Space Intel Report
• Peter B. de Selding
Loft Orbital and UAE-based Marlan Space plan to develop a 50-satellite constellation combining optical and radar imaging with AI-enabled data products for Europe and the United Arab Emirates, backed by a $1 billion investment from Abu Dhabi’s Royal Group.
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Loft Orbital and UAE-based Marlan Space plan to develop a 50-satellite constellation combining optical and radar imaging with AI-enabled data products for Europe and the United Arab Emirates, backed by a $1 billion investment from Abu Dhabi’s Royal Group.
High activity
Manufacturing startup Eclipse Space has introduced three satellite platforms—CitraSat, SliceSat and SurgeSat—targeting direct-to-device connectivity, broadband and orbital data center applications. The company also announced a power partnership with Gama, outlining an architecture aimed at supporting multiple emerging satellite constellation markets.
The FCC is expected to formalize its longstanding practice of excluding satellite constellations from environmental reviews as developers advance proposals for more than 1 million orbital data centers. The decision could establish a clearer regulatory baseline for large-scale commercial space infrastructure.
AT&T says it will become the first major U.S. telecom provider to integrate Amazon Leo satellite connectivity with fiber and 5G, offering businesses more resilient broadband. Amazon’s constellation is also slated to replace Viasat as Delta’s next-generation in-flight Wi-Fi provider, although a potential spectrum dispute could complicate the transition.
Hyperspectral imaging startup Pixxel has completed a $100 million funding round to support its expansion in the United States and develop additional sensing technologies. The raise accelerates the company’s growth plans as it builds a larger commercial position in satellite-based Earth observation.
Impact testing found that 3D-printed aluminum arrays built with an eggshell-like structure and filled with water provided greater resistance than conventional designs. The approach could offer spacecraft developers a new path to improving protection against impacts while managing structural mass and manufacturing complexity.
Telesat and Farcast have completed an antenna technology demonstration milestone for Telesat Lightspeed, advancing validation of the technologies supporting Telesat’s satellite communications program. The companies did not disclose additional technical details in the announcement.
Earth observation company Satellogic appointed Frank “Trey” Whitworth, the former director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, as its president on Sept. 8. The leadership change brings a former senior U.S. geospatial-intelligence official into a top executive role at the satellite operator.
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