Independent weekly intelligence on satellite operators, constellations and ground networks. No hype. A point of view.

Iridium Shareholders Said Yes to Rocket Lab. The Stock Is Still $5 Short of the Deal Price.

Iridium stockholders approved Rocket Lab's $54-a-share acquisition on September 24, 2026. What the collar does, why the FCC is the last gate, and why Iridium still trades about 10 percent below the deal price.

Starship reached orbit with 26 Starlink V3 satellites. Here is what they cost everyone else.

SpaceX's Starship Flight 14 reached orbit with 26 Starlink V3 satellites on September 28, 2026. What ten times the capacity per satellite means for OneWeb, Amazon Leo, Telesat, SES and Viasat, and why the FCC's spectrum vote matters as much as the launch.

Amazon Ordered Six More Ariane 6 Launches Days Before the Rocket Was Put on Hold

Amazon Leo expanded its Arianespace order days before Ariane 6's 2026 flights went on hold, with Vulcan and New Glenn already grounded. What it means.

Why stc Group Bought a Satellite Instead of Leasing One

stc group bought a dedicated Astranis small GEO satellite rather than lease capacity. What ownership buys a national carrier, and what it has yet to prove.

Why is Airbus Building OneWeb Satellites in France Now?

Eutelsat ordered 229 more OneWeb satellites from Airbus, built in Toulouse. The Florida plant that built the first 600 went under review twelve days earlier.

What Amazon Is Actually Buying at Globalstar

Globalstar books 63% of revenue from Apple and is being sold to Amazon for a sum its revenue cannot explain. The answer is in the spectrum and landing rights.

IRIS² Finally Cut Checks, and the Biggest One Landed on the Ground

The first IRIS² industrial contracts are signed: OHB's €1B for 18 MEO platforms, HispaSat's €1.6B ground segment. Who gets paid, and what the order reveals.

The 5TB Wall: What Starlink's Unlimited Plan Actually Buys You

Heavy Starlink users report speeds cut to about 10 Mbps around 5TB a month. The notice cites business use on a personal plan, not a data cap.

Why Is Airbus Selling the Factory That Built OneWeb?

Airbus is reviewing a sale of its Merritt Island plant after moving 440 OneWeb satellites to Toulouse. Who buys a two-a-day line that lost its customer?

The Ka-Band Role Reversal: SpaceX Moves to Reopen the ViaSat-3 F2 Grant

SpaceX petitions the FCC to deny ViaSat-3 F2 market access in NGSO-primary Ka-band, filed on day 30 of the recon window. The role reversal, explained.

Somebody Just Ordered Three GEO Satellites. Nobody Will Say Who.

An undisclosed customer committed more than $600 million for three geostationary communications satellites on the former Maxar 1300 bus. The timing points at the FCC upper C-band clearing, and the anonymity is the most interesting part.

Grain's Buyers Need a Rule Change, Not Just a Waiver

Bids for Grain Management's $6 billion 800 megahertz portfolio go to Grain, not the FCC, and close 5 November. The Commission will let AST SpaceMobile test in this band tomorrow, but has created no way for anyone to sell commercial service in it.