still intends to pursue its Equatys direct-to-device (D2D) mobile satellite service joint venture with UAE-based Space42 with a constellation of satellites that could be co-owned by other parties, Viasat Chief Executive Mark Dankberg said. In an Aug.

TUPPER LAKE, NY — NATO wants to expand its use of commercial satcom by leasing capacity from pre-selected companies capable of providing Ka-, Ku-, X-, UHF-, EHF and other frequencies for future NATO requirements that cannot be met solely by the capacity NATO currently leases.

TUPPER LAKE, NY— The Canadian Defence Investment Agency (DIA) order for 69 additional Telesat Lightspeed Ka-band satellites’ Arctic coverage is part of a $1.9-billion service contract of which $1.5 billion will be paid between 2026 and 2028, followed by $400 million in annual payments through 2043. The contract, announced Aug.

TUPPER LAKE, NY— The Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of Hughes Satellite Systems and affiliated companies following non-payment of $1.5 billion in debt has prompted the dismissal of 31% of its work force and will lead to a potentially nasty battle with lenders over Hughes’s relationship to parent company EchoStar Corp. In an Aug.

TUPPER LAKE, NY— Leonardo’s Space division, including its majority stake in satellite service provider Telespazio, reported a 14.4% increase in revenue for the six months ending June 30 and a 5.9% increase in EBITDA on the strength of payload and robotics contracts. New orders were up 11.6% at 500 million euros ($574 million). Backlog for the division stood at 1.6 billion euros at June 30.

TUPPER LAKE, NY — Satellite fleet operator SES reported a 5% decline in revenue and a 6.2% decline in adjusted EBITDA for the six months ending June 30 compared to a year ago assuming its purchase of Intelsat had occurred in 2024. Luxembourg-based SES said the decline was particularly notable in Q2, when several expected contracts did not materialize.