I was flabbergasted to learn that mechanical televisions were created in the early 1800s. Of course, these were rudimentary machines that bore almost no resemblance to the first electronic television which was invented by 21-year old Philo Taylor Farnsworth in 1927. It would be another 11 years before these Cathode Ray Tube technology-based sets were made available commercially.
Not many people had TVs back then but by 1963 television surpassed newspapers as an information source and by 1969 millions of American Viewers watched Neil Armstrong on live network TV as he stepped upon the surface of the Moon.
In those days, television was a big deal. The whole family would group around a small tv set, some accompanied by rabbit ear antennas, and watch shows together, even though there were only a handful of channels from which to choose. With the advent of satellite-enabled broadcasting, a few channels grew to multitudinous options for entertainment. Viewers were willing to pay big bucks to have so many options. Then came GPS, texting, streaming, gaming, social media, online shopping, virtual classrooms, telemedicine, and smart TVs. Consumers want it all—whatever, whenever, wherever—and that consuming desire for on demand services is challenging traditional television viewing and changing the satellite broadcast landscape.
Today, an estimated 5.44 billion people can access the worldwide web. Mobile internet connectivity accounts for 59 percent of total web traffic worldwide. Advances in satellite technology coupled with the advent of LEO constellations have been essential to the progress that’s been made, but there is ample room for growth. Our industry still needs to bridge the digital divide in many remote and rural areas so that the 2.6 billion people who are still unconnected can access all the wonderful services that can improve their lives. We also need to figure out how to provide content in local languages, reduce the cost of service, and deal with latency as well as spotty connections due to bad weather. These are tough challenges, but, as Albert Einstein once said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
In this September issue of Satellite Evolution Global, we ask Milbank’s Dara Panahy some difficult questions about the laws governing the industry; who is liable for space debris; the SpaceX monopoly; the growing specter of space weaponry; and when we might see humans on Mars. Matthew Evans, Director of Regulatory Affairs at River Advisers enlightens us about the crucial role of landing rights in satellite services. CEO and Managing Partner at NewSpace Capital, Bogdan Gogulan, discusses the ways in which satellites can help to eliminate food insecurity and Alastair MacLeod, CEO of Ground Control tells us how satellite tracking is making great strides in the fight to tackle global climate change. Finally, Chris Gregory, VP Product at Kratos, gives us a detailed account of how Kratos helped ATLAS Space Operations achieve the competitive advantage in Ground-Station-as-a-Service (GSaaS) by leveraging Kratos’ software solutions.
Crispin Littlehales, Executive Editor
Executive Q&A
Features & Market Reports
Spaceport Cornwall plans to make Cornwall Europe’s premier future air and space solution
UNITED KINGDOM: Spaceport Cornwall, alongside Cornwall Airport Newquay, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Wholeship Ltd, which operates the National Drone Hub at Predannack, near Helston.
The proposed collaboration supports the spaceport’s ambitions to make Cornwall Europe’s leading Future Air and Space solution, enabling the combined and coordinated use of facilities and expertise across all three sites to create a unique future air and space offer in Cornwall, from testing through to operations.
A key focus of the consortium is to position the UK as a world leading location for both crewed and uncrewed technology, working with partners such as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Department for Transport (DfT) to influence future airspace regulation.
With access to over 5500 square kilometres of
segregated airspace, the partnership will provide the opportunity for UK flight trials of sub-scale air systems and test operating procedures to be conducted at the National Drone Hub, enabling Spaceport Cornwall to gather evidence in support of future operational flights from Newquay.
The MoU highlights a number of other potential areas for collaboration, including the ability for Spaceport Cornwall to demonstrate Cornwall’s combined future air and space offer to prospective customers and clients, and to investigate possible partnerships with UK industry and the Ministry of Defense (MoD).
Speaking about the agreement, Spaceport Cornwall’s Head of Engagement, Ross Hulbert, said, “The collaboration between Spaceport Cornwall and Wholeship Ltd is an exciting opportunity that provides the facilities, skills and operational functions needed for Cornwall to be the driving force in the future of flight in Europe. ”
Minister for Aviation and Space Mike Kane said: "In the spirit of innovation and collaboration, the strategic collaboration between Spaceport Cornwall and the National Drone Hub marks a significant leap forward for the future of aviation and space.
“By uniting expertise and resources, this partnership not only establishes Cornwall as a world-leading location for groundbreaking aerospace technology, but also paves the way for airspace modernisation and regulation – ensuring our skies are evolving with the times.”
Ross
Hulbert, Head of Engagement, Spaceport Cornwall and Dan Stembridge, CEO, Wholeship
Northrop Grumman receives second DARC site award
NORTH AMERICA: Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded its Deep-Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) Site 2 contract from the US Space Force. The second site, located in the United Kingdom, continues DARC’s path to become one of the world’s most advanced radars for tracking objects in deep space. This award follows the previous competitive award of DARC Site 1. As a next-generation ground system enabling security and stability in deep space on a global scale, DARC will:
• Monitor objects in geosynchronous orbit 22,000 miles above the equator 24/7 in all weather conditions, providing full global coverage protecting critical US and allied satellites.
• Operate in collaboration across AUKUS partners in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom.
Pablo Pezzimenti, Vice President, Integrated National Systems, Northrop Grumman: “The DARC Site 2 award expands Northrop Grumman’s support for the US Space Force’s Space Domain Awareness (SDA) capabilities in an increasingly contested domain. This site brings us closer to achieving global coverage of deep space, which is a critical mission for future security of the US and its allies.”
The DARC global network of advanced ground-based sensors will be hosted and operated by the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom in a partnership expanding beyond what individual nations could achieve alone in one of the most critical domains for future security. Traditional ground-based optical SDA systems only operate at night and are impacted by weather conditions. The DARC program will boost the resilience of the space domain architecture through its adaptability of 24/7 monitoring and all-weather conditions making operational surprise exceedingly difficult for adversaries.
Photo courtesy of Northrop Grumman
Thaicom and Hughes Communications
India sign agreement for satellite capacity
INDIA: Thaicom Public Company Limited has announced that its subsidiary IPSTAR (India) Private Limited (IPSTAR) has signed an agreement for satellite capacity with Hughes Communications India Private Limited (HCI), a leading provider of broadband satellite and managed network services, for satellite capacity over India on Thaicom’s satellite fleet.
Under the agreement, IPSTAR India will provide satellite capacity services to Hughes in India via Thaicom’s satellite network. This will enable HCI to enhance its satellite broadband, mobile backhaul, maritime and satellite IoT services to meet the growing and varied demand for satellite services in India.
This strategic partnership represents a significant milestone in the development of satellite communications, boosting India-focused capacity for satellite broadband and related services.
Thaicom remains committed to serving the satellite broadband demand for the Indian as the need arises, with additional capacity from its current and upcoming next-
generation satellite fleet. It is now in the process of obtaining regulatory approval under the new space policy from the Indian government.
Shivaji Chatterjee, President & Managing Director of Hughes Communications India, said “Our long-standing engagement with Thaicom has been very successful, and we are excited to further enhance our collaboration through this agreement. This new capacity expansion will significantly boost broadband connectivity in India. Thaicom’s satellite platform is a crucial component in advancing broadband satellite services throughout the country. We look forward to a continued, successful partnership with Thaicom.”
Patompob (Nile) Suwansiri, Thaicom’s CEO, added, “We are very honored to sign this agreement with Hughes Communication India, the leading satellite service provider in India, starting with the use of our existing powerful THAICOM 8 satellite with dedicated Indian coverage. Furthermore, Thaicom remains committed to continuously serve the Indian market into the future with new investments in the state-of-the-art next generation satellites. Thaicom has been providing the Indian market with satellite capacity since 1997 and combined with extensive experience and know-how of Hughes managed services platform, I have full confidence that we will be able to serve the insatiable demand for broadband services throughout India.”
Thaicom and Hughes Communications India sign agreement for satellite capacity
Dara Panahy, Transportation and Space Attorney, Milbank
What’s next?
Milbank’s Dara Panahy has been practicing law in the space and satellite arena since 1997. He’s guided many companies through the legal requirements, commercial arrangements, and securing financing to engage in space businesses and, as a result, he’s watched the space economy unfold from a front row seat. We caught up with Panahy and asked some difficult questions about the laws governing the industry; who is liable for space debris; the SpaceX monopoly; the growing specter of space weaponry; and when we might see humans on Mars.
Crispin Littlehales, Executive Editor, Satellite Evolution Group
Question: As an attorney, what attracted you to the space and satellite sector and what kind of services and advice do you provide?
Dara Panahy: I got into practicing law in the space and satellite arena in a very roundabout way. I was always interested in space. I aspired to be an astronaut or an aeronautical engineer when I was younger. When I got to college, reality set in. I was capable at some things, but not all the prerequisites for an engineering degree. So, I made the decision to study foreign policy, economics, and languages instead. Fast forward to law school and I realized that I wanted to do something transactional and cross border. I participated in a space law moot court competition and was enthralled with the topics involving things like remote sensing, territorial rights, and defense/national security considerations. At the end of the competition, one of the judges invited me to interview for a position to practice law in the area of space. That was in September of 1997, and I’ve never looked back.
The team here at Milbank supporting the Space Business Practice is now 10 people strong. It’s a corporate and sector-based practice and we are fully dedicated to the space and satellite industry. The key elements are project development, contracts, and financing. Companies that want to engage in activity in space have to acquire assets or the ability to use assets or related services in or from space. They need to precure platforms and launch services. They have to adjust their technologies and build their businesses. We advise and support all of the general corporate elements associated with developing a project that is spaceenabled. We also assist with the financing of these projects—whether it’s private or public capital markets, export credit, or whatever other form of financing—and sometimes we bring in experts from other areas of the firm. We focus on all the risk management aspects of the project including insurance and the various sovereign credit or risk support elements that some countries provide to space -related projects.
Q&A
There is also the regulatory side. Companies must get licenses to go into space and to communicate with space objects. In the future, there will be more regulation of what you can and cannot do on celestial bodies, including asteroids, while operating in the space domain. That is still a very murky area, and we advise our clients about what to do where there is no specific regulation associated with their contemplated activity.
In addition, we advise on restructurings, bankruptcies, litigations, and arbitrations. Mostly we try to resolve situations before they enter a formal dispute resolution process. We’ve been very fortunate with restructurings - each one that we have been involved in has resulted in the debtor
emerging bankruptcy as a newly capitalized company continuing its business in some form or another.
Question: What would you say are the key drivers for market growth in the space economy at present?
Dara Panahy: The space economy is in an evolving next chapter. In the commercial sector we are moving away from heritage space which was a relatively limited set of business silos. In one silo was the distribution of media from point to point or multipoint. Then there were the legacy services including first generation remote sensing, Earth observation, GPS-enabled services, and communications. The third silo was space transportation— basically launch and access to space—which was dominated by a limited number of companies. On the manufacturing side, you had large conglomerate or multinational entities like Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Mitsubishi Electric, Orbital Sciences, Space Systems/Loral, Thales Alenia Space and the like.
Over the last 10 years, and at an accelerated pace, we are seeing barriers to entry lower. We’re seeing disaggregation in many of the different business silos and we’re seeing new silos developing. Now that it is less expensive and easier to get to space—in large part thanks to innovators and disruptors like SpaceX and others—the innovation of what can be done in space has increased and we are seeing a lot more growth.
Then, too, there is the evolution of the next generation of the space economy. Private players developing things such as space stations and transportation in space are looking to do things like manufacturing and growing things in space. They are developing the economy in space including space tourism and space-to-space transportation, not just Earth-to-space and back. Some of those emerging areas continue to sound like science fiction. But 15 years ago, providing broadband internet
connectivity through multiple constellations in low Earth orbit sounded like science fiction. Within 10 to 15 years a lot of these emerging areas will be ordinary businesses. There is a report released by the World Economic Forum and done by McKinsey, which looks at the growth in the space industry. One of the interesting conclusions is that in 2035 space will be a US$1.8 trillion economy. The largest growth drivers are going to be nontraditional actors that have nothing to do with space but are benefiting from space-based applications and services.
Question: What do you see as the biggest hindrance to growth right now?
Dara Panahy: This is a very complex question. In my personal view, it is risk aversion and concern about getting to the right tradeoffs in terms of engineering as well as preparation, testing, and development. The issue here is that we’ve got to find a sweet spot in terms of managing over engineering versus under engineering. That methodology is something that Elon Musk and SpaceX have been the flag bearers for. There is the opposite end of the spectrum which are the large legacy industrial and defense companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin who take a different, more conservative approach but recently seem to be adopting leaner approaches for certain programs. One has to find a balance in terms of the right amount of development, engineering, and preparation so that the capital expense of developing something can become a profitable service or business.
Today, the absolute cost of getting off the ground and producing something that can be revenue generating is still very high for some of the applications and services that are contemplated, including communications and Earth observation, because there is a legacy logic that dictates you can’t put something in space until you are very confident that it’s going to operate in that environment
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
and also not cause other problems and contribute to orbital debris. Elon Musk has argued from day one that the legacy approach involves inefficient over engineering. He champions being “good enough” to operate for specific applications, which makes it cheaper to build and launch and replenish rather than build, launch and operate it for a very long time. He also has made the point that launching a satellite that lasts 15 or more years doesn’t really work anymore because it tends to enable and support technology on Earth which evolves every one to three years. To unlock additional business models, space infrastructure has to achieve the engineering “Goldilocks zone” where something is safe and sufficiently robust to do what it does at a cost point that enables a profitable business. Recalibration is already happening. There are a number of next generation satellite manufacturers that are building smaller satellites that use off the shelf technology designed to last maybe 8 to 10 years. These have the same functionality as legacy geostationary satellites but at half or a third of the cost.
Question: Many observers believe that the laws governing the satellite and space industry are outdated, particularly those designed to keep space neutral and peaceful. Do you think the laws that are in place are enough? Should we be doing more?
Dara Panahy: We definitely need to be doing more. It’s not a criticism, it’s just the evolution of a market. When the existing legal system for space activities was negotiated and agreed during the late 1960’s under the auspices of the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs, the only actors in space were just a few sovereign entities. Those treaties, very rightfully, addressed sovereign activity in space and included very broad concepts: for example, an obligation to provide rescue support to astronauts in distress; or if there is a collision or an incident in space that causes harm in space, in Earth atmosphere or on the ground, there’s a structure set up under the liability convention for resolving claims; and no person or nation can appropriate a celestial body or material on a celestial body for its own benefit. If China, Russia, the US, and other nations bring back materials from a celestial body, they can study them and do whatever else they want from a scientific standpoint. On the other hand, if a private company wants to go to the Moon and bring back Moon rocks, there’s nothing stopping them, but the company
won’t have a legal ownership interest and won’t be able to do anything commercially with the materials.
These treaties were ultimately ratified and implemented as domestic law by many countries at that time. These laws recognize the domain of space very much in the same way that, centuries ago, laws were enacted to apply to behaviour on the high seas. We are now over 50 years past that time. The space economy is now being driven and accelerated by private actors. Sovereign entities still play a key role but that has now evolved into a regulatory one or one that provides subsidies or certain focused early-stage investments. However, the majority of the new investment and innovation as well as the vision for the future is coming from private industry. Accordingly, we need to draw up a completely new set of rules and regulations on both the national and global levels.
There is nothing that is globally binding right now. The only legal framework that’s applied commercially is the ITU’s role as a standards agency for the prioritization of the ability to use radio frequency spectrum to communicate from Earth to space and/or space back to Earth. The ITU’s regulations contemplated the terrestrial and orbital use of radio frequency spectrum and the ITU was never intended to contemplate how to regulate communications to/from other planets or beyond Earth’s orbit.
When it comes to orbital debris, there are recommendations and guidelines as well as certain national regulations regarding what parties have to do in order to mitigate and limit the addition of new debris in near Earth orbit. There are limited solutions for spacecraft that were not designed to either be orbited back into the atmosphere or be deorbited far away from current operating orbits, but there are no binding global regulations or standards. As a planet, we need to come together and agree to a common denominator set of rules that apply to commercial and sovereign activity in space to address the current and future risk of orbital debris.
The other issue that is top of mind is whether space is now a military domain. That’s an issue that’s currently evolving. All the spacefaring nations need to agree on a framework of do’s and don’ts so that we don’t destroy all the resources that have become critical to our day-to-day existence on Earth. If we were to lose the assets we have, and render near-Earth orbit unusable, the impact would be immediate and devastating.
Question: The mere mention of space weaponry being developed by Russia has sent chills through the airwaves. In truth, Russia is not the only country developing a space arsenal. Do you envision Star Wars in our immediate future?
Dara Panahy: That question is well above my paygrade and understanding but I’ll share with you that all the countries that today have the resources, the ability, and the technology to deploy weaponry in space also grasp the ramifications of doing so. Should a country engage in war-like activity that impacts assets in space, that action is likely to escalate to other theaters of warfare. My opinion, and my hope is that the resulting deterrence is similar to the mutual assured destruction doctrine between the US
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
and Russia during the Cold War. In order words, we won’t go there because the implications are so negative. Widespread warfare in space likely means that the actors are engaged in, or will be engaged in, warfare in domains other than space. One would think that the horrible implications of doing something like that would educate and direct us to the conclusion that it makes no sense to do so.
Question: SpaceX currently has a huge lead when it comes to launching capabilities and functioning communications satellites in LEO. Is this something that the industry needs to worry about?
Dara Panahy: I don’t think we need to worry. In any industry that’s going through an innovation and growth cycle, it’s inevitable that there may be a couple of players with an outsize market share for a period of time. Space X, by evolving a closed loop launch system that’s reliable and reusable, brought the cost down for access to space. Next, SpaceX developed Starlink by putting together equipment that’s not perhaps exquisitely engineered for long term performance in orbit but is “good enough” for the end-use, then having the willingness to let if fail and learn from it and use the return of experience to improve and evolve the engineering. That’s the difference between SpaceX and certain other companies. This approach has given SpaceX a couple of leads in launch and low Earth orbit broadband communication, but the leads will not last forever. Innovation is ultimately never limited to one company and SpaceX has taught many others how to approach a problem in a different way and how to evolve from it. We’ll see multiple players take SpaceX’s logic and methodology and improve it. Someday SpaceX will be overtaken by somebody that it actually inspired. Interestingly, SpaceX is open to launching satellites manufactured by its competitors. When it comes to SpaceX, I think the innovation that they have brought to the industry far outweighs any temporal concerns about market concentration.
Question: Space debris and situational awareness are huge challenges. We are definitely making some progress as the problem has been defined and discussed, but can we effectively address this challenge before the Kessler effect sets in?
Dara Panahy: Like many things in space, it’s a race. We have a number of governments and companies racing to develop solutions to solve the problem. At the same time, we also have companies that are racing to get assets up into orbit as cheaply as they can to have profitable businesses. We are looking at a big dilemma here. Space has become more accessible and that is spawning new business models and services.
Those are all good things, but as we populate low Earth orbit, we are increasing the odds of having a conjunction which causes debris which then causes secondary impacts and moves us towards the Kessler effect. I don’t want to say it is inevitable, but we are certainly moving in that direction and it’s a matter of physics. It’s more likely than not that we are going to see conjunctions and resulting debris fields before we have very effective ways to clean
it up. I do worry that the problem is not going to get the global spotlight it needs until we have a live impact event where financial and political pain is felt. I am afraid that we cannot get to the solution phase until we arrive at a common denominator of recognition which will drive cooperation.
Question: Elon Musk wants to get humans to Mars in the next 10 years and Jeff Bezos wants to move all polluting industry into space. Do you think either of these visions are even possible and if so, how long might it take for us to achieve these goals?
Dara Panahy: I believe humans will land on Mars within the next 20 years or so, not 10. The Moon was hard, and Mars is a lot harder. We are not 100 percent certain about the environment once we get there and there is no credible plan in place for getting the astronauts back to Earth. Are we as a society willing to embark on a one-way trip and trust that, in time, a way will be devised to bring people home, if at all? That seems to be the Elon way to do things.
Even though I hold the view that we must focus on Earth, and I don’t adhere to the notion that we need to leave the planet because we cannot fix it, I nonetheless hope we get to Mars one day. Still, in my mind it is essential that we improve science and figure out how to deal with both natural and human-caused problems that plague us on Earth.
Moving polluting industry into space? It’s one solution of many and we need to iterate on all the solutions. We must figure out how to have less of a polluting footprint for all our activities on Earth. If we could get to the point where we could safely launch nuclear waste or other sorts of highly toxic things to a place where we are not just punting the problem down the line, but solving it, that would be great. Just putting pollution somewhere where it’s not immediately affecting us, is neither the right or moral thing to do, maybe not even the economic thing to do. However, if Jeff Bezos can find a way to launch such items directly to the Sun, where it would completely vaporize and leave zero trace—perfect!
It took us 50 years to get from only sovereign actors in space to where we are now and that’s pretty remarkable. Today, we are in that first big step of transitioning. With that comes this balance of risks versus the rewards that result from innovation and growth. Centuries ago, humans got on ships not knowing what they would endure; not knowing what they could handle on the oceans. Some died along the way and we are going to see that happen in space as we progress forward. There will be problems. There will be accidents. These are the unfortunate but necessary realities of reaching out into the frontier of space, and perhaps to a better, more interesting future.
Space is the next big domain, and we are just scratching the surface of what can be done from space, not just to enable economies, but also to make life a little better here on Earth. With the evolution of orbital sensors and spaceenabled science we can tackle all sorts of issues in a new manner, and from a different perspective. To me the most exciting thing is that we don’t really know all the benefits that will unfold but we are embarking on the next big steps to get there.
Unlocking the skies: The crucial role of landing rights in satellite services
Alongside the technical and operational difficulties that must be overcome to set up and run a satellite communications service, navigating a complex regulatory environment is high on the list of issues operators face. One regulatory element, often shrouded in complexity, is the concept of “landing rights”. As satellite operators seek to expand their reach and deliver innovative services worldwide, landing rights emerge as both a critical enabler and a formidable challenge.
Matthew Evans, Director of Regulatory Affairs at River Advisers
Typically granted by national regulatory authorities, landing rights sit separately from other authorizations, such as the radio spectrum used by ground devices or gateways and the sale of telecommunications to users. They are also distinct from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) filing procedures, which handle the registration and coordination of satellite networks on a global scale. While ITU registration is necessary, it does not eliminate the need for obtaining landing rights in every country where the satellite services will be deployed.
Landing rights are, in essence, permissions granted by a country for a foreign-owned satellite, or a constellation of satellites, to deliver signals or traffic into its national territory. These permissions are essential for satellite operators to legally offer their services within a specific jurisdiction.
A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME AND SPACE
The regulatory frameworks governing satellite landing rights have evolved significantly over the past few decades. During the 1980s, most satellite systems were owned by national governments or intergovernmental organizations like Intelsat and Eutelsat. These entities operated under “closed skies” policies, which restricted access to satellite capacity based on national ownership, ensuring that local providers used capacity from domestically owned systems.
However, the liberalization of telecommunications markets in the 1990s, coupled with the privatization of satellite systems and the emergence of independent operators, prompted a shift towards ‘open skies’ policies. Major World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements on
trade and telecommunications in 1997 and 1998 further catalyzed this shift, as countries committed to abolishing measures that restricted free selection between satellite resources. This move was aimed at fostering market competition, improving service quality, and reducing prices for end-users.
In Europe, the open skies principle was incorporated into the European Union’s regulatory framework through EC Directive 2002/77/EC, leading to the phasing out of landing rights across the continent. However, in many regions, particularly in South America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa, landing rights are still a regulatory requirement. The terminology and procedures vary widely across these regions, reflecting diverse regulatory environments and historical contexts.
NAVIGATING THE COMPLEX LANDSCAPE
For satellite operators, obtaining landing rights is a critical step in their business development process. The procedures vary significantly from country to country, involving different levels of technical detail, regulatory fees, and timeframes. In the United States, for instance, the application process is detailed and technical, while Saudi Arabia offers a more streamlined approach.
The challenges are particularly acute in rapidly growing markets. In India, one of the world’s fastest-expanding telecom markets, obtaining landing rights can take up to 18 months and involve multiple government agencies. This delay can significantly impact an operator’s ability to enter the market and provide services efficiently. Brazil, another key emerging market, has a regulatory framework for satellite landing rights that industry experts describe as “complex and time-consuming”.
The application fees also vary widely. In Africa, these range from as low as US$20 in Nigeria to over US$12,000 in Kenya. Some countries, including Brazil, Indonesia, and Mexico, also require that landing rights be obtained by a locally incorporated entity, forcing foreign satellite operators to either establish a subsidiary or partner with a local company. This adds additional complexity and expense to the process.
To complicate matters even more, satellite operators
Matthew Evans, Director of Regulatory Affairs at River Advisers
are continuing to face obligations to install gateways and other network facilities within certain national territories to comply with data security and legal interception rules. These requirements add regulatory, technical, and financial burdens for satellite operators, which often impact the supply chain.
THE NEED FOR REGULATORY REFORM
Despite the challenges, there is a growing recognition among regulators and governments that a simplified and efficient landing rights process can bring certain benefits. Streamlined procedures, such as registration databases, can enhance regulatory transparency, reduce administrative burdens, and foster a more competitive market environment. Simplified processes also help regulators maintain oversight of foreign satellite systems operating within their territories, ensuring service quality and security for resellers and end-users.
Recent developments in Argentina illustrate this trend towards simplification. In December 2023, the Argentine government issued a decree to institute a simplified, free “prior registration.” This change was part of a broader effort to stimulate market competition and address economic challenges in the country.
Similarly, Saudi Arabia introduced a foreign satellite registration procedure in 2022, aiming to balance regulatory oversight with market accessibility. These examples highlight a growing awareness of the need for regulatory frameworks that support the dynamic and evolving satellite industry.
THE PATH FORWARD
As the satellite industry continues to expand and innovate, the importance of clear and efficient regulatory processes cannot be overstated. Landing rights, while essential and unlikely to be phased out globally, should not become an insurmountable barrier to market entry. By adopting best practices and learning from successful reforms in other countries, regulators can perfectly meet their objectives while supporting environments that encourage investment, innovation, and competition.
For satellite operators, understanding the intricacies of landing rights and leveraging expertise in this area remains crucial. Engaging specialist advisers with practical experience and know-how of the complex regulatory landscape can help identify potential challenges early and develop strategies to secure the necessary permissions efficiently.
Photo courtesy Shutterstock
ATLAS: Leveraging software to achieve the competitive advantage in GSaaS
The move from hardware to software in satellite ground infrastructure is more than just digital transformation for greater efficiency - it opens the door to a future of new revenue and growth opportunities, cost savings, and a level of competitiveness not seen before in the industry. ATLAS Space Operations is a leader in leveraging network virtualization and modernization to capture these opportunities.
Chris Gregory, VP Product, Kratos
ATLAS Space Operations is a rapidly growing GroundStation-as-a-Service provider developing the largest US-owned and operated global federated antenna network. ATLAS provides managed networks services for their increasingly diverse commercial and defense customer base focusing mainly on Earth Observation (EO) and Remote Sensing (RS) missions.
Many satellite operators and service providers are choosing a GSaaS model as an alternative to building their own ground systems and to simplify the process of providing services for their customers. The GSaaS model
Photo courtesy ATLAS
can allow for quicker entry to the market and a faster way to get new services operational for satellite operators and service providers. The approach removes the CAPEX necessary for building a new ground system and maintaining it.
ATLAS is leveraging advanced software signal processing to support customer demand for ever-higher data rates and more efficient modulation and coding (modcods) that has outpaced the capabilities of their existing hardware modems and older software defined radios (SDR).
ATLAS’ network, comprising over 50 antennas and 34 active ground stations, is providing its customers secure access to space for EO/RS applications supporting multiple frequency bands including S, X, Ka, and UHF. They are redefining Ground Segment-as-a-Service to Ground Software-as-a-Service™ which encapsulates how ATLAS leverages its network as a foundational data conduit and emphasizes the value that can be delivered through a software-centric approach.
THE CHALLENGES
IN LEGACY GROUND TECHNOLOGY
ATLAS uses a variety of hardware modems and older SDRs depending on specific customer requirements at a given site. Previous attempts at modernization were slowed by
“We selected Kratos because they provided the most comprehensive solution with options to add future capability, their solution was immediately available without requiring additional time or development risk, and they had a cost-effective solution, saving us millions of dollars, which is doubly important for a growing company with multiple expansion plans such as ATLAS.”
John Williams, CEO, ATLAS Space Operations
Chris Gregory, VP Product, Kratos
limited modem capabilities and costs associated with customization.
Some ATLAS sites were performing to their specific missions but could not adapt to higher bandwidth mission requirements easily without increasing the hardware footprint which in turn would increase space, power and cooling requirements and costs.
THE SOLUTION IN QUANTUM VIRTUAL SIGNAL PROCESSING
EO/RS is the first satellite market segment to digitally transform, and ATLAS is a pioneer in this effort. For this modernization project, they explored many options to grow their business, but ultimately decided that the best way forward was to adopt virtual signal processing that included the most advanced software modems and other applications to replace existing hardware.
During the selection process, ATLAS found Kratos’ OpenSpace® quantum products to have the most complete and cost-effective solution to meet their customers’ growing demand for advanced capabilities. Against competing solutions, Kratos’ quantum solution saved ATLAS millions of dollars. ATLAS implemented quantum at 9 ground station sites, a test lab, and two RFCompatibility Test Kits, replacing older SDRs.
Kratos is a ground system infrastructure provider
leading the digital transformation of satellite ground systems.
Kratos’ quantum signal processing solutions are individual virtualized network functions that replace traditional hardware or legacy SDRs. These solutions currently run in more than a hundred organizations and take thousands of passes per month.
ATLAS’ modernized ground sites now include software modems, FEPs, and Recorders, as well as digitizers all implemented while maintaining the service quality that their customers expect.
VIRTUALIZED DATA DOWNLINK & TT&C
To run a virtual ground system, satellite signals communicating to the ground must first be converted into IP packets through digitization. ATLAS’ network uses SpectralNet digitizers to achieve this conversion. Digitized VITA-49 DIFI compatible data streams are then ready for processing by quantum virtualized products running on high-end general-purpose computers.
ATLAS has implemented two quantum signal processing solutions – one for mission data downlink and one for TT&C.
The wideband mission data downlink solution includes SpectralNet digitizers, quantumRX (qRX) wideband software receivers and quantumDRA (qDRA) recording applications.
This solution is ideal for new satellites and ground stations due to its performance and economic efficiency. The solution enables ATLAS to:
• Use multiple waveform demodulation and decoding options;
• Leverage industry standard interfaces;
• Lower cost by using generic x86 compute resources;
• Deploy flexibly on bare metal, virtually or in the cloud; and
• Scale on demand by spinning virtual instances of modems up and down.
For TT&C, the Kratos solution consists of SpectralNet digitizers, quantumRadio (qRadio) software modems, and quantumFEP (qFEP) front-end processors.
Kratos’ TT&C solution supports hundreds of thousands
Virtualization in satellite ground systems includes the transition from proprietary hardware to software that performs the necessary functions virtually on general purpose computers. Image courtesy Kratos
ATLAS site map depicting the 9 sites that have migrated to Kratos quantum in purple and 4 sites planned for migration in red. Image courtesy Kratos
ATLAS’ system architecture for wideband satellite signal processing in software for mission data downlink. Image courtesy Kratos
of satellite passes per year for hundreds of companies worldwide and:
• Works with most widely used satellite radios;
• Is configurable as mission requirements change;
• Supports simplified integration with existing infrastructure;
• Can be hosted on-prem, in private cloud or with a cloud provider; and
• Minimizes footprint and cost with a pure software implementation.
MAXIMIZED NETWORK FLEXIBILITY & AGILITY
A digitally transformed ATLAS ground network can now scale elastically with demand. Operations staff can make updates over the air and add additional software modems in minutes without increasing their general-purpose compute footprint.
The quantum virtualized solutions provide the ability to spin up and spin down capacity based on demand and are configurable and reconfigurable over the air and on the fly. They ensure efficient utilization to capture downlinks from any satellite and any orbit rather than sitting idle between passes for a specific satellite, antenna, or orbit. Because multiple modems can run on one general purpose server, power, space and cooling are optimized and result in a small footprint ideal for pre-launch testing and integration.
ATLAS’ customer missions are prepared for success
“Kratos offers everything necessary to meet and exceed our customer requirements in a scalable and future-proofed package capable of operating from a few hundred bps TTC to more than 1 Gbps Payload downlinks.”
Steve Jackson, RF Solutions Engineer
with industry leading integration support and pre-launch RF compatibility testing with their ATLAS-in-a-box (AIB) test set, which contains Kratos quantum solutions that mirror the production network. AIB is an end-to-end RF compatibility test using real baseband equipment, an RF chain, and ATLAS’ patented Freedom® software which provides both control and data interfaces, and makes the network appear hardware-agnostic for ease of integration across many remote antenna types.
ATLAS recently showcased their agility by providing launch- day integration for a customer to expand UHF coverage less than two hours after the request was made. This achievement could only have been possible with a software- based ground system.
MIGRATION & QUALITY OF SERVICE
ATLAS’ carefully planned migration process consisted of pre-configuring software on the qRadio modems and qRX receivers in the lab to the extent possible before shipment, transcribing any existing configuration files, loading them, and testing against customer signal recordings taken during RF compatibility testing. This ensured a smooth transition with minimal interruption to operations at even their busiest sites.
FUTURE-PROOFED FOR CHANGING TECHNOLOGY
ATLAS can now incorporate new higher modcods and waveforms and respond quickly to changes in demand which was not possible with previous legacy technology. Because they are virtualized with quantum, ATLAS has a foothold on competitive advantage in the market. They can ensure maximum efficiency in signal processing, deliver the highest quality of service to their customers, and provide new services at the time of need.
ATLAS’ ground station site in Barrow, Alaska. Photo courtesy ATLAS
ATLAS’ system architecture for narrowband satellite signal processing in software for TT&C and narrowband payloads. Image courtesy Kratos
ATLAS’ newest enterprise ground site in Rwanda. Photo courtesy ATLAS
How satellites can help to eliminate food insecurity
The global human population is growing at a rate of one percent a year. In November 2022, it hit eight billion. This poses challenges, including to our ability to feed the planet. Technologies enabled by a flexible satellite infrastructure can help but we need to embrace those developments and support innovators with generous and sustained funding. This starts with trusting in the power of technology to help us grapple not only our current problems, but also the problems that will inevitably arise in the future.
Bogdan Gogulan, CEO and Managing Partner at NewSpace Capital
In his 1978 essay, An Essay on the Principle of Population, the Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus argued that since population growth was exponential, and the growth of the food supply and other resources were linear, human living standards would eventually decrease to a point where there would be a population decline. This event, known as a ‘Malthusian catastrophe’, would follow a period of instability and usher in a time of mass poverty, inequality, famine, social unrest, revolution and/or war.
MALTHUS WAS RIGHT
Malthusianism has been attacked a lot since then for being excessively pessimistic, which, of course, it is. But there are nonetheless many people who say that its central point – that population growth could outstrip food supply – is
fundamentally sound and even commonsensical. It’s generally taken as true that, at the moment, there is enough food globally to feed everyone, but that waste, inequality and distribution differences mean different populations consume different quantities of food. According to the World Health Organization, there were around 2.3 billion people, amounting to 29.3 percent of the world’s population, who were moderately or severely food insecure in 2010. The situation is expected to get worse, with a 56 percent shortfall projected between current food production and what will be needed by 2050. In short: we urgently need to find a way to feed the planet sustainably.
THE CLIMATE CONUNDRUM
Complicating this is the changing climate, which makes farming more arduous and less productive. Agrifood – a US$7.8 trillion global market that employs 40 percent of the world’s workforce – is also a massive contributor to
Photo by Pixabay from Pexels
climate change. In fact, human agricultural activities in general, and livestock rearing in particular, account for 96 percent of the mass of all the Earth’s mammals. According to current projections, agriculture will eat up 70 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions ‘budget’ by 2050. Meanwhile, current agricultural practices lead to widespread soil erosion, representing about 24 billion tons
– which comes to a loss of about US$480 billion – a year, while stripping some 60 percent of organic carbon from the soil.
TACKLING WASTE
Space-enabled technologies, specifically Earth observation, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), and the various means of satellite communication and connectivity, can help. First, they can address the problem of massive food waste across the supply chain, enabling yield estimation and optimization while also optimizing the transportation of agricultural products, reducing delays to a minimum and eliminating spoilage by providing real-time information on the weather and conditions on the road.
IMPROVING THE SOIL AND WATER
Technologies enabled by a flexible satellite infrastructure can also assess the health and fertility of the soil by analyzing it according to parameters such as its moisture, organic matter content, and degree of erosion. This helps to maintain the sustainability of the soil over time as it’s farmed. Moreover, these technologies can help to monitor bodies of water, and the water requirements of different crops, which supports irrigation management. According to the World Economic Forum, by improving irrigation, space-enabled technologies could cut water usage by up to 50 percent – which is about the same as saving up to
Bogdan Gogulan, CEO and Managing Partner at NewSpace Capital
Photo by Tom Fisk from Pexels
2.8 billion liters of freshwater. By tracking precipitation and soil moisture levels, these technologies can also provide early warnings of oncoming droughts, allowing for timely interventions that mitigate the impact of those droughts on agriculture.
MORE PRODUCTIVITY, FEWER PESTS
Technologies enabled by a flexible satellite infrastructure can also boost raw agricultural productivity through the kind of digital agronomy technology that enables precision farming and natural capital management. And they have a role to play in pest control as well: hyperspectral and optical satellite imagery can detect pests way ahead of time and alert those who can stop them from destroying crops.
In fact, satellite-enabled pest control could save up to 0.8 billion tons of crops every year, WEF has said.
WORKING AROUND THE WEATHER
Technologies enabled by a flexible satellite infrastructure also provide accurate and timely weather forecasts yearround, which help farmers plan their planting and harvesting activities. This reduces the risk that crops will be damaged by extreme weather events. Over the long term, data from these technologies help track patterns in how the climate changes which not only allows farmers to adjust but gives policymakers the quality information they need if they’re to design effective climate legislation. The companies that own these technologies or process their data can also inform the authorities about the risk or development of natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, and wildfires, thus enabling the protection of crops and livestock.
After a disaster, space-enabled technologies can help to assess the extent of damage to agricultural lands which supports recovery efforts and planning for future resilience.
THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Downstream from this are meaningful economic benefits. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has said that just cutting food waste, for instance, could add about US$175 billion to the coffers of producers. Just a 5 percent cost reduction would amount to US$7 to US$8 billion in input savings for growers. Thanks to increasing adoption of Earth Observation technology in agriculture, according to McKinsey & Company, the market for spaceenabled insights in agriculture is projected to double by 2030, reaching nearly US$1 billion.
Photo by Tom Fisk from Pexels
Photo by Anna Tarazevich from Pexels
How satellite tracking is making great strides in the fight to tackle global climate change
In recent years, satellite tracking has started to unearth some of the worst emissions offenders with measures put in place to both pinpoint and monitor the sheer amount of global greenhouse gas emissions. But understanding where the issues lie is just the start. Satellite tracking coupled with the Internet of Things (IoT) will take the fight against climate change a giant step further.
Alastair MacLeod, CEO of Ground Control
Climate TRACE, which collates CO2 emissions findings through a combination of satellite, other remote sensors, and artificial intelligence (AI) found that in 2022, the actual emissions from global oil and gas productions were around double that which had been selfreported to the UN
While this is clearly a move in the right direction, and one which will no doubt bear significant fruit, it’s equally crucial to have a wider picture of the impact of climate change, and likewise, how we measure and mitigate this. Satellite tracking and IoT are at the forefront of this technological revolution, particularly in areas where no cellular coverage exists. These technologies are playing a vital role in understanding and addressing climate change by providing invaluable data and insights across many
sectors and demographics, from monitoring endangered species and tracking glacial retreat to combating illegal fishing and preserving forest health.
Here are five ways satellite tracking and IoT are making a difference:
1. The tracking of endangered species
The extinction rates of species are alarmingly high due to habitat loss, climate change, and poaching. Estimates from a 2019 United Nations report suggest that 30 to 50 percent of all species could go extinct by 2050. This loss of biodiversity threatens ecosystems that support all life, with severe implications for medicine, agriculture, and recreation.
Technology plays a critical role in arresting this decline. Animal tracking through collars and tags helps in several ways:
• Prioritising Habitat Conservation - Data captured helps scientists identify critical habitats and justify seasonal closures of sensitive areas to the public.
• Understanding Climate Impact - Tracking helps us understand how climate change and natural or humandriven disasters affect wildlife, such as the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on sperm whales.
• Preventing Poaching - Predicting endangered species’ movements—and the hunters targeting them—tracking collars often combine with intelligent camera traps to give security forces actionable information.
Satellite connectivity is essential for tracking animals travelling outside cellular coverage. Lightweight modems such as the Iridium 9603N can be built into collars for mammals weighing as little as 15 kg.
2. Monitoring glacial retreat
Glaciers are shrinking rapidly, impacting local hydrology, global sea levels, and natural hazards like iceberg formation. However, the processes behind glacial retreat
Alastair MacLeod, CEO of Ground Control.
Photo courtesy Shutterstock
are not fully understood, leaving gaps in predictive models.
Environmental scientists, such as those at the University of Southampton, are deploying Subglacial Probes and Ice Trackers to measure glacier change and flow. These devices, using the RockBLOCK 9602, transmit data reliably and cost-effectively, even in remote areas.
Similarly, the Water and Ice Research Laboratory at Carleton University has developed a satellite-enabled device to track icebergs. As Arctic Sea ice retreats, more icebergs are calved, increasing risks to shipping and fishing vessels. Tracking icebergs helps predict their behavior, allaying risks and supporting research into iceberg melt effects on ocean infrastructure and marine life.
3. Combating Overfishing
Overfishing is a major problem, with 29 percent of the world’s fish stocks overfished and up to 28 percent of fishing being illegal and unregulated, according to Fishforward.eu. This has devastating effects on marine life, with significant declines in shark populations, with 70 percent of specific shark populations having been wiped out, and other species facing extinction.
Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) are crucial for enforcing regulations against overfishing, and satellite IoT devices are now being used to capture telemetry on a vessel’s location, fuel use, and catch size, using cellular networks where available and switching to the Iridium satellite constellation when needed. This ensures continuous monitoring and compliance with robust, and enforced, fishing regulations.
4. Preventing deforestation
Forests are both affected by climate change and also key in combating it. They capture and store carbon, but deforestation and degradation release this carbon back into the atmosphere. Deforestation contributes 12 to 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, around ten million hectares of forest are lost annually, an area roughly equivalent to the size of Portugal, according to OurWorldinData. Efficient environmental monitoring requires cost-effective sensors that operate with low power consumption and use low-power connectivity protocols like low-power wide-area networks (LPWAN), LoRaWAN, L-band, S-band, or NB-IoT.
The Rainforest Foundation UK supports authorities by providing an early warning system for illegal logging. In a film in our own blog on this very subject, Five ways to Tackle Climate Change with Satellite Tracking, we demonstrate how indigenous people use the ForestLink system to send alerts when they detect illegal activities. When cellular coverage is unavailable, the system switches to the Iridium satellite constellation, ensuring data exchange anywhere with a clear sky view.
5. Measuring, and understanding, our oceans’ currents Ocean currents distribute heat around the globe, moderating temperatures and supporting habitable land. Climate change is believed to be speeding up these currents by up to 15 percent, damaging marine life and accelerating sea ice melt.
Fixed and drifting data buoys, many of which are outside of cellular coverage, require satellite connectivity to capture and transmit data on surface and subsurface water temperature, atmospheric pressure, winds, salinity, and wave patterns. All this helps to profile ocean currents, while reliable satellite modems enable long-term data transmission, essential for predictive weather and climate modelling.
In Summary
Integrating satellite tracking and IoT technologies offers powerful solutions to some of our most pressing environmental challenges and creates a dynamic picture of the world’s atmospheric conditions. These technologies generate massive datasets that help identify and understand climate patterns, detect subtle changes in environmental conditions, and track long-term trends. Furthermore, the expansion of LPWAN is poised to extend the reach of IoT devices, enabling the deployment of sensors in previously inaccessible areas.
By enabling real-time data collection and analysis, these technologies empower scientists, conservationists, and policymakers to make informed decisions to protect our planet. As we continue to innovate and expand these tools’ applications, their role in combating climate change will become even more significant. Embracing and investing in these technologies is essential for creating a sustainable future for generations to come.
Photo courtesy Shutterstock
Boeing Board names Kelly Ortberg President and CEO
Boeing has announced that its Board of Directors has elected Robert K. "Kelly" Ortberg as the company's new president and chief executive officer, effective August 8, 2024. Ortberg will also serve on Boeing's Board of Directors. He will succeed Dave Calhoun, who earlier this year announced his intention to retire from the company, having served as president and CEO since January 2020, and as a member of Boeing's Board of Directors since 2009.
"The Board conducted a thorough and extensive search process over the last several months to select the next CEO of Boeing and Kelly has the right skills and experience to lead Boeing in its next chapter," said Steven Mollenkopf, Chair of the Board. "Kelly is an experienced leader who is deeply respected in the aerospace industry, with a wellearned reputation for building strong teams and running complex engineering and manufacturing companies. We look forward to working with him as he leads Boeing through this consequential period in its long history."
"The Board would also like to thank Dave Calhoun for his strong leadership at Boeing, first as Chair and then as CEO, when he stepped in to steer the company through the challenges of recent years," added Mollenkopf.
"I'm extremely honored and humbled to join this iconic company," said Ortberg. "Boeing has a tremendous and rich history as a leader and pioneer in our industry, and I'm committed to working together with the more than 170,000 dedicated employees of the company to continue that tradition, with safety and quality at the forefront. There is much work to be done, and I'm looking forward to getting started."
Robert K. "Kelly" Ortberg, President and CEO, Boeing
Ortberg, 64, brings over 35 years of aerospace leadership to this position. He began his career in 1983 as an engineer at Texas Instruments, and then joined Rockwell Collins in 1987 as a program manager and held increasingly important leadership positions at the company prior to becoming its president and CEO in 2013. After five years leading Rockwell Collins, he steered the company's integration with United Technologies and RTX until his retirement from RTX in 2021. He has held a number of important leadership posts in industry, including serving on the Board of Directors of RTX. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors of Aptiv PLC, a global technology company and an industry leader in vehicle systems architecture. He is the former Chair of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) Board of Governors.
Ortberg holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Iowa.
Rivada Space Networks expands US team
Rivada Space Networks has strengthened its US team through several key new hires. John Guiney joins as Chief Operations Officer; Michael Abad-Santos is Head of Sales for the US and deputy Chief Commercial Officer; and Jeffrey Chandler has joined as Director of Sales, US.
John Guiney has over 40 years’ experience in mission-operations leadership in the space sector, including direct participation in mission readiness for more than 50 satellite launches. John was previously with LEO satellite operator OneWeb, where he played a key role in satellite operations center design and integration of network operations, and telecommunications systems testing and evaluation. John has also worked on mission readiness and operations for Orbital ATK, Iridium, Lockheed, GE and the US Air force.
Michael Abad-Santos has over 25 years’ experience in the space and telecommunications industry, including key roles with Inmarsat, Trustcomm, LeoSat and BridgeComm, where he developed a deep understanding of the market trends, customer needs, and technology opportunities that drive the future of connectivity. Michael is also an independent Board Member of GoGo Business Aviation, the driving force behind breakthrough ideas and technology that connects business aviation passengers, pilots and operators.
Jeff Chandler joins Rivada as Sales Director, US with over 20 years’ experience in IT infrastructure and communications. Having previously held positions at Inmarsat, Cobham Satcom and Marlink, Jeff specializes in connectivity for the maritime, enterprise and oil & gas markets.
Declan Ganley, CEO of Rivada Space Networks, said: “Rivada is building our Outernet to provide a new and transformative solution to today’s biggest data networking challenges, and we will deploy a highly secure global communications backbone to power a new wave of innovation in digital communications. With now over $10 billion of business globally for our unique LEO network, we are seeing enormous appetite for Rivada’s Outernet.”
