December 2019 Satellite Mobility World

Cover: O3b mPOWER Beams - Artist's Conception Volume IV, No. XI December 2019 Table of Contents Industry Trends and Analysis: (pg. 3) Patee Sarasin, former CEO of Nok Air: "Unlocking the Riches of In-flight Wi-Fi" (pg. 4)  David Bruner, former V.P. Panasonic Avionics: "Buckle Up! :Turbulence Ahead in Airline Connectivity Markets" (pg. 15) "The Promise of the New Iridium and Aireon Services: Big Advancements in Air Traffic Management on the Horizon" (pg. 26) Ernst Peter Hovinga, CEO Hiber: "Disrupting the Satellite IoT Connectivity Market: The Promise of Hiber" (p.31) "Upcoming and Recommended Satellite Mobility Events" Pg. 38) Gottlieb's Highlighting Disruptive, New, Mobility-Focused Satellite Ventures and Technologies In This Issue.... SM Editorially Speaking... "2020 and Beyond: Broadband Satellite Winners and Losers" FEATURE: "Kythera: The Magical Software Behind SES O3b mPOWER" KVH: "Unraveling the Mystery of Maritime VSAT" Astroscale: " Space Debris - The Threat to Our Satellite Industry Future" "Bluefield: " New Microsat Venture to Combat Global Warming"              Satellite mobility World Click Here To Subscribe Table of Contents... "Hot News and Commentary" (pg.4) "Smallsat News and Ventures" (pg.5) Editorial : "2020 and Beyond: Broadband Satellite Winners and Losers" (pg. 6)  Feature: "Kythera: The Magical Software Behind SES O3b mPOWER" (pg. 11)  "KVH: Unraveling the Mystery of Maritime VSAT" with Elizabeth Jackson, KVH V.P. Strategy and Chief Marketing Officer (pg. 20)  "Astroscale: Space Debris - The Threat to Our Satellite Future" with Ron Lopez, CEO Astroscale (pg. 30)  "Bluefield: New Microsat Venture to Combat Global Warming" with Yotam Ariel, CEO (pg. 42) Recommended Upcoming Industry Events (Pg. 49) Welcome to the December issue of Satellite Mobility World" and Season's Greetings. As the year comes to an end, the satellite industry and, in particular, OneWeb and Starlink, face unique challenges. A market overflowing with HTS capacity, soaring costs of infrastructure, and a new investor distaste for speculative ventures, do not bode well for the mega LEOs, or the satellite industry in general - a topic we cover in this month's editorial,"2020 and Beyond - Broadband Satellite Winners and Losers." Turning to our feature article, we uncovering Kythera, the relatively unknown software developer behind SES mPOWER. Their software is the magic behind the automated management of the industry's revolutionary, new, high-performance, beamforming satellites. For our maritime mobility focus, we look at KVH and the product and marketing innovations behind their successful Agile Plans. We cover our entrepreneurial and smallsat segment with interviews of the CEOs of Astroscale and Bluefield. Astroscale has developed an innovative solution for clearing space junk from LEO orbits, and Bluefield is using smallsats to identify uncontrolled methane emissions - an important step in reducing the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere and preventing global warming. Join us for a fascinating look at these new and innovative technologies. Satellite Mobility World is Published by Gottlieb International Group 1209 South Frederick Street, Arlington VA USA 22204 www.gottliebinternationalgroup.com +1-703-622-8520 Published by Gottlieb International Group, Inc. Arlington, VA USA Tel: 703-622-8520   Gottlieb's Satellite and Mobility World is published monthly (except August) by Gottlieb International Group., Inc. Suite 100, 1209 South Frederick Street, Arlington, VA USA 22204 © Copyright 2019 (Tel +1-703-622-8520) SATELLITE MOBILITY WORLD GOTTLIEB'S Inmarsat Confirms Successful Launch of GX5 Next Generation Satellite Delivers significant increase in Global Xpress capacity for airline passenger wi-fi, maritime connectivity and government customers across Europe and Middle East GX5 heralds start of unprecedented enhancement in overall capacity and capabilities of GX network Seven further advanced GX payloads planned over next four years 27 November 2019: Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, has confirmed the successful launch of GX5, the fifth satellite in its Global Xpress (GX) fleet. The satellite was lifted into orbit by an Ariane 5 launch vehicle from the Ariane Launch Complex No. 3 (ELA-3) in Kourou, French Guiana. GX5 is scheduled to enter commercial service in early 2020 and deliver additional, focused broadband capacity over Europe and the Middle East. Speedcast Selects Hughes Jupiter System for WiFi Hotspots in the Phillipines GAITHERSBURG, MD - 3 Dec: Hughes Network System announed that its Jupiter System has been chosen by Speedcast for its Philippine WiFi project. The project will employ an HNS gateway and will support around 3,000 ground terminals. The contract was awarded under Pipol Konek Free Public Internet Access Program, implemented by the Department of Communications with U.N. support, and will provide Internet in a variety of public places, including airports, parks and hospitals. Omnispace Receives Authorization for Mobile Operations in Mexico TYSONS, VA, USA. – December 3, 2019 – Omnispace today announced that its subsidiary Omnispace México S. de R.L de C.V. was successful in its bid for a concession to build and operate a terrestrial network in Mexico to complement its global satellite infrastructure. The company will be the first to converge both terrestrial and satellite communications to create a single, reliable hybrid network globally. The authorization in Mexico to provide the Complementary Ground Component (CGC) of the Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) represents the first of many major market milestones in the company’s development of its unique “one global network” communications system. Mexico’s Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFT) awarded the CGC concession in tandem with Omnispace México’s pre-existing MSS authorization in the 2 GHz frequency band, allowing Omnispace to deploy terrestrial infrastructure in Mexico. With this unique combination of satellite and terrestrial technologies, customers in urban and rural areas will benefit from secure, reliable and cost-effective mobile connectivity and better performance from their existing mobile devices across the country. The Omnispace CGC network will operate on 4G LTE standards and support deployments in 3GPP bands 65 and 66. “This is an important regulatory precedent that creates a framework for licensing and using spectrum efficiently for MSS and CGC, and also enables Omnispace to initiate efforts to deploy the terrestrial component of its ‘one global network’ with its partners. Mexico is the first of many markets where we are working to secure terrestrial approval to augment our global satellite network,” said Ram Viswanathan, President and CEO of Omnispace LLC. “This authorization in Mexico will not only provide mobile connectivity everywhere, but also benefits consumers by bringing down the cost of access and improving mobile network operators’ quality of service.” “We are grateful for the diligence, transparency and global leadership of Mexico’s regulatory authority IFT in supporting spectrum efficiency and technologies that will benefit Mexican consumers, businesses and the economy,” said Mindel De La Torre, Chief Regulatory and International Strategy Officer of Omnispace LLC. “We look forward to eliminating communications barriers, delivering connectivity and creating opportunities by expanding the reach of wireless communications throughout the entirety of the country and the region.” Globalstar Executes Refinancing With French Lender Consortium and New Second Lien Credit Facility COVINGTON, La.-Nov. 26, 2019-- Globalstar, Inc. (NYSE American: GSAT) announced today that it has successfully refinanced its capital structure by executing an amendment of its existing senior secured credit facility ("Senior Facility”) and raising a new six-year second lien term loan facility (“Second Lien Facility”) led by Thermo, the controlling shareholder in Globalstar, and EchoStar Corporation, a premier global provider of satellite communication solutions. The proceeds from the $199 million Second Lien Facility, which matures in November 2025, will be used towards the prepayment of scheduled Senior Facility principal payments in the amount of $152 million as well as to pay off the $66 million bridge facility raised in June 2019. The loans under the Second Lien Facility bear payment-in-kind interest at a blended annual rate of 13.5%, and the Second Lien Facility lenders received warrants to purchase 7% of the Company’s outstanding shares on a fully diluted basis. The amended terms of the Senior Facility include primarily (i) revisions to the remaining repayment schedule to reduce the amount of principal payments required prior to maturity from $300 million to $85 million, leaving a final principal balance of approximately $59 million (net of the debt service reserve account) due on December 31, 2022, and (ii) a reset of financial covenant levels together with an extension of our ability to make equity cures through maturity. In connection with this refinancing, Thermo agreed to voluntarily convert its 2009 subordinated loan to equity at $0.69 per share in early 2020. Jay Monroe, Executive Chairman of Globalstar, said, “This is a great day for Globalstar, all of our shareholders, and existing and new lenders. The transaction significantly improves our balance sheet, provides us with runway, keeps the favorable pricing of our existing credit facility in place and enhances our relationship with EchoStar, one of the most respected satellite and telecommunications companies in the world. We spent a considerable amount of time this year selecting the solution that we believe is best for the Company and our shareholders and are thankful to all participating parties who worked together to complete this financing.” Mike Dugan, CEO and President of EchoStar, said, “We believe Globalstar’s refinancing and the Second Lien Facility positions the Company to realize the upside from their collection of spectrum and satellite assets. With Globalstar, we see a satellite business that should experience renewed growth in a connected IoT world combined with a worldwide multi-band spectrum position. EchoStar continues to invest in S-band spectrum assets across the globe and we see potential opportunities to collaborate with Globalstar in S-band development.” Pradman Kaul, President of Hughes Network Systems, LLC, added, “Globalstar and EchoStar, through its Hughes business, have worked together for more than a dozen years. Hughes designed and developed the second-generation ground network system for Globalstar and we look forward to exploring ways we can work together to continue meeting the growing demands for connectivity across all of our market segments.” Australian Government-Owned Infrastructure Provider, NBN Co, Launches Groundbreaking Business Satellite Service Created, Designed and Managed by Speedcast Sydney, Nov 7, 2019 - (ABN Newswir! e) - Speedcast International Ltd (ASX:SDA) (FRA:7SC) (OTCMKTS:SPPDF! ), the world's most trusted provider of highly-reliable, fully-managed, remote communication and IT solutions, announced today that Australian government-owned infrastructure provider NBN Co is now delivering satellite services in collaboration with Speedcast to business and government users across regional and remote parts of the country. NBN Co's new Business Satellite Service (BSS) leverages an extensive network designed, built and managed by Speedcast Managed Services, with access to up to 58 beams from 10 gateways, two data centres, and a network operations centre powering the company's new high-data internet and IoT service offerings. NBN Co's BSS offerings are initially focused on remote business requirements for high-data internet access and IoT services, with an additional product - Access Bandwidth Service - to launch next year. NBN Co's BSS is a pioneering platform, showcasing the experience of NBN and Speedcast in delivering satellite ser! vices to business customers. Speedcast's managed service supports an unparalleled range of services, technical capabilities, and service levels through best-in-class satellite technology, a custom-built OSS/BSS platform and a 24/7 network operations centre. Speedcast will play an important role in helping secure NBN Co's future as an industry-leading infrastructure provider. "Last year we announced a milestone contract with NBN Co that is expected to generate revenue up to AU$184 million in total over a 10-year period. Business-grade connectivity services are in significant demand across Australia, and we expect the use of satellite services to grow more than 30% by 2021. The launch of the BSS service is a great milestone and the result of tremendous work over the past 18 months by our Speedcast Managed Services team and a very close cooperation with NBN's teams." said Pierre-Jean Beylier, Speedcast CEO. "I want to thank NBN for their trust and support to bring ! this revolutionary BSS service to life. Working together with NBN we ca! n reliably address customers' connectivity needs, ensuring they can succeed in this digital era and have an opportunity to drive new business growth. This is just the beginning of an exciting future for businesses in Australia, who will be able to get connected like never before." Intellian Launches World’s First 1.25 Meter Ku-Ka Convertible VSAT System Intellian, the global leader of mobile satellite communication antenna systems, has this week released the latest model in its new NX Series future‑proof, performance-leading and low lifecycle cost VSAT antenna portfolio. The v130NX is the world’s first Ku-Ka convertible VSAT terminal with a 1.25-meter reflector, making it an ideal platform for high-speed global Internet on ships, offshore vessels, and superyachts. The v130NX is a flexible system supporting Ku-band and Ka-band (2.5 GHz Wide) networks. It is also compatible with GEO (Geostationary Earth Orbit), MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) and LEO (Low Earth Orbit) constellations. As with all NX Series antennas, the v130NX is easily converted from Ku-band to Ka-band by changing the Radio Frequency (RF) Assembly and Feed, as the reflector and radome are already optimized for operation across both frequency bands. The v130NX features a highly efficient design and high-power BUC options up to 40 W, giving it the power to deliver the highest RF performance of any 1.25-meter system on the market today. Its smart satellite handover capability (enabled by an integral mediator and orbit-agnostic tracking proficiency) provides a seamless network service on practically any satellite. This fulfills the need for enhanced resilience, reliability, and redundancy whilst maximizing the long-term value of the investment by reducing the cost of migrating to future GEO High Throughput Satellites (HTS) and low-latency MEO and LEO networks. While unmatched performance and unique features define the NX Series user experience, as with all NX Series antennas, the v130NX is easy to install, commission, and manage. It uses a single cable, which combines Tx, Rx, and DC power, to simplify installation. The new AptusNX interface enables the antenna to connect to any network in a matter of minutes and provides remote access for ease of operation and maintenance. The NX Series also features a cutting-edge modular design, which results in lower cost of ownership throughout the entire lifecycle. It improves reliability and can speed up maintenance and lower costs further with a 40% reduction in spare parts needed. Intellian is also launching a new matching dome concept at METSTRADE 2019 in Amsterdam this week. Through this, yachts with NX Series antennas of any size can now fit the exact same dome to their Intellian satellite TV antennas, ensuring the beautiful aesthetic symmetry is achieved regardless of the Intellian antennas chosen for entertainment and operations. “With lower total cost of ownership and incredible performance, the v130NX offers the quality and reliability that our customers demand for better crew and guest connectivity, as well as digital vessel operations and fleet management,” said Eric Sung, CEO of Intellian. “With the addition of our new NX Series matching radomes concept, we are also giving our superyacht customers a little something extra – the ability to meet both the style and performance criteria unique to the luxury sector with the v130NX and the entire NX Series.” ThinKom Satellite Antennas Deliver Competitive Edge to Racing Teams in Bridgestone World Solar Challenge HAWTHORNE, Calif. – Nov. 21, 2019 – ThinKom Solutions, Inc. played a key role in providing vital satellite connectivity for two of the top competitors in the recent Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. The 2019 challenge, Oct. 13-18, included 53 solar-powered vehicles designed and built by teams of university students from 23 countries. The 3,000-kilometer race course extended across the Australian continent from Darwin to Adelaide. For much of the route through the remote outback, terrestrial wireless communication networks are unreachable or non-existent. This year, two of the entries – the Belgian Agoria Solar Team and the Dutch Nuon Vattenfall Solar Team – had a competitive advantage in the form of high-speed satellite communications on the move (COTM) throughout the race. This was made possible by the ThinKom ThinSat® 300 phased-array antennas that were mounted on the teams’ support vehicles. The ThinKom antennas were able to sustain uninterrupted voice and broadband data services while traveling at highway speeds on- and off-road. In addition to maintaining constant two-way communication with the drivers on the road, the COTM systems provided live feeds to news media covering the event. The Nuon Vattenfall team also streamed more than 77 hours of live HD video on its YouTube and Facebook channels. The Agoria team streamed large high-quality video files back for press usage during nighttime hours. “The World Solar Challenge was indeed a ‘challenging’ operational environment for the ThinSat 300 antennas, with extreme heat, wind and sandstorms in the Australian outback,” said Bill Milroy, chief technical officer of ThinKom Solutions. “That being said, the antennas performed flawlessly, providing ubiquitous connectivity with high data throughput rates and live HD video broadcasts while on the move.” The Belgian and Dutch student teams reported that COTM was a key ingredient in their competitive success, providing vital intelligence and situational awareness to the racers in real time between scheduled stops. The support team could access immediate reports and analysis on weather, road conditions and relative positions of other competitors and communicate directly with the driver to fine-tune the strategy on the fly. For instance, they could predict the cloud cover and sun exposure that would affect the speed and endurance of the solar vehicle and adjust their speed strategy accordingly. In one case, the advance team precisely timed a stop light sequence at a temporary road construction site ahead, allowing the racing car to time its arrival within seconds of the green light, saving precious minutes. The Nuon Vattenfall solar car, which was one of the leaders through most of the race, was destroyed in a sudden fire on the last leg. Fortunately, the driver escaped unharmed. Live video was streamed from the accident site thanks to the ThinKom-equipped communication vehicle on the scene. The Agoria racer, only two minutes behind, cruised to victory in Adelaide. The Agoria Solar Team’s “brain car” used a ThinSat 300 antenna integrated with an ST Engineering iDirect MDM9000 satellite modem. The ThinSat 300 on the Nuon Vattenfall Solar Team’s chase vehicle was connected to a Comtech CDM625 satellite modem with portable cameras enabling a constant live video feed from the moving vehicle. STEP Electronics (HILLS Limited), based in Sydney, was responsible for the installations and technical support for both teams. “Our mission in the WSCR was to provide a technical, satellite communications solution and backup support services to the two competing teams across some of the harshest and remotest areas of the Australian outback,” said Garry Dawson, satellite systems manager at STEP Electronics. “Our choice of satellite SOTM equipment was unequivocally the ThinSat 300 terminal, which performed equally as well in the 2017 WSCR. Both ThinSat 300 terminals performed effortlessly without mishap during the entire race from Darwin to Adelaide and without any requirement for technical-related support.” Epak Germany Introduces New 4-Axis Maritime Antenna With Built-in 3G - 4G Cellular Capabilities Leipzig, Germany - Nov 15, 2019: Epak Germany, one of the leading manufacturers of high-end maritime VSAT antennas, today announced the avaiability of their new Pro Series, 4-Axis antenna. The new antenna features robust construction, buit-in routing capability between VSAT and 3G - 4G, and high-speed 50 degree/sec slewing enabling it to maintain connectivity, even in rough seas. It's also easily controlled via a Web interface, and it's supported by a dedicated Help Desk staffed with manufacturer's experts. For more information: e-mail: caraunier@epak.de KVH Ships 10,000th VSAT System for Global Maritime Connectivity MIDDLETOWN, R.I., Oct. 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI), a leader in mobile connectivity, announced today that it has shipped its 10,000th VSAT satellite communications system. This is the latest milestone for a company whose history of innovation in the maritime satellite communications industry began in 2007, when KVH introduced the TracPhone® V7, the first maritime 60 cm VSAT terminal, and the mini-VSAT Broadbandsm service. Since that time, KVH has become the market share leader for maritime VSAT terminals (Source: Euroconsult, Prospects for Maritime SATCOM, 2019, market share VSAT units), and today KVH provides high-speed connectivity, voice service, IoT capabilities, and content to commercial vessels and leisure yachts around the world. “We set out to make satellite communications reliable, cost effective, and more accessible to seafarers through innovations in technology, satellite services, and business models,” says Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH chief executive officer. “The accelerating adoption of our TracPhone VSAT systems and connectivity delivered by our high-throughput satellite (HTS) network reflects the demand for the affordable airtime, fast data speeds, network security, IoT proactive monitoring, and value-added services that we deliver. The ability to offer a fully integrated solution, which we see as the KVH Advantage, is desirable both to leisure boaters who wish to remain connected to friends and family on shore as well as the commercial industry in which the connected ship is rapidly becoming a reality.” KVH manufactures a complete line of advanced HTS antenna systems designed for a wide range of yacht and vessel types. The 37 cm TracPhone V3-HTS is the fastest ultra-compact maritime VSAT antenna and the 2019 recipient of the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) Product of Excellence award, while the TracPhone V7-HTS, a 60 cm diameter Ku-band antenna, is also a past NMEA Product of Excellence award recipient. In March 2019, KVH introduced the TracPhone V11-HTS, the world’s fastest 1 meter Ku/C-band maritime VSAT antenna, designed to deliver worldwide data speeds as fast as 20 Mbps down/3 Mbps up. Both the TracPhone V7-HTS and V11-HTS offer a unique dual-channel configuration that provides simultaneous high-speed and unlimited use data channels for optimal flexibility. All three TracPhone HTS-series systems are designed for KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband HTS network, which utilizes Intelsat’s FlexMaritime service to deliver multi-layered Ku-band coverage, enabling vessels to see multiple HTS and wide beam satellites for maximum availability of broadband service. KVH’s VSAT systems also feature the Integrated CommBoxTM Modem (ICM), a streamlined belowdecks unit that replaces the need for a rack full of components and integrates all antenna control, onboard network management, and modem functions in one small unit. The ICM also receives onboard news, entertainment, and operations content sent via KVH’s patented IP-MobileCast™ multicast content delivery service. Gilat Signs Significant Contract with SES to Develop and Deploy O3b mPOWER MEO Communications System Petah Tikva, Israel, November 18, 2019 — Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ, TASE: GILT), a worldwide leader in satellite networking technology, solutions and services, announced today that it has reached a major landmark with the selection by SES for development and deployment of a global multiple application VSAT platform for its O3b mPOWER Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) communications system. This multi-million-dollar contract establishes Gilat as a significant Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) player through the technological innovation of its multi-orbit GEO/NGSO platform. “We are honored to be partnering again with SES, this time for their next generation O3b mPOWER system,” said Ron Levin, VP Mobility and Global Accounts at Gilat. “Gilat was selected due to our innovative ground segment design that significantly reduces cost per bit, our ability to deliver a step function in modem performance and our engineering capabilities to further optimize the platform to efficiently support SES’s O3b mPOWER communications system. We are proud to be at the forefront of ground networks for NGSO constellations together with SES, who paved the NGSO path with its O3b constellation and now continue to lead the pack with its O3b mPOWER network.” Rignet Signs Multi-Year Agreement With Brazillian Operators Offering Managed Communications On Floating Production Storage And Offloading (FPSO) Installations HOUSTON, Nov. 05, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RigNet (NASDAQ: RNET, the company), the leading provider of ultra-secure, intelligent networking solutions, announced today that it has signed a multi-year agreement, after winning a public bid with Petrobras, to add fully Managed Communication services with O3B VSAT technology on six of their FPSO installations. This is in addition to four FPSOs Petrobras awarded RigNet last year. This represents RigNet’s ongoing expansion of its portfolio of FPSO deployments for a total seventeen awarded in Brazil alone. Today, RigNet is the only service provider in Brazil to offer O3B connectivity through its Managed Communication Service. RigNet’s global expansion in the FPSO market also includes a multi-year agreement awarded in October to provide Managed Communication Service and deployment of RigNet’s suite of Crew Welfare applications on three FPSOs in Thailand. RigNet’s high-performance O3B connectivity provides its clients with the highest-capacity, lowest-latency, and most flexible satellite-based data communications for critical remote connectivity. With RigNet’s Managed Communications service, operators benefit from a secure, intelligent networking solution to support critical data and communication needs for their remote locations. “We are very pleased with our ongoing growth into the production sector of the energy market,” said Steven Pickett, Chief Executive Officer and President of RigNet. “We are focused on offering the broadest range of communication solutions, including O3B technology, to meet the unique needs of the energy value chain in Brazil and around the world.” Gilat Achieves Fastest Ever Modem Speeds of 1.2 Gbps Total Throughput over Telesat’s Phase 1 LEO Satellite Petah Tikva, Israel, November 21, 2019 — Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ, TASE: GILT), a worldwide leader in satellite networking technology, solutions and services, announced today that Gilat achieved the fastest ever modem speeds of 1.2 Gbps total throughput over Telesat’s Phase 1 LEO satellite. This industry milestone demonstrates the potential of high throughput Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) satellite constellations. Gilat’s technology opens opportunities for new telecommunications products and a wider range of customer experiences to markets demanding very high throughputs such as cruise ships, large airplanes, trunking and high-capacity government applications. Additionally, the combination of high throughput provided by Gilat’s innovative technology and the low latency from NGSO creates opportunity for delay-sensitive applications such as 5G. “Telesat is delivering on the promise of exceptional throughput, high data rate, low latency applications and this demonstration highlights the benefits of our LEO constellation architecture,” said Michel Forest, Director of Systems Engineering for the LEO Program at Telesat. “Telesat truly values our longstanding collaboration with Gilat and we are pleased to have achieved these remarkable levels of performance using Gilat’s innovative technology.” “The strong partnership between Telesat and Gilat marks another outstanding achievement for delivery of next generation satellite services required for high-throughput applications,” said Amir Yafe, Head of Global Accounts at Gilat. “Demonstrating the industry’s fastest modem marks a significant breakthrough and a major milestone in realizing Gilat’s vision of enabling plentiful, quality and affordable broadband, by bringing innovative technologies that maximize the promise of NGSO satellite constellations.” Intellian CEO Eric Sung Wins Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award November 8, 2019:,A founding partner of Intellian in 2004, Eric was recognized for his achievements in taking the start-up to the forefront the industry, where it is now viewed as the global leader in mobile satellite communication antenna systems. A prestigious and widely regarded initiative – often referred to the Oscars of industry – the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards are held in over 50 countries and focus on entrepreneurs who demonstrate innovation, drive and strong leadership. “Steering Intellian to become the market leader is a rewarding job, and being part of the innovation that our expert global organization delivers to help our customers overcome their challenges is extremely satisfying,” said Sung. Launched in the USA in 1986, previous award winners include Jeff Bezos (Amazon.com, USA), Andrea Ily (Illy Café, Italy), Ratan Tata (Tata Group, India), Sergey Brin and Larry Page (Google, USA), and Ingvar Kamrad (Ikea, Sweden). Hot News and Commentary Smallsat News and Ventures NASA Selects TriSept To Support New Round of CubeSat MIssions CHANTILLY, Virginia – December 2, 2019 – TriSept Corporation, a leading provider of launch integration, management and brokerage services for commercial and government missions, today announced that it has been selected as a preferred provider to support NASA’s third round of CubeSat missions with dispenser hardware and integration services. As part of a five year, $18 million NASA indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, TriSept will be considered for CubeSat mission integration services and dispenser hardware procurement in support of upcoming CubeSat launches through 2025. The award follows TriSept’s successful launch integration for the NASA VCLS ELaNa XIX mission that lifted 10 CubeSats into orbit aboard a Rocket Lab Electron from Mahia, New Zealand in December of last year. Finishing up programs under the previous IDIQ contract, TriSept is also set to lead the launch integration for NASA’s VCLS ELaNa XX mission on the Virgin Orbit Launcher One rocket in 2020, an 11-cubesat manifest that marks the first official NASA operation aboard the new launch vehicle. NASA’s Launch Service Program will also look to TriSept to provide integration support to the ANDESITE CubeSat which is scheduled to launch on a Rocket Lab Electron launch vehicle early next year. “TriSept is honored to have the opportunity to continue providing launch integration and hardware procurement support for NASA’s CubeSat launch support needs that continues opening the door to more space access and a growing number of important and diverse missions,” said Rob Spicer, TriSept CEO. “Our experienced launch integration and management teams look forward to extending our collaborative relationship with NASA’s Launch Services Program and stand ready to help enable upcoming programs under this latest IDIQ contract.” ICEYE and RS Metrics Enter Into Agreement to Provide Unmatched Global Iron Ore Stockpile Monitoring This partnership benefits the global commodities and shipping sectors by providing frequent iron ore data analytics using radar imaging satellites. Helsinki, FINLAND – November 6, 2019 – ICEYE, the global leader in small satellite synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) technology, today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with RS Metrics to jointly offer to the commodities market the world’s first global SAR-based iron ore inventories dataset with up to daily updates. Access to the dataset will provide commodities traders and industry analysts further competitive advantages in predicting supply and demand, at higher update intervals, and with better accuracy. ICEYE, who recently announced the commercial availability of its high resolution satellite imaging, is uniquely positioned for SAR remote sensing of iron ore stockpiles. With a growing amount of radar imaging satellites in the ICEYE constellation, there is now a completely new view into almost the entirety of the global iron ore supply chain. “The consistent flow of analysed SAR data -- on a global scale -- from ICEYE allows users of our already established platform to track iron ore supplies at an unmatched frequency of updates,” said Maneesh Sagar, CEO of RS Metrics. “This partnership of RS Metrics and ICEYE gives our customers exactly what they need to be more successful than ever before.” In scope of this partnership, ICEYE will provide multi-angle SAR imaging and associated iron ore stockpile analysis to RS Metrics. In turn, RS Metrics will provide its users visibility into supply chain disruptions, regional and global trends, as well as iron ore inventories information that is valuable in predicting commodities and dry bulk price fluctuations. “The commodities sector can benefit greatly from the reliability that comes with SAR satellite imaging, in comparison to analysis done based on optical satellite data,” said Pekka Laurila, CSO and co-founder of ICEYE. “Traders can get ahead of the market with an added visibility into the supply chain. What ICEYE and RS Metrics bring to the market together is unprecedented information about the global iron ore value chain based on frequent satellite revisit times, unmatched data reliability, and added value insights into the iron ore supply chain.” LeoLabs Unveils First Commercial Satellite Tracking Service for Smallsat and Cubesat Operations November 15, 2019 -- LeoLabs, Inc., the leading commercial provider of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) mapping and Space Situational Awareness (SSA) services today announced LeoTrack™, the world's first commercial satellite tracking service tailored to the unique needs of today's smallsat and cubesat operators. LeoTrack, delivered as a web-based subscription, offers satellite operators a full range of monitoring capabilities, including precision tracking of satellites, orbital state vectors, predictive radar availability, scheduled passes, and real-time orbit visualization for constellations as well as individual satellites. "A new generation of space operators need more data to support responsible operations and informed decision making in an increasingly congested LEO setting," said Dan Ceperley, CEO of LeoLabs. "As the leading commercial provider of LEO monitoring and SSA services, it's a natural fit for us to serve these emerging new players." "Operators need a reliable service that delivers high-quality orbital data and the ability to demonstrate visually how their operations are managed," continued Ceperley. "This is precisely what LeoTrack delivers. You simply subscribe to the service, and LeoLabs does the provisioning. The key is simplicity and quality, and we believe LeoTrack exemplifies the emerging model for satellite constellation management." LeoTrack builds on LeoLabs' multi-year history of providing satellite and space debris tracking services for leading constellation operators in LEO. Supporting missions ranging from advance earth observation to IoT connectivity, LeoLabs already serves such diverse commercial leaders as Maxar, BlackSky, Planet and Swarm Technologies. LeoTrack now extends that same value proposition to the entire smallsat community. "At Swarm, we rely on the LeoTrack service to get accurate position information for all of our 1/4-U satellites", said Sara Spangelo, CEO of Swarm Technologies. "Having access to this data is key for us at initial deployment and throughout the lifetime of the satellites. We use it for operational purposes, to share with other space operators and for the general public on our website." Kepler Delivers World's First Artic High-Bandwidth Satellite Service For Largest Polar Expedition Kepler delivers world’s first high-bandwidth satellite connectivity in the Arctic Kepler’s satellites are being used to provide file transfer services for the largest expedition to the North Pole, the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) Kepler’s service will save time, money, and most importantly, improve the ability for MOSAiC scientists to carry out their critical mission of studying climate change TORONTO, November 07, 2019 – Kepler Communications, a pioneer in nanosatellite telecommunication services, has demonstrated delivering over 100Mbps connectivity service in the Arctic region to the German icebreaker Polarstern. The vessel is located around 85oN and is the home to the MOSAiC scientific expedition. The demonstration marks the first time in history that the central Arctic is successfully connected through a high-bandwidth satellite network. Kepler’s two polar-orbiting satellites are being used to transfer data for scientists taking part in MOSAiC, the most extensive research expedition ever to the North Pole. MOSAiC is an international expedition consisting of hundreds of scientists and operations crew, which will remain locked into the Arctic ice sheet to study the environment. The team will spend the next 12 months drifting along with the ice sheet, with the purpose of the mission being to take the closest look ever at the effects of climate change on the Arctic. Thanks to Kepler, the Polarstern is equipped with the world’s only high-bandwidth satellite data link delivered from low-Earth orbit (LEO) that is available in the Arctic. With the vessel operating well outside the range of traditional high-throughput satellites, Kepler is providing 100x higher data speeds, when the satellite passes the vessel than would be otherwise available to the ship. This improved data transfer capability means scientists can share large data files between ship and shore, improving the ability to share, analyze, and disseminate information. “Our Global Data Service provides a cost-effective means to transfer large data volumes that will be gathered over the course of MOSAiC,” explained Mina Mitry, CEO at Kepler. “Rather than only storing data locally and analyzing once physical storage can be sent back with supply vessels, we are giving scientists the ability to continuously transfer test and housekeeping data sets over our unique LEO satellite network.” Kepler’s Global Data ServiceTM will save time, money and, most importantly, improve the ability for MOSAiC scientists to carry out their critical mission of studying climate change. In charge of MOSAiC’s logistics is the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), from Germany. They are responsible for leading this international expedition that involves the joint efforts of 19 countries around the world. With over USD 158 million in funding, the most advanced technology on a research icebreaker, and an astonishing quantity of planning and logistics, MOSAiC is the largest expedition to the North Pole ever in history. "The high polar regions are the last frontiers of the globe where high bandwidth data connections could not be established so far,” outlined Professor Markus Rex, MOSAiC project leader and atmospheric scientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam. “Kepler's new Global Data Service now enables us to send back bulk data, including key data files for monitoring the status of instruments together with experts at home. This will contribute to the success of MOSAiC." The MOSAiC expedition began when the Polarstern set sail from Norway this past September and will continue for more than a year. Findings from the mission will help better assess the future of Earth’s climate, and provide valuable information to help fight climate change. Kepler is the world's only provider of high-bandwidth satellite services in the poles. Aboard the Polarstern, Kepler has demonstrated data rates of 38 Mbps downlink and 120 Mbps uplink to a 2.4m Ku-band VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal). Hiber IoT Service Goes Live: Company introduces its Hiberband Service November 6, 2019: With more than 70 customer signed up, Hiber is launching its innovative and low cost IoT service. Designed around a constellation of small, inexpensive CubeSats, the constellation relies on a unique solution to deliver very-low cost IoT solutions to remote areas. The solution relies on HF radio and inexpensive terminals, the solution is able to deliver exceptional battery life. Test solutions include crop and soil moisture monitoring. Hiber is the first solution of its kind to deliver this type of service. Ten Astrocast Nanosatellites to be Launched in Low Inclination Orbit on Arianespace Vega or Vega C October 30th, 2019: Astrocast and D-Orbit announced today the signing of an agreement for the launch and deployment in LEO low inclination orbit of ten Astrocast nanosatellites through D-Orbit ‘s InOrbit NOW Launch Service. The agreement calls for the Astrocast nanosatellites to be launched onboard an Arianespace Vega or Vega C vehicle from Kourou, French Guyana, in the first quarter of 2022. This batch of nanosatellites will make up the Astrocast IoT Nanonsatellite Network’s equatorial plane. The Astrocast constellation will consist of eight orbital planes, each consisting of eight operational and two spare satellites. The complete 80-unit Low Earth Orbit network will provide cost-effective two-way communications for the millions of IoT devices in remote areas of the world. Astrocast’s constellation is expected to disrupt numerous enterprises, creating substantial efficiencies and cost advantages within key global sectors including maritime, oil and gas, mining, supply chain and logistics, automotive, utilities, and many others. Following an earlier InOrbit NOW mission planned in 2020 to deploy another batch of ten Astrocast satellites in sun-synchronous orbit, this mission will mark a total of twenty Astrocast satellites to be launched and deployed by D-Orbit. During the planned Astrocast mission, the ten nanosatellites will travel inside the DCube dispensers, designed by D-Orbit to reduce vibration and shock levels during launch. Reliable access to space is critical for Astrocast as we move quickly to deploy our constellation. We feel D-Orbit is a critical partner in our efforts and we are very excited to further our commitment to working together,” said Kjell Karlsen, CFO, Astrocast. “We are honored to contribute to the expansion of Astrocast’s infrastructure in low inclination orbits” commented Renato Panesi, D-Orbit COO. “This contract expands previous agreements with Astrocast and strengthens the cooperation between the two companies. We feel honored by Astrocast’s renewed trust in our company and it’s a privilege for D-Orbit to contribute to such an important mission”. For More Information Text On November 18th, FCC Chairman Pai announced on Twitter that the FCC would do a public auction of the 3.7 to 4.2 MHz Band. In response, Intelsat stock dropped to $6 by the afternoon of the 19th. The company now faces a fight for survival. Without a settlement of at least $6 billion from the FCC auction, and unless the downward trend in earnings and revenue is reversed, our sources tell us that an Intelsat bankruptcy is inevitable. (Note that we predicted the FCC would deny the CBA Proposal and do a public auction in our November and May 2019 editions). Intelsat isn't the only satellite industry company in trouble. Given the massive and accelerating over-supply of HTS capacity, if any of the LEOs make it into service, expect a vicious price war affecting the entire sector.. There will be blood, and only the companies with the strongest balance sheets and technologically advanced satellites will survive. We predict that the largest and most aggressive LEO efforts, OneWeb and Starlink, will collapse. OneWeb will die first, and following OneWeb's failure, investors loss will lose faith in mega-LEO constellations, making it almost impossible for Elon Musk to raise the billions he needs to complete Starlink. Unlike companies propelled by over-optimism, success will favor companies with ongoing revenue streams and established market shares. Amazon, Telesat, SES, ViaSat and HNS: In the world of high-speed satellite broadband, Amazon, Telesat, SES mPOWER, Viasat, and HNS stand the greatest chances of success. Amazon's enormous wealth and the fact that a global LEO constellation is a natural extension of its e-commerce and AWS business puts it in a leading position in the race for a global, mass-market, LEO-based, connectivity solution. Launching in 2021 -2023, ViaSat will also target the mass consumer market with three ViaSat "3" one terabit satellites, bringing a huge leap in performance to the home satellite Internet market. Not to be outdone, HNS has already established itself in that market. Hughes is the largest satellite internet provider in the U.S., with 1.3 million subscribers, and has expanded into Latin America. In 2016, Hughes expanded HughesNet into Brazil, into Colombia in September 2017, and into Peru in October 2018, and Ecuador in December 2018. In high-value enterprise markets, Telesat's LEO project and SES mPOWER will likely dominate. With 117 satellites and an enterprise target, Telesat also has a solid chance of success. The company has already secured a major Canadian government contract, and there is a high probability that its LEO effort will be fully -funded. SES O3b mPOWER is also very promising. With the capability to target high-value opportunities on the fly with its advanced beamsteering satellites, whenever and wherever they occur, the constellation will be highly efficient and should generate an attractive ROI. OneWeb: Softbank, having already written-down nearly $500 Million on its initial investment Oneweb, and $9 billion in its Wework and Uber investments, has shifted to a significantly more conservative posture. It's a new emphasis on profitability, not growth, is bad news for OneWeb. Beset by emerging competitive threats, a massive HTS bandwidth glut, and shrinking mass markets, OneWeb has little chance of attracting additional investment capital. In addition, its new focus on mobility markets will be futile. Maritime and aero are already feasting on a glut of low-cost HTS bandwidth. Given the fact that OneWeb's services won't most likely be available for at least three years, it is highly unlikely that enough mobility market opportunity will still be available when it eventually goes into service. With little hope to generate the revenues it requires to justify its enormous build costs, time is almost up for OneWeb. Once it falls, Starlink will not be far behind. Starlink: While Starlink has completed the launch of its first 120 satellites, it still faces many of the same technical and economic challenges as OneWeb, including the need to raise vast amounts of additional capital. While, unlike OneWeb, it intends to employ optical inter-satellite links, our sources tell us that these links are not yet available at the volume and price levels required. Consequently, the initial 120 satellites already launched do not have them, and it's likely that the initial 1,200 won't have them either. Without the links, like OneWeb, Starlink will need a vast number of Ground Stations and gateways.. Even with cross-links, with 1,200 satellites, the cost of the Ground Stations, including antennas, site preparation, and construction would be prohibitive - at least $5.5 to $6 million per site. As the constellation grows to 30,000 or more satellites, hundreds of ground stations will be required, each with 25-30 2.4 meter antennas. Not only are these antennas expensive. Their continuous tracking motion presents huge wear and tear ssues, making maintenance an extraordinary challenge. In conclusion, faced with huge technical, economic, and regulatory obstacles, an uncertain market, and the additional cost and time required to establish multi-country, global business structures, both Starlink and OneWeb face a seemingly insurmountable series of obstacles. Ultimately, their failure will be just one part of a broader industry consolidation that will sweep away poorly capitalized and overly indebted players. Thankfully, a new investment standard is emerging that will prioritize profitability, not pursuit of mesmerizing visions. - Alan Gottlieb Editorially Speaking... 2020 and Beyond: Broadband Satellite Winners and Losers Text Click for more Information For more Information Text for more information.... Kythera: The Magical Software Behind SES O3b mPOWER The age of the simple "bent-pipe" satellite is coming to an end. A tectonic shift is occurring in the satellite industry, driven by a set of converging market forces. Today, satellite service business models change much more rapidly than they once did. At the same time, service requirements are becoming much more demanding and dynamic, as customers like airlines demand reliable broadband internet service. As a result, satellite operators can no longer afford to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in assets that do not easily adapt to market change and service needs that can evolve minute-to-minute. In response, satellite manufacturers are designing broadband Ku-and Ka-Band HTS satellites that bring a whole new level of power and versatility to the business of satellite broadband delivery. Equipped with enormous transponder capacity and onboard digital processors capable of generating thousands of precisely directed satellite beams that can be redirected and even reshaped on-the-fly, these satellites offer the flexibility operators are demanding. But that flexibility brings new challenges: These highly sophisticated, digitally processed satellites demand a whole new generation of management software that facilitates real-time, autonomous operation – software that will enable the operators to realize the value of the versatility they seek. SES's new O3b mPOWER MEO and SES-17 GEO satellites are among the first of this new generation of spacecraft. To manage their advanced capability, SES partnered with a highly specialized software firm called Kythera Space Solutions. Based in Bethesda, Maryland, the company is an early pioneer in the development of automated satellite beam management, fleet management, and resource optimization systems. To find out more about this remarkable company and the far-reaching significance of the new software platform they’re developing in partnership with SES, we sat down with three of Kythera's top executives, Dr. Jeffrey Freedman, CEO, Andy Musliner, COO, and Erik Halvorson, Chief Solutions Officer. SMW: Could you tell us how Kythera got started? Jeffrey Freedman:, CEO: Kythera actually started as the software division of RKF Engineering, which is a communication systems engineering firm that’s been at the heart of a variety groundbreaking satellite systems. We were the engineering team behind TerreStar and oversaw HNS and SSL and all the other firms that were putting TerreStar’s full system together. At the same time, we also received a contract from TerreStar to develop the management software for their innovative new satellite. TerreStar I was one of the first beamforming satellites and required a much more sophisticated management platform than a typical "bent pipe" spacecraft. It needed special software to optimize resource utilization and capacity, including all kinds of sophisticated beamforming algorithms. Because beamforming technology is now being used much more often for high-bandwidth services, the principles that we developed for managing TerreStar can now be applied much more often. The management platform we developed for TerreStar helped us to advance to where we are today. SMW: How did you get involved with SES? JF: Some years ago, SES contracted us to build what is known as the Capacity Planning and Optimization System (CPO). The CPO enables SES asset managers to optimize their fixed service satellites and conduct contingency and transition planning. CPO was a next-generation version of the software we developed for TerreStar. Andy Musliner, COO: Then last year, we began working in partnership with SES on the Adaptive Resource Control (ARC) System, a real-time fleet management system designed to optimize service across SES’s fleet of next-generation satellites, including their upcoming O3b mPOWER MEO and SES-17 GEO satellites. SMW: What about the challenges of building the new Arc software for SES mPower? How did that differ from the work you had done in the past? AM: ARC is about autonomously and dynamically managing bandwidth, capacity, power, and thousands of beams, across multiple satellites of different types, and orchestrating it all with the ground network to provide highly reliable, resilient, and optimized satellite service at all times. It's a complex and demanding, real-time system. ARC is effectively the brain that manages the SES satellite fleet and the service it provides. SMW: So, if SES has this type of satellite, how does SES make the satellite conform to the changing requirements of its customers and new business prospects? For example, if a customer suddenly needs capacity over New Guinea, how does SES command its satellite to provide that capacity? Erik Halvorson, Chief Solutions Officer: Before we talk about how ARC works, let’s talk about what traditionally happens in the world of satellite capacity management. In a legacy system, the operator who took the phone call you mentioned would work with a team of engineers to determine what satellites and capacity are available. It’s time-consuming and expensive. With ARC, instead of having a team of engineers, the system automates the process and provisions the network automatically. The industry is moving toward automated planning systems like ONAP (Open Network Automated Processing). What this is leading to is a software-defined network such that the data from a call is input through a web interface into an automated provisioning system. The system then automatically evaluates whether and where capacity and resources are available, and then commands the satellite accordingly. SMW: Does that satellite have to be built specifically to do beamforming? EH: Yes, it does, but we can accommodate any satellite design. the software looks at a satellite's capabilities and optimizes the service it provides, whether it incorporates an onboard processor with beamforming technology, simple switching, or employs a dumb “bent pipe” architecture. And, if the network includes more than one satellite, the system optimizes satellite capacity and resource utilization across the entire network, orchestrating in real-time. SMW: Is it more expensive to build a beamforming satellite? EH: The on-board processor is expensive, but the prices are coming down, and satellites utilizing onboard processing are much more efficient. Accordingly, more and more satellites are being built with digital processing capabilities. Some of the digital payloads are for beamforming, and some just route traffic around. I think that if you look at the industry trends, you are actually going to find out that these sorts of capabilities will make the satellite less expensive. That’s because you no longer need to build custom-configured satellites. With beamforming capability, instead of trying to predict where capacity is needed and build a satellite to fit that projection, a general-purpose spacecraft can be built that can adjust on-the-fly to changing market conditions. Optimal utilization of the asset is also assured since the beams can be pointed at high-demand areas, thereby enhancing ROI. You could also mass produce these satellites at lower cost. All the satellite manufacturers are now in the process of looking at how to create these beamforming, general-purpose satellites. The challenge that operators have, however, is that they are used to these to simple “bent pipe satellites." You have a beam up and a beam down, 37 MHz transponders, and everything can be managed with an excel spreadsheet. With digitally processed, beamforming HTS satellites, you need a more sophisticated approach. You need software like ARC. How does your software manage the network? EH: There are two scenarios. In the first scenario, an operator could input the parameters for the desired service, and the software picks the appropriate satellite, provisions the service, and allocates the beam and bandwidth, automatically. In the second scenario, for example, a satellite modem or hub or another device might detect the need for additional bandwidth and command the satellite though our software and the entire process would take place automatically. A good example might be rain fade over a particular location where the modem might detect a link failure. The system monitors the modem hub and adjusts for the event, perhaps redirecting traffic to another satellite. Generally, for high bandwidth Ku-Ka-Band systems, beamforming is done on the satellite. So, the system sends instructions to the satellite describing how to create the beams and where to put them. How do you manage a situation where multiple entities within an organization need to manage satellite capacity? JF: Several years ago, we developed an architecture that employs what we call Virtual Satellite Hubs. With VSHs, we can divide the system up and have separate entities manage it. So, you don’t necessarily have a single system you manage from one entity. You can break it up and manage it in multiple “chunks.” Our concept is that you can have many of these Virtual Satellite Hubs that each manage a portion of the system. An example might be if the military had a Virtual Satellite Hub and wanted each service branch to be able to manage their assets, as if they owned their own satellite. As the overall fleet manager, ARC leverages the VSH inputs from the various hubs and deconflicts them. It works in a similar way to a virtual network operator on a cellular network or a virtual machine on a computer. How would you summarize the significance of the Kythera satellite management platform? AM: It's all about the way satellites were managed in the past vs. how they will be managed in the future. You can’t efficiently manage a fleet of complex, high capacity, beamforming satellites with a spreadsheet. The solution we’re developing in partnership with SES enables the network to both plan and react instantly to events and does it automatically, without human intervention. ARC is the industry’s first dynamic, autonomous satellite network management system. It’s a groundbreaking milestone, both for SES and the industry. Very soon, we’ll be talking about how that milestone evolves into a standard, so modem platforms and other related ground system components can become ARC Compliant and drive autonomous, real-time satellite service management for all. Text For More Information... "You can’t manage a thousand beams in a modern high capacity satellite with a team of engineers and a spreadsheet. You need a more sophisticated approach. You need software like Arc." Click for more information Text For More Information Text Erik Halvorson Chief Solutions Officer Andy Musliner, COO Click For more information Text An Interview with Elizabeth Jackson, KVH Sr. V.P. of Strategy and CMO Unraveling the Mystery of Maritime VSAT By Listening to Customers, KVH has Created Unique Products and Won a Major Share of the Market The need for VSAT connectivity aboard ship continues to accelerate. While initially driven by Crew Welfare, a host of new applications, including voyage optimization, IoT, and equipment monitoring, are making the installation of maritime VSAT a near necessity. KVH, perhaps more than any other provider, has capitalized on this trend and by listening to its customers, and in doing so, has created a portfolio of connectivity and value-added services uniquely suited to the industry. Their AgilePlans, promoted through clever marketing, have been enormously sucessfully with KVH recently announcing that they have sold 10,000 VSATs to date. To find out more about the maritime VSAT market and how KVH products have won wide acceptance in the maritime industry, we met with Elizabeth Jackson, Senior Vice President for Strategy and Chief Marketing Officer. SMW: KVH participates in several maritime market segments, including container vessels, bulk carriers, tankers, oil service, and leisure vessels. Could you give us an idea how your revenues are broken down among these segments? EJ: At the macro level of commercial, leisure, and military/government and look at our current subscribers, commercial (all different types of merchant vessels) is approximately 65% of our business. Leisure is around 30%, and the military/government is about 5%. I know some people think of us as a leisure company, but, actually, commercial is the major share of our business. SMW: Could you give us an idea of growth prospects in each of the segments or 2020? Which are the fastest growing, and which are the slowest and why? In which of these segments have you been most successful? We see growth in all of the segments. When we look at merchant vessels, for example, that market is continuing to grow significantly. It’s the largest market. From a VSAT perspective, the biggest growth is going to come with the L-Band conversions, and around 30,000 L-band users are expected to convert to VSAT over the next 3-5 years. That’s a growth area. If you look at leisure, the growth is coming from data usage and higher ARPUs and an increase in the number of vessels equipped with VSAT. The high-end customers want an experience just like they have on shore and are consuming lot of streaming data. SMW: In the past, commercial ships were typically connecting at 1 Meg X 500 Kbps. Has that changed? EJ: Two trends that are driving higher bandwidth demand. One is the operations use. Crews want to send larger files and have more real-time communication. Also expanding the requirement for higher data speeds is IoT and remote monitoring. Of course, there is also crew welfare, and the need for sufficient bandwidth to allow multiple members of the crew to browse the Web simultaneously. Our V 7 offers speeds of 10 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up, and our V11 HTS offers speeds 20 Mbps X 3 Mbps. Those speeds are valued in both leisure and commercial markets. We also have a V3 unit for the smaller leisure and commercial vessels, which is popular with fleets of small vessels such as in the fishing industry, and that has speeds of 5 Mbps X 2 Mbps. So, we see a huge migration to the faster speeds. AgilePlans under our v7 Ku-Band and v11 (a combination of Ku-Band and C-Band) HTS represent 70% of our total maritime VSAT shipments, and both of these offer higher data speeds. SMW: Your AgilePlans have been quite successful. How did the concept originate, and how was it was developed into a product line? EJ: We listen to our maritime customers, and we realized that their biggest pain points were concern over technology obsolescence and the CAPEX required to install VSAT. Several years ago, there were many uncertainties as to the future of shipping industry economics. At that time, the biggest barrier to switching to a better service with global coverage and faster speeds was the purchase of the antenna. So, we introduced our Agile plans, which are modeled after the “connectivity as a service,” offerings in the software industry and feature no capital investment, no commitment – all for one monthly fee. As you can see from our financial results, the strategy has been very successful. We felt confident we could offer the AgilePlans because we have a vertically integrated offering featuring premium hardware and services and proactive monitoring - all complimented with dual channel, Ku and C-Band options, and unlimited usage with predictable billing. Of course, the risk of an AgilePlan an is at any time the customer can send it back and cancel. However, we have found that the marketing advantage is that it is a no-risk way for a customer to switch to KVH. As competitor contracts come up for renewal, we find ourselves getting more than our share of the business. AgilePlans have been a key driver of us achieving the 10,000 units mentioned in our latest quarterly report. SMW: In the early days of the v11, my understanding was that its market was primarily the oil and gas segment. Is that still the case? EJ: In addition to Oil and Gas, it’s also very essential in Asia Pacific markets because Ka-Band has issues with rain fade in that region. We find all of the different types of commercial vessels benefit from the V11. A lot depends on the size of the vessels, how much crew they have, and how much data they consume. It’s a question of economics. Our V7 delivers speeds above some antennas 1 meter in size. So, vessel owners may not need to go to the larger 1-meter antennas. SMW: If you ultimately need to offer LEO services, what is your thinking regarding flat-panel ESA antennas? Will KVH develop ESAs? While we have developed a phased array 20 years ago and continue to offer it for the land-mobile market, we believe that in the maritime market, because of the physics, the parabolic antenna is still best suited. For a flat panel, the look angles are a critical limitation. SMW: You offer a wide-ranging selection of content, including newspapers, movies, television, and crew training as part of your Agile Plans. How popular are these value-added services? AgilePlans include NewsLink, which provides news from home from over sixty different countries in their native languages and basic training. We divide our Value-Added Services into two segments, entertainment, and operations. Our entertainment add ons are MovieLink, TVLink, and SportsLink and our operations add ons include ForecastLink, TrainingLink, ChartLink, and YourLink, a service that allows a vessel owner to multi-cast their messages across a fleet. SMW: Voyage optimization is a major driver of VSAT adoption since it saves a significant amount of fuel. Do you currently offer these applications? That’s a growth area. I went to Posidonia a couple of years ago, and there were dozens of vessel performance optimization companies. What was interesting was that while most of them didn’t need real-time data, As AI and IoT combined with real-time data delivers better cost savings, there is defintely a tend toward products that require connectivity. We provide the connectivity, and we find there are many different applications that can work with our system. Of course, the biggest beneficiary of the connectivity enhanced fuel-saving systems are the ship owners. Equipment manufacturers can also benefit from the transmission of operational data from the ship, and that’s a true IoT service. To serve that need, we announced KVH Watch which is IoT connectivity as a service. SMW: What is your relationship with Kongsberg and their Kognifai service? We are their connectivity partner. They use KVH Watch, which is a separate antenna from the primary VSAT. It’s a dedicated service for equipment manufacturers who want to log in and monitor their equipment and need a way to get their data off the vessel. SMW: If I recall, originally your satellite network was shared with ViaSat. I understand that you are now offering both HTS and C-Band. Are you still offering service on the ViaSat network and added Ku-Band HTS via a managed service offering? We have two different networks. We continue to offer Ku and C-Band on our ViaSat Arclight services, and we also offer Ku and C-Band on our HTS network, which is the fastest-growing network, and that’s in partnership with Intelsat and with some Sky Perfect JSAT capacity. However, from a hardware perspective, we are only selling new HTS terminals, but we are continuing to support a very large number of customers who remain on our Arclight network. SMW: I understand you have added some significant enhancements in the area of cybersecurity. You mention “automated threat management” on your website. Please explain. Every month we are continuing to update our cybersecurity offering. It starts with education. Some of the biggest issues arise from humans inadvertently introducing malware into the network or not updating their passwords. From an overall network perspective, we have a lot of security enhancements that have already been in place for years. At our mega POP and network edge, we have firewalls and traffic shapers that identify and block critical threats that are attempting to traverse our network. SMW: What are your plans regarding LEO service offerings? Do you believe any segments in your customer base will find them compelling? Do you see them as a threat or as an additional offering? EJ: I like to think of it as the end benefit to the customers, connectivity. They want the best connectivity for their needs. Today it is GEOs, and someday it may be LEOs, and there is also cellular in certain areas. I think that the biggest advantage of LEOs is the reduced latency, and that probably has more benefits for military from a security perspective. So, we’re paying attention to it. SMW: Given price equality and considering your current users base, do you envision conversion of your subscribers to LEO based services? EJ: I don’t believe existing maritime GEO subscribers will convert to LEO services without a price advantage, even though the latency might be improved. Text Text For More Information for more information Text For More Information... For more information Text For More Information.. For More Information... Text Elizabeth Jackson joined KVH in November 2017 as Senior Vice President for Strategy and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and has been instrumental in advancing KVH’s position as the leader in global maritime VSAT. She is part of a team within KVH spearheading initiatives for smart data tools, an IoT platform, and other value-added services to enable connectivity subscribers to realize the potential of maritime digitalization. Prior to joining KVH, Ms. Jackson held CMO positions at several tech companies, with a focus on health tech and ad tech startups. president at The First Years, and held various positions at the start of her career at Campbell Soup Company and Procter & Gamble. Ms. Jackson received a B.A. from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from INSEAD in France. "I don’t believe existing maritime GEO subscribers will convert to LEO services without a price advantage, even though the latency might be improved. " For more information Text With Ron Lopez, President of Astroscale USA Space Debris: The Threat to Our Satellite Future Space junk is a frightening problem. As large numbers of LEOs are launched into orbits already overpopulated with space debris, collision risk rises. In the worst case, the result could be a catastrophic "domino" effect, creating an impenetrable barrier of debris, blocking the launch of new satellites, and terminating opportunities for manned space flight. This event, proposed by NASA scientist Donald Kessler in 1978, is known as the "Kessler Syndrome." Given the lack of regulations governing debris removal and with the launch of more LEO satellites, the debris problem is becoming ever more acute. One company that is intimately involved in efforts to solve it is Astroscale. Founded in 2013 in Japan by Nobu Okada, an IT entrepreneur who proposed using a start-up mentality to address the business of orbital debris mitigation, the company has become a prominent advocate of LEO orbit cleanup. It is also a developer of an innovative solution for End of Life Services for satellites and Active Debris Removal for other space junk. To find out what is going on in this increasingly important area, we sat down with Ron Lopez, President of Astroscale U.S.. SMW: While there is much discussion among various governmental and non-governmental agencies regarding the removal of space debris, not a lot seems to be happening. Can you tell us what has been done? What is under consideration, what entities are spearheding the effort? Ron Lopez: Over the last few months, I have sat on several panels, and I routinely compare the LEO environment to the ‘Wild West:' It is a great analogy. Under the Homesteading Act, the early pioneers came and staked their claims. Later, law and order prevailed, big investors entered the market, and the economy exploded. That's what's happening now in the LEO space. We need "law and order," and creating the "law and order" is the role of governments. We believe their role is to stipulate desired outcomes and steer away from imposing design standards because imposing arbitrary standards can unnecessarily constrain innovation. For example, we need updated rules that mandate the removal of defunct satellites as soon as practical, or a lesser number than the current guideline of 25 years. Under such rules, it would be up to private industry and governments to figure out how they will comply. This approach relies on the free market to determine what technologies are best suited to achieve regulatory goals. Fortunately, there are governments currently engaged in rulemaking. For example, in the U.S. Government, Space Traffic Management efforts are being led by the Department of Commerce, as stipulated in Space Policy Directive 3 which was promulgated by the White House. The FCC has a role in this as well, and they are looking at updating debris mitigation regulations as part of their licensing process. They are paying particular attention to the inclusion of de-orbiting plans. There is also an effort to reach out internationally via the State Department to such agencies as the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Our role then, is to advocate and contribute as industry to new and relevant regulations and to provide technology to support adherence. SMW: If satellites without disposal capabilities fail, what regulations or regulatory body has the authority to compel the satellite or space junk’s owner to pay for its removal from orbit? Ron Lopez: Voluntary guidelines exist now and were first developed by the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee. These were largely adopted through regulation and standard practices to apply to U.S. companies and other like-minded nations. As mentioned before, the guidelines say satellites should be de-orbited or put into a junkyard orbit outside of geostationary orbit within twenty-five years after end of mission. Now, consider applying this to a LEO constellation with a life span of only five years. The original twenty-five-year guideline seems obsolete and excessive, especially with the numbers of satellites anticipated. Under this current guideline, orbits could become congested with thousands of defunct satellites and generate significant collision risk. Given the short life of the new Mega-LEO satellites, we believe the guideline needs updating. Some industry groups, like the Space Safety Coalition, of which we are a part, are encouraging a 5-year de-orbit standard. Beyond just the guideline, we believe it’s critical to create an enforcement mechanism that applies to owners of existing space junk. SMW: Can you describe the “Servicer and Client” technology? Can you take us through a typical mission from start to finish and include how you locate and acquire the target object? Ron Lopez: As a starting point, we will have a priori knowledge of where the satellite is located through telemetry provided to us by the client. We then corroborate that information with data acquired from other sources, including the U.S. Government and private Space Situational Awareness (SSA) companies. For example, we might obtain information from third-party commercial SSA providers to get a more precise orbit determination. After launching our Servicer satellite, we would then adjust its orbit to coincide with that of the Client and perform what is called a rendezvous and proximity operation. Next, we would detect the exact position of the Client using our onboard sensors and dock with it. Following the docking, orbit maneuvers are initiated to bring the Client-Servicer pair down below the human spaceflight orbit and release it to burn up on re-entry. Afterward, our satellite will move back to a higher orbit and replicate the debris removal process. SMW: What types of satellites and space debris are within Astroscale’s market? Ron Lopez: Astroscale is focused on satellites between 150 and 500 Kg. We call this business End of Life Services, and we market it to LEO satellite operators such as OneWeb, Starlink, Telesat, Project Kuiper, and others. We are suggesting they put a docking plate on their satellites. It is feasible to mount a docking plate unless you are talking about a CubeSat which is at a low orbit and will de-orbit on its own. Some operators are arguing that they could reserve enough fuel to de-orbit their satellites at end of life. That strategy works when the satellite is still operational when deorbit commences. However, LEO satellites are manufactured en mass and may incur a higher incidence of failure and not be operational. We anticipate that 10% of the mass-manufactured satellites for LEO are going to fail in orbit, which means the operators won’t have the ability to control those satellites and command them to de-orbit. In such cases, Astroscale can attach to the satellite via the docking plate and provide a controlled deorbit below the Space Station. That is the End of Life Services we offer to the large constellations. SMW: We have talked about the need to deorbit defunct satellites. What about all of the other debris in LEO orbits? Ron Lopez: That’s a fundamental question. Right now, there are quite a few large upper stage rocket bodies floating around in LEO orbits. If any of these large objects were to collide, an enormous number of debris fragments would be released, and pose a serious threat to other satellites and to human space flight. Therefore, removing even just one very large piece of debris in a perilous orbit is very beneficial. We aim to remove several a year. The responsibility to remove these debris falls by-and-large to the owner of spent upper stages, that is, governments. Fortunately, some are interested in active debris removal of these large pieces of debris. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency recently put out a Request for Proposal to inspect and de-orbit a piece of debris that they own. We are of course interested in providing this service to JAXA. In Europe, the European Space Agency is conducting a public-private partnership for debris removal because they want private industry to deliver a solution as a service. In the U.S., there is little focus on debris removal programs per se, but some of the key technologies at lower technology readiness levels are being funded. Clearly, NASA has a mandate to return to the moon by 2024. But we see these key technologies as supporting future exploration as well as sustaining the LEO environment here around Earth. While we are still a couple of years away from getting a funded debris removal mission in the US, the effort is moving in the right direction. So, the important point is that governments are starting to do something about the space debris problem. SMW: 5. Please describe the business model. What is the cost of a typical mission? Ron Lopez: It depends on many factors. For example, if we have a contract with one customer to remove all of their satellites, or we could launch our ELSA satellite with theirs, that would help bring down the cost. Another alternative would be that we use one End of Life Services by Astroscale, or ELSA satellite to service multiple customers. To facilitate ELSA reuse, we are working on ways to refuel in orbit. In pricing the service, we justify the costs in several ways. First, we reduce the risk of damage due to collision with other satellites in the constellation thereby maintaining the quality of service that their customer expects. Second, we reduce the cost of burning fuel to avoid collisions with the defunct satellites, and third, we lower the liability risk inherent in the collision with another operator’s satellites. Our service has to cost less than the sum of these negative outcomes. We are striving to keep costs as low as possible to make the decision easy to use our services. The cost is dependent on many variables, including customer requirements. SMW: When will you conduct your first mission? Ron Lopez: In the second half of 2020, we will launch a demonstration mission, ELSA-d. We will be ride-sharing on a Soyuz rocket, and we will be taking up our own mock piece of debris that we will use to test our rendezvous and proximity operations technologies. SMW: How does your service compare with other space debris removal initiatives – the “grappling claw” from ClearSpace and the RemoveDebris and harpoon debris removal technologies from the Surrey Space technologies lead consortium? Ron Lopez: These are innovative technologies, and we’re glad other companies are working on the problem. The difference is that we are a viable business. At the high end of the market, the major defense contractors have the resources to develop and execute satellite and debris removal missions. However, their cost structure makes these sorts of activities impractical. At the other extreme, you have a lot of small companies without much funding. We have managed to raise $140 Million, which gives us the ability to build the technology and operationalize it. Consequently, our ELSA-d mission will launch next year and is completely self-funded. It’s going to demonstrate the fundamental technologies that are needed but, more importantly, it's an end-to-end mission demonstration. In it, we’re going to showcase guidance navigation and control, the integration of the sensors, and the magnetic docking arm. For the demonstration, we are going to release our mock piece of debris, and we are going to capture it. Then we will rerelease the debris again, put it into a tumble, match the tumble with our servicer satellite and then dock with it. This will be the first time such a complex rendezvous and docking ever happens on orbit. SMW: Since the only satellites currently operating in LEO orbit are Iridium and many CubeSats, what business is currently available and how do you generate revenue until the major LEO constellations are launched? Is there enough large debris currently available to make a business case and can you work? Ron Lopez: We are studying other related applications including refueling and repair of satellites. As far as generating revenue in the short-term, we are concentrating on developing low-to-medium Technology Readiness Level (TRL) technologies for use in the U.S. market, providing advice on how satellite companies can become more responsible space actors, and conducting studies on the space sustainability ecosystem, including Space Situational Awareness. Text For More Information Click Here to Learn More Text For More Information For more information Text For More Information Text Ron joined Astroscale as Managing Director in April 2019 to lead the company’s business operations in the United States. Prior to joining Astroscale, Ron led the Defense & Space Asia Pacific sales team at Honeywell Aerospace, helping the company achieve significant sales growth and expansion into new markets. Ron brings over 25 years of government and industry experience, encompassing systems engineering, program management, sales and marketing, technology/research and development management, and strategy formulation. Over half of Ron’s career has been spent working and living in Japan, and he is an active member of The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation’s U.S.-Japan Space Forum. Ron earned a Bachelor of Science from The United States Air Force Academy in 1993. Text For More Information Text For more information New Microsat Venture to Combat Global Warming Bluefield's Methane Detection Technology Offers Promise for a Cleaner Environment Methane, a major contributor to global warming, is a bi-product of the increased usage of natural gas. Leakage of the gas into the environment has become a critical issue, and new ways to monitor and control unwanted emissions are now a priority. Bluefield Technologies (Bluefield), an innovative startup, has taken on the challenge and is about to launch a microsat-based solution employing proprietary optical sensing. To find out more about Bluefield and its detection technology, Lisa Dreher, a frequent contributor to Satellite Mobility World and CEO of satellite consulting firm GuideForce, sat down with Bluefield’s CEO, Yotam Ariel, to find out more about the company, its vision, and its future. Lisa Dreher (LAD): Thanks for sitting down with me today. Can you tell more about the origins of Bluefield, its technology, and vision? Yotam Ariel (YA): Reducing harmful environmental emissions is crucial to addressing global warming. One of the biggest sources of greenhouse gases today is methane. As natural gas overtakes coal as the main energy source around the world, methane released into the atmosphere is increasing. The impact methane is having on the environment is 100x larger than CO2, and today detection is hit or miss. Natural gas is 90% methane. Plus, 25% of global warming is caused by methane emissions caused by human-initiated impacts. This makes natural gas one of the greatest methane emission contributors. What is, perhaps, even more interesting is that the gas discharge is invisible. Today, inspections are done site by site on the ground or utilizing helicopters or drones. Because many natural gas factories, refineries, wastewater treatment plants, and refuse landfills are in remote locations, months or years can go by leaving leaks undetected. Three out of four leaks are missed. because the gas is invisible, and current technology isn’t always accurate. Using microsatellites equipped with our proprietary optical sensor, Bluefield solves the detection problem by providing a global view of all the methane emitting sources and pinpointing their location. This information allows energy companies and environmental agencies to prioritize, address, and eliminate leaks. LAD: How did you come to start Bluefield? YA: I started a green energy company in 2011 to serve Africa and other regions where climate change was very clearly impacting the environment and weather patterns. While doing this work, I got involved with the oil and gas industry. Energy companies are trying to reduce methane emissions, but, as of yet, they don't have a good grasp of where leaks are occurring. At the same time, college students are launching satellites, and I realized that small satellites could be a tool in methane leak detection and elimination, and could form the foundation for a good business opportunity. Following that revelation, I decided to take a course with a NASA advisor, and that is where I learned about microsatellite-based greenhouse gas sensors. Upon completion of the course, I understood the energy sector better and the emissions issues the industry was trying to address. What was the biggest early challenge you faced? YA: As with any startup, there were many challenges in the early stages. When you are early in development, it can be difficult for people to see your vision. Thankfully, I developed a solid network over the years and was lucky enough to have known Richard L. Lachance. Richard had worked with clients, including NASA and had developed chemical detectors for NATO. He was as excited as I was about the potential use of microsatellites in emission detection, and later became Bluefield’s CTO. We started out planning to monitor CO2, and ultimately landed on methane because we saw that it was having a greater impact on the environment, and the energy sector prioritized its control. This change in direction slowed our progress for a short period, but it has proven to be the best decision we made. LAD: Can you give us more background on how the technology works? YA: Bluefield’s remote sensing technology is designed to pinpoint the location and intensity of critical methane leaks. Our sensor detects the methane signature in sunlight as it is reflected off the ground. The detailed optical data is then analyzed using our algorithms to give additional details, including the volume of methane being emitted at any given location. LAD: How will companies and organizations get access to the data? YA: Our data platform will be subscription-based and will provide proactive emissions alerts and analytics. This means that energy companies will get updated views of all their operations and facilities updated every week and ultimately daily. The alerts will help them identify the most urgent leaks, as well as keep an eye on any new potential issues. LAD: Where are you in the development of the technology today? YA: We are leveraging an optical technique that’s been space-proven by NASA in twelve space missions. We have enhanced its precision with a machine vision algorithm, and it's been miniaturized so we can use it on microsatellites. Field trials and proof-of-concept work has been performed using helicopters, and high-altitude balloons, and NASA scientists have modeled the performance of our technology. These field trials and additional assessments have helped us refine the technology before we launch satellites into space. LAD: When do you plan to launch the first satellites, and how many do you plan to launch? Our first satellites are currently scheduled to launch in 2021. In the meantime, we are continuing to refine our technology and software, as well as the client application. One satellite will provide monthly global data and will be a giant step forward from where things stand today. Ultimately, we plan to have eight satellites providing daily global data. LAD: What does the future hold for Bluefield? YA: In addition to increasing the number of satellites to provide more frequent updates and data points, our data will continue to improve. By leveraging machine learning, we will constantly refine its accuracy. As millions of measurements are taken every day, we see the Bluefield platform performing better over time. Additionally, although we plan to start operations detecting methane, our technology and approach can also be utilized to detect many other gases, including sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Simply identifying the methane leaks and eliminating them will equate to a reduction in greenhouse gases equal to that provided by the entire Amazon rainforest. Imagine the additional impact we can have as we identify the other leading causes of environmentally impacting gasses. An Interview With Bluefield CEO, Yotam Ariel... Text For more information "Bluefield will provide a global view of all the methane emitting sources, where they are located and how much methane they are emitting. This will allow energy companies and environmental agencies to prioritize, address and lower or completely eliminate leaks, thus significantly lowering their impact on the environment." Bluefield App. Showing Methane Emissions Lisa Dreher, Chief Marketing Officer and Founder at GuideForce, has over 25 years business development, product management, and marketing leadership experience in the new space, satellite and information technology and communications (ICT) industries. Yotam Ariel is a former naval squad leader specializing in sensors analytics. He founded a clean energy startup with operations in 15 countries, and then transformed Bluefield from an idea into a Silicon Valley venture backed startup. He Majored in Chinese & Business, Yotam graduated with Summa Cum Laude from Xiamen University in China. He speaks 6 languages and was a national champion in sailing. Text For More Information There are many mobility related satellite industry events and unless you have an unlimited budget, here are the "must attends" (in blue) and others that may be of interest. Upcoming Conferences: ***Marintec China: December 3-6 Shanghai, China.  *****Satellite 2020: 9-12 March 2020: Washington D.C.: The Industry's most important satellite exhibition and conference - a must attend.  ****Asia Pacific Maritime: 18-20 March, Singapore Biggest maritime show in Asia.  *****SeaTrade Cruise Global, Miami: 21-23 April: The Cruise Industry is a huge user of VSAT services. making this show an important venue. It should not be missed - an important event for satellite service suppliers.  ****Posidonia: 1-5 June Athens, Greece: Another important show maritime VSAT, especially for those targeting the tanker and container segment.  ****CommunicAsia: June 9 - 11th, Singapore The biggest communications trade show in Asia. Not to be missed.  ****Global Connected Aircraft: June 10-13 Denver: A popular conference address in commercial aircraft connectivity.  *****Small Satellite Conference: Logan, Utah: August 3-8. Unquestionably the best small satellite conference available. With over 3,000 attendees, this conference is enormously popular.   ****SMM: Hamburg, Germany' September 8-11 September 2020: A must attend for those interested in VSAT use in the cargo segments.  ******World Satellite Business Week: Paris, France: 10:14 September. Unquestionably, the best satellite conference of the year. WSBW bring together all of the top executives in the industry in an intimate, networking atmosphere at the Westin. Upcoming and Recommended Satellite Mobility Events Click for more information Text