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• Jason Rainbow
The Federal Communications Commission approved Amazon’s planned purchase of U.S. satellite operator Globalstar, clearing a key regulatory hurdle for the roughly $11.5 billion deal. The acquisition is intended to accelerate Amazon’s entry into direct-to-device connectivity and support satellite broadband, 5G and rural connectivity.
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The European Space Agency has contracted Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space to build two satellites each for Europe’s Galileo positioning and timing network. The awards add four spacecraft to the system’s planned capacity, with both European suppliers sharing the work.
The European Space Agency, acting for the EU Agency for the Space Programme under European Commission delegation, awarded Airbus a contract for two additional second-generation Galileo spacecraft. The order brings Airbus’s total for the European navigation program to eight satellites; the new satellites are described as having stronger anti-jamming protection.
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The Federal Communications Commission approved Amazon’s planned purchase of U.S. satellite operator Globalstar, clearing a key regulatory hurdle for the roughly $11.5 billion deal. The acquisition is intended to accelerate Amazon’s entry into direct-to-device connectivity and support satellite broadband, 5G and rural connectivity.
The Federal Communications Commission has approved Amazon Leo’s $11.57 billion deal to acquire Globalstar. The decision marks a regulatory milestone for the transaction, bringing the satellite businesses under a proposed combination with a value of more than $11.5 billion.
European officials are intensifying discussions about reducing dependence on the United States and American defense contractors, according to people familiar with the matter. The debate follows a recent dispute over restrictions on Starlink in Ukraine, highlighting how access to privately operated space infrastructure can become a strategic vulnerability for allies.
Craft Prospect is working with Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics and Vector Photonics on PERSEUS, a project exploring next-generation laser technology for high-performance optical communications in space. The announcement identifies the partners and research focus, but provides no technical specifications, schedule or funding details.
A Falcon 9 lifted off from California overnight on Oct. 27, carrying 27 additional Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. The launch adds another batch to SpaceX’s constellation, extending its deployment cadence through a mission launched in the early morning hours.
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Writing from Munich Climate Week, Torsten Kriening argues that satellites should serve firefighters as operational infrastructure rather than simply provide data. The piece connects space capabilities with wildfire response, emphasizing the need to make satellite-derived information useful to those working on the ground.
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