Without in-orbit servicing, the losses mount

Without in-orbit servicing, the losses mount

Large satellites are “folded up” so they will fit inside their launch vehicle’s fairing (“nose cone”) when they are launched. Things that are folded include the solar panels, which will power the satellite during its life, and antennas,...
The future of worldwide communications?

The future of worldwide communications?

Dr. Casey Handmer, a theoretical physicist by training but a keen thinker in the area of space communications, has written an eloquent essay. In his view, worldwide communications in the near future will boil down to one word: Starlink. Here is the link to the full...
Our talk at the Satellite Innovation Conference

Our talk at the Satellite Innovation Conference

The annual Satellite Innovation Conference just completed in Mountain View, CA, at the Computer History Museum–great venue. Organizer Silvano Payne of SatNews kindly invited me to give a market brief on in-space servicing and assembly. In an example of great...
The era of satellite servicing is upon us

The era of satellite servicing is upon us

From Space News: “The robotic Mission Extension Vehicle-1 (MEV-1) launched atop a Russian Proton rocket today (Oct. 9) from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 6:17 a.m. EDT (1017 GMT, 4:17 p.m. local Kazakhstan time). MEV-1, which was built by Virginia-based...