Satellites

Eutelsat OneWeb LEO satellite powers Indian Navy's Project Kaundinya voyage

Eutelsat's OneWeb LEO satellite network provided real-time connectivity for the Indian Navy's INSV Kaundinya during its maritime heritage expedition to Oman

Bluebird Block-2 satellite to commence ops in coming weeks: AST SpaceMobile

The Bluebird Block-2 satellite, which was successfully deployed by ISRO's Bahubali rocket LVM3-M6 on December 24 is set to commence operations in the coming weeks. The next-generation communication satellite, developed by US-based AST SpaceMobile, became the first spacecraft to be launched from Indian soil on December 24 into the intended orbit by ISRO. "In the coming weeks it will start operations," AST SpaceMobile COO Shanti B Gupta said. In a statement, AST SpaceMobile said, Bluebird 6 has become the largest commercial communications array ever deployed in the Low Earth orbit as it spans 2,400 sq ft, three times larger than the previous Bluebird satellites 1-5 launched in September 2024. The satellites have been engineered to deliver commercial and government applications, including high-speed 4G and 5G space-based cellular broadband directly to standard, unmodified smartphones and government applications. AST SpaceMobile Chairman and CEO Abel Avellan had said, "This launch ...

Starlink moves closer to India launch: What we know so far

Elon Musk’s Starlink is gearing up to enter India’s internet market with satellite-based services. Here’s a clear, concise breakdown of the regulatory status, expected pricing, competition.

Spacetech startup Grahaa gets approval to launch nanosatellite from Brazil

Bengaluru-based company moves to validate its systems ahead of a larger satellite constellation rollout

Viasat in talks with Indian startups to build mini geostationary satellites

Miniaturised GEO satellites could reshape connectivity in India and attract demand from over 20 countries

Govt plans 'bodyguard' satellites after risky near-miss in orbit

The government wants to develop so-called bodyguard satellites to identify and counter threats to orbiting spacecraft

From petri dish to payload: India's next Big Bang in future deeptech

Part II of this series shines the spotlight on India's audacious deeptech builders - startups engineering the country's future by tackling challenges too complex for conventional innovation

Ananth Tech set to launch India's first private satellite broadband service

Ananth Tech gets IN-SPACe nod to launch ₹3,000-crore satellite broadband service by 2028, marking India's first private satcom rollout to rival Starlink, OneWeb, and Amazon Kuiper

SatSure, Dhruva Space sign MoU to deliver end-to-end space-based solutions

The strategic partnership aims to combine Earth Observation analytics with satellite platform capabilities to serve strategic and commercial users with high-reliability Indian tech

India's space sector must shift beyond ISRO, go global: Pawan Goenka

IN-SPACe Chairman Pawan Goenka says private firms must stop relying on ISRO, build full-stack solutions, adopt AI, and target civil applications for technologies like NavIC

Spacetech startup GalaxEye to build second satellite with 0.5 m resolution

Built entirely in-house, the satellite will offer 0.5m resolution and sub-3-day revisit for real-time geospatial insights across defence, disaster response and urban security

Intelsat gets govt nod for direct satellite broadcast services in India

US-based Intelsat has become one of the first foreign satellite operators to get approval from the Indian government to provide direct satellite coverage to domestic media organisations, a move that would allow the company to expand operations in the region. Following the authorisation from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), Intelsat won new business from three of India's largest media companies, the US company said in a statement here. The IN-SPACe approval authorises Intelsat to operate four geostationary satellites --? IS-17, IS-20, IS-36, and IS-39 --? offering C-band coverage across India. These satellites will support content delivery and distribution both within the country and beyond its borders. "This approval represents a significant step forward in Intelsat's contribution to India's space commerce sector, a source of great national pride," said Gaurav Kharod, Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific at Intelsat. "Our extensive satell

China launches 12 satellites to build world's 1st space-based supercomputer

China kickstarts its ambitious space computing project with the launch of 12 satellites, aiming to rival Earth's most powerful supercomputers with real-time, in-orbit data processing

Policy clarity: Trai recommendations should pave way for satellite internet

The regulatory guidelines will help businesses get visibility on the timeline to start their India operations for high-speed and low-latency internet service

Amazon launches first internet satellites to compete with SpaceX's Starlink

Amazon's first batch of Internet satellites rocketed toward orbit Monday, the latest entry in the mega constellation market currently dominated by SpaceX's thousands of Starlinks. The United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket carried up 27 of Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites, named after the frigid fringes of our solar system beyond Neptune. Once released in orbit, the satellites will eventually reach an altitude of nearly 630 kilometres. Two test satellites were launched in 2023, also by an Atlas V. Project officials said major upgrades were made to the newest version. The latest satellites also are coated with a mirror film designed to scatter reflected sunlight in an attempt to accommodate astronomers. Stargazers oppose the fast-growing constellations of low-orbiting satellites, arguing they spoil observations. Others fear more satellite collisions. Founded by Jeff Bezos, who now runs his own rocket company, Blue Origin, Amazon aims to put more than 3,200 of these satellites int

US advises allies to shun Chinese satellite services in leaked memo

The memo by the state department warned that countries collaborating with China's space providers risks the transfer of sensitive information

SpaceX likely plans Starlink hub with multiple ground stations in Vietnam

The possible investment follows Vietnam's decision, amid US tariff risks, to allow Starlink to operate under a five-year pilot programme

Trump asks two spy agencies to train satellites to surveil US-Mexico border

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) oversee spy satellites and analyse imagery for the Pentagon and other intelligence organisations

60-plus LVM-3 rockets to be built with private sector's help: INSPACe chief

INSPACe has the mandate for promotion of the private space industry and also to authorise activities of non-government entities in the sector

Satellite connectivity: What is it, which phones support it, how it works

Mobile satellite connectivity enables a smartphone to establish a connection with a satellite network, providing communication in areas without cellular coverage