SpaceNews.com
• Vivek Prasad
Satellite operators and space companies are navigating a market increasingly shaped by SpaceX: potential changes to Falcon 9 availability, Rocket Lab’s proposed acquisition of Iridium, Viasat’s spectrum economics, India’s satcom liberalization and efforts to build direct-to-device connectivity are driving strategic realignment.
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Satellite operators and space companies are navigating a market increasingly shaped by SpaceX: potential changes to Falcon 9 availability, Rocket Lab’s proposed acquisition of Iridium, Viasat’s spectrum economics, India’s satcom liberalization and efforts to build direct-to-device connectivity are driving strategic realignment.
Air France-KLM is prepared to offer Portugal a stake in the airline group as part of its proposed acquisition of TAP, according to a person familiar with the matter. The structure is intended to strengthen Air France-KLM’s position against a competing offer from Deutsche Lufthansa.
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Avio says more customers turned away by SpaceX are seeking alternative launch providers as Isar Aerospace prepares commercial Spectrum missions after a successful test flight. Separately, Rocket Lab has completed a $1.944 billion share offering, fully financing its planned Iridium acquisition and eliminating the need for a $3.6 billion bridge facility.
A settlement has cleared easyJet’s acquisition of Adria Technika, removing the remaining obstacle to the transaction. The deal brings the Slovenian aviation services company into easyJet’s portfolio, marking a further development in the airline’s ownership and operating structure.
Korean Air’s effort to loosen conditions attached to its merger faces rejection, adding regulatory friction to the airline’s consolidation strategy. The decision underscores the continuing scrutiny of remedies imposed on major airline combinations and the constraints they can place on integration and network planning.
Honeywell Aerospace is considering acquisitions of smaller companies to bring more manufacturing work in-house as it addresses supply bottlenecks and quality problems. The approach would expand Honeywell’s direct control over production while potentially reshaping its supplier footprint and capacity strategy.
Honeywell Aerospace CEO said GE Aerospace’s planned $12 billion acquisition of casting specialist CPP is positive for the industry, while pointing to further opportunities to bring outsourced capabilities back in-house. The comments signal broader aerospace-manufacturing interest in vertical integration and supply-chain control.
Elon Musk again raised the possibility of merging SpaceX and Tesla, calling the question of why the companies remain separate a “great question.” Musk pointed to the extensive cooperation between the rocket and electric-vehicle businesses, which he leads as chief executive of both.
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