Spire Global is aiming for a constellation of as many as 175 non-geostationary orbit satellites, including its legacy Lemur-2 class satellites and its Lemur-4 class satellites, it told the FCC Space Bureau in an application posted Thursday. It said that while it has a patchwork of authorizations -- such as for its previously authorized Lemur-2s -- it was seeking through the application to create a "new, more efficient, unified authorization for its next decade and beyond." Spire said it intends to replace any old Lemur-2s with other Lemur-2s or Lemur-4 satellites.
Gogo has closed on its purchase of Satcom Direct, it said Tuesday. The deal is expected to accelerate sales of its forthcoming Galileo low earth orbit (LEO) connectivity service. Satcom Direct President Chris Moore was named Gogo CEO, replacing Oakleigh Thorne, who is moving to executive chairman of the Gogo board. Satcom Direct CFO Zachary Cotner becomes CFO of Gogo, replacing Jessi Betjemann. Mike Begler, who previously was senior vice president-Gogo Production Operations, was appointed chief operating officer. The deal "cements our position as the only in-flight connectivity provider able to satisfy the performance and cost needs of every segment" of business aviation, said Thorne. The Satcom Direct transaction was announced in September (see 2409300065). New Gogo has a 90% share of the business jet connectivity market, William Blair analyst Louie DiPalma noted. He said the Gogo and Satcom Direct customer relationships, software, and the launch of the OneWeb-enabled LEO connectivity service will help Gogo continue growing.
The FCC order allowing use of 17.3-17.7 GHz downlinks by non-geostationary orbit fixed satellite service satellites is effective Jan. 6, said a notice for Thursday's Federal Register. Commissioners approved the order 5-0 in September (see 2409270059).
Space data cubesat operator Spire Global promoted COO Theresa Condor to CEO, with current CEO Peter Platzer moving to executive chairman effective Jan. 1, it told the SEC Tuesday. It said that on Jan. 6, Celia Pelaz would join the company as COO. Pelaz is coming from German sensor firm Hensoldt, where she was COO. Condor and Platzer are spouses. “Peter has an incredible vision for how satellite technology and space can improve our lives here on Earth, and that vision has guided the growth of Spire since the company was founded,” board member Will Porteous said. “Theresa has been instrumental in turning that vision into reality.”
Standards-based seamless satellite connectivity for cars is probably two years away, but it isn't likely a SpaceX priority, despite CEO Elon Musk also being Tesla's CEO, Mobile Satellite Users Association President Roger Lanctot wrote Tuesday on LinkedIn. He said Tesla might explore satellite connectivity and negotiate particularly low wireless rates in the connected car industry, but SpaceX's connectivity work is more focused on providing backhaul for wireless carriers.
A U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit panel of judges is scheduled to hear oral argument Jan. 10 regarding BIU's appeal of the FCC's dismissal of the company's petition seeking reinstatement of Spectrum Five's complaint alleging that Intelsat is interfering with SF's spectrum license (see 2409100005). Oral argument in the docket 24-1189 case is scheduled for 9:30 a.m., according to an order last week.
Non-geostationary orbit startup Hubble Network is seeking authority for a four-satellite constellation that would operate in the UHF and S bands, providing Bluetooth Earth-to-space connectivity, according to an FCC Space Bureau application posted Tuesday.
SpaceX received the FCC Space Bureau go-ahead to provide commercial supplemental coverage from space services using its Starlink satellites, as expected (see 2410290033). In an FCC Space Bureau order issued Tuesday, the bureau said the direct-to-smartphone service -- in partnership with T-Mobile and using 1910-1915 MHz unlinks and 1990-1995 MHz downlinks on a secondary basis -- is unlikely to cause harmful interference with in-band terrestrial operations. In addition, the bureau said it's in T-Mobile's "best interest to ensure that SpaceX will not cause harmful interference." The bureau's "rigorous analysis" of SpaceX plans indicate the satellite company can adjust its equivalent isotropically radiated power in a way that won't cause interference with Omnispace, which had raised interference concerns with the agency (see 2410080045). The bureau said it also believes SpaceX can adequately protect adjacent-band users against interference from its downlinks. The bureau said it was deferring consideration of SpaceX's request for relaxed out-of-band power flux density limits (see 2408130008) but signed off on the company operating its second-generation satellites at a lower, 340-360 km orbital shell for D2D service (see 2403250003). And the bureau approved SpaceX's use of very high frequency beacons in that altitude range. The agency had signed off earlier this month on VHF beacons for second-generation Starlinks but not at those altitudes (see 2411210045).
O3b is no longer seeking FCC OK for the low earth orbit component of its proposed medium earth orbit constellation. In an FCC Space Bureau application posted Monday, the company said it's modifying its pending U.S. market access application and eliminating the LEO component. Since the LEO satellites were proposed for satellite-to-satellite communications, it is no longer seeking satellite-to-satellite authority.
SpaceX direct-to-device (D2D) authorizations should include the condition that before conducting operations in the 2300-2395 MHz band within line of sight of a NASA Deep Space Network facility outside the U.S., the company will certify it has completed coordination with NASA, NTIA said in a docket 23-135 filing posted Monday. Meanwhile, recapping a meeting with FCC Space Bureau Chief Julie Kearney, Omnispace said SpaceX has not shown that its proposed D2D operations in the 1990-1995 MHz band won't cause harmful interference to primary-status licensees. It said if the FCC approves nonconforming use, despite a record showing harmful interference risks, it should be conditioned on SpaceX reaching operator-to-operator agreements with parties like Omnispace "that have demonstrated a sound basis for a pronounced risk of harmful interference in the present record."