WASHINGTON — Satellite companies that have spent decades operating broadcast satellites that beamed programming to millions are trying to adjust to a new environment where they have to unicast data to individuals, company executives said during a panel discussion at the Satellite 2023 Conference.

WASHINGTON — With the pending launch of the first two prototype satellites, Amazon lifted the curtain on its 3,236 Project Kuiper broadband constellation during the Satellite 2023 Conference.

CHICAGO & LONDON (OneWeb/Intelsat PR) — Leading satellite communications companies OneWeb and Intelsat have signed a global distribution partnership agreement to offer airlines a seamless inflight connectivity (IFC) solution with the best combination of performance, coverage, and reliability on the market. The partnership enables Intelsat to distribute OneWeb’s ground-breaking low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite services to airlines worldwide, coupled with Intelsat’s extensive IFC experience and existing geo-stationary (GEO) satellite service. The result is a truly multi-orbit solution for the aviation community, leveraging the benefits of both networks.

By harnessing the power of multi-orbit capabilities, Intelsat will ensure airlines and their passengers are able to enjoy the best IFC, without compromise. Airlines and their passengers will no longer have to accept significant gaps in IFC coverage or capacity – even at busy hubs, across oceans, and over polar routes. Intelsat will seamlessly manage connectivity, allowing passengers to remain connected no matter where they are.

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

On Christmas Day 2021, an European Ariane 5 rocket roared off its launch pad in French Guiana with the most expensive payload the booster had ever carried, the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope. The launcher performed perfectly, sending the most powerful space telescope on a journey to its final destination 1.5 million km (900 million miles) from Earth. The launch was so accurate that Webb should have sufficient propellant to perform science operations for much longer than its planned 10-year lifetime.

There was a collective sigh of relief among the European, American and Canadian scientists and engineers involved in the long-delayed program. It was a superb Christmas gift to a world suffering through the second year of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

MCLEAN, Va. (Intelsat PR) — Intelsat, operator of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network, has tapped David Wajsgras, as its next chief executive officer (CEO). Effective April 4, Wajsgras succeeds Stephen Spengler, who announced his planned retirement in Oct. 2021.

Wajsgras has two decades of experience at the senior executive management level, providing operational, strategic and financial leadership in both the commercial and defense industries. He most recently served as president of the global, $7.5-billion, advanced-technology Intelligence, Information and Services (IIS) business at the former Raytheon Company, now part of Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX). Before joining Raytheon as chief financial officer, Wajsgras was executive vice president and chief financial officer at Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA) and held other key operations and leadership roles.

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

In what is likely the first hostage drama involving communication satellites, the head of the Russian space program has demanded that the British government divest its shares in OneWeb and that the broadband satellite operator not provide services to foreign militaries in order to launch a new batch of spacecraft. The move comes amid growing tensions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and sanctions imposed on the country by western nations.

Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin tweeted that unless these demands are met, Russia will refuse to launch 36 OneWeb satellites that sit atop a Soyuz-2.1b rocket currently on the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The launch is scheduled for Saturday morning Moscow time.

WASHINGTON (Intelsat PR) — Intelsat, operator of one of the world’s largest and most advanced integrated satellite and terrestrial networks, today announced the successful demonstration of a first of its kind private cellular network with Microsoft Azure Private Multi-Access Edge Compute and FlexEnterprise, Intelsat’s satellite-based global connectivity service.

Held at Intelsat’s office in McLean, VA, the demonstration successfully establishes a reference architecture for deploying secure, high-performance private LTE and 5G networks and other cloud services over satellite networks to enterprise locations virtually anywhere globally, including those in remote and austere environments.

WASHINGTON (Intelsat PR) — Intelsat S.A. announced today that it has successfully completed and emerged from its financial restructuring process as a private company with a substantially strengthened capital structure to support its growth as the leader in satellite communications. This final milestone follows receipt of regulatory approvals, completion of certain corporate actions, and satisfaction of other customary conditions.

Intelsat’s now effective Plan of Reorganization, supported by all creditor groups and confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court on December 16, 2021, has reduced the Company’s debt by more than half, from approximately $16 billion to $7 billion.

CANNES, France January 12, 2022 (Thales Alenia Space PR) – Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), announced that it has signed a contract¹  with Intelsat to deliver two Space Inspire software defined satellites, Intelsat 41 (IS-41) and Intelsat 44 (IS-44).

The contract enables the progression of Intelsat’s global software-defined satellite-based network, adding high speed dynamically-allocated connectivity across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia for commercial and government mobility services and cellular backhaul.

• Fully Consensual Plan Will Reduce Debt by More Than Half and Position Company for Long-Term Success
• Early 2022 Emergence Expected as Company Builds World’s First Global 5G Satellite-Based, Software-Defined, Unified Network
• Commitments Obtained for Nearly $8 Billion in Exit Financing

MCLEAN, Va., December 16, 2021 (Intelsat PR) – Intelsat S.A. (OTC: INTEQ) announced today that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division, has approved its Plan of Reorganization, marking the final Court milestone in the Company’s financial restructuring process. Intelsat is poised to emerge from the process in early 2022 upon receipt of regulatory approvals, completion of certain corporate actions, and satisfaction of other customary conditions.