New York Times
• Peter Coy
As radio spectrum becomes more scarce and strategically valuable, private operators including SpaceX are competing with governments for greater control of the frequencies that enable satellite communications. The contest is turning access to invisible orbital real estate into a critical commercial and policy battleground.
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As radio spectrum becomes more scarce and strategically valuable, private operators including SpaceX are competing with governments for greater control of the frequencies that enable satellite communications. The contest is turning access to invisible orbital real estate into a critical commercial and policy battleground.
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Access to commercial and allied space capabilities can improve near-term mission capacity, but it does not automatically deliver strategic autonomy. This analysis examines the risks of dependency through the Five Pillars of Space Power, distinguishing purchased access from the sovereign capabilities needed for durable influence and resilience.
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Spain plans to invest €1.6 billion to €2 billion in a national military satellite communications constellation potentially integrated with IRIS², while Airbus will build the secure SpainSat NG-III for Hisdesat. The developments coincide with strong Leonardo Space results and new work on sovereign broadband and direct-to-device payloads.
As companies develop plans for data centers in orbit, experts are urging the industry to establish safety practices early. The emerging constellations raise unresolved questions about orbital coordination, traffic management and the long-term effects of adding significant infrastructure to an already contested space environment.
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Environmentalists are condemning an FAA space-licensing proposal they call “obscene,” arguing it would materially reduce the time and cost required to obtain a license. The proposal is framed by backers as a catalyst to accelerate growth in commercial space activity.
SpaceX argues Starlink Mobile represents a very large total addressable market for direct-to-device connectivity, but commentary from industry observers questions the feasibility of the approach. The concern centers on whether the D2D link budget can reliably deliver service at the scale implied by SpaceX’s market sizing.
The FAA has proposed allowing the agency to waive requirements under 13 federal environmental and natural-resource laws when reviewing specific commercial space licenses and permits. The stated goal is to reduce regulatory friction and speed the approval timeline for commercial space launches.
The Exploration Company says it has selected Siemens Xcelerator software to speed development of its reusable Nyx cargo spacecraft. The company cites reduced design complexity and improved engineering collaboration across its development workflow as key reasons for the move.
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