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The economics of low Earth orbit constellations may hinge less on launch prices than on custom silicon and shared terminal architectures. The design choices could shape cost, scalability and competitiveness across networks ranging from Starlink to Europe’s planned IRIS² constellation.
SpaceWatch Global
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SWISSto12 and Mitsubishi Electric have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore advanced payload and radio-frequency opportunities in Japan, alongside a new contract for phased-array antennas. The agreement expands cooperation between the Swiss space company and Japanese electronics group across satellite communications technologies.
The economics of low Earth orbit constellations may hinge less on launch prices than on custom silicon and shared terminal architectures. The design choices could shape cost, scalability and competitiveness across networks ranging from Starlink to Europe’s planned IRIS² constellation.
NOAA selected 14 providers under a new commercial environmental data framework designed to expand the agency’s use of satellite information for U.S. weather forecasting and space-weather monitoring. The arrangement formalizes a broader role for private-sector data in national environmental intelligence.
Poland’s Orbital Matter and Germany’s Dcubed are conducting on-orbit demonstrations of 3D printing in cubesats, testing additive manufacturing in the vacuum of space. The effort targets future solar arrays with booms manufactured and potentially deployed directly in orbit, reducing dependence on prebuilt structures.
BlackSky said its fifth Gen3 satellite began collecting and processing imagery less than 20 hours after launching on a Rocket Lab Electron. The milestone demonstrates the company’s rapid post-launch commissioning capability as it expands its commercial satellite imaging constellation.
President Donald Trump dismissed a report that Chinese entities supplied Iran with satellite imagery of a U.S. military base in Jordan before and after an Iranian strike in July that killed three U.S. troops. The episode raises questions about commercial or state-linked imagery, intelligence sharing and escalation risks.
High activity
Elveo Mobile, formed through the merger of Lynk Global and Omnispace, selected Apex Space’s Factory X model to produce 320 direct-to-device satellites at a dedicated U.S. facility. Separately, Sophia Space and SLI agreed a $300 million asset-financing framework for a 10-satellite edge-computing constellation.
Eutelsat has signed agreements to replenish and expand its OneWeb low-Earth-orbit network while supporting the LEO segment of Europe’s forthcoming sovereign IRIS² multi-orbit constellation. The commitments connect commercial broadband service continuity with Europe’s emerging secure-connectivity infrastructure.
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