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You are here: Home / Archives for 2025

Archives for 2025

Mil/Gov win to optimize Gogo multi-orbit 5G ATG, LEO, and GEO connectivity networks

October 27, 2025 by editorial

SD Government (SDG), the division of Gogo (NASDAQ: GOGO) that provides SATCOM to global governments, has received a five-year, federal contract to deliver multi-band, multi-orbit, airborne global satellite communications to a U.S. government agency.

The new agreement, initially valued at $3 million, is a follow-on from Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III activity originally undertaken by SDG prior to the merger with Gogo.

Awarded as a sole-source contract, the agreement will see the agency consolidate all aero communications across its fleet to this single contract over the next five years. With the consolidation of multiple contracts into a single contract, procurement time and complexity are dramatically reduced. In addition, the agreement allows users to focus resources on the mission rather than managing diverse contracts and vendors.

This is the first SDG government contract to optimize the company’s integrated multi-orbit, multi-band, multi-network capabilities. The deal also includes provision for the government to add new technology and services as they become available over the life of the contract.

The agency’s missions demand consistent, reliable high-bandwidth satellite connections in every theater of operations globally, as well as the highest encryption levels for secure communication and data transfer. SDG’s deep experience in the government and defense markets, combined with its ability to deliver 24/7/365 expert customer support, will ensure the customer retains consistent critical mission connectivity.

As the contract’s full scope is realized, it will employ Gogo’s air-to-ground networks, low-Earth orbit (LEO), medium-Earth orbit (MEO), high-Earth orbit (HEO) and geostationary orbit (GEO) constellations for Ku- and Ka-band connectivity as required.

The customer agency will benefit from our extensive expertise, support, and cybersecurity expertise, along with our agnostic ability to provide the best-performing connections and terminals across multiple orbits on its diverse fleet of aircraft,” said Hayden Olson, Head of SDG. “We are providing a simple, seamless solution for the agency to procure resilient airborne communications. The streamlined access to all types of connectivity will enable seamless procurement and support, which is extremely valuable to a busy government agency.”

Filed Under: News

SatSense contracted by Network Rail to monitor Britain’s rail network using satellite radar

October 26, 2025 by editorial

SatSense Ltd., a leading InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) technology specialist based in Leeds, UK, has secured a landmark, multi-million-pound, multi-year contract with Network Rail to deliver network-wide ground deformation monitoring, flood mapping and change detection services using satellite radar technology.

Representative image of how SatSense’s InSAR data will be integrated into Network Rail’s internal GIS software to monitor ground movement trends along the rail corridor   

The innovative approach paves the way for redefining geotechnical asset management and setting a new standard for sustainable infrastructure monitoring.

Paddington Station, London

Under the agreement, SatSense will deliver processed InSAR data and derived services that integrate into Network Rail’s earthwork asset management systems, using data from satellites such as the Sentinel-1, NISAR and TerraSAR-X constellations. The approach aims to enable a transition to reduce reliance on repeat on-site examinations which can be costly, subjective and untimely.

Operational Applications 
The implementation will deliver several key operational advantages over traditional monitoring methods:

  • Cost Savings: Providing a cost-effective alternative to scheduled site visits across the entire network Enhanced Safety: Reduces risk to personnel by minimizing time spent on the track and on slopes, through continuous remote monitoring capabilities 
  • Improved Efficiency: Enables faster data collection eliminating time constraints of ground-based surveys, optimizing on-site time and unlocking capacity for critical geotechnical assessments 
  • High Data Accuracy and Consistency: Millimeter-level precision enabling repeatable measurements over time for trend analysis while reducing human error and subjectivity 
  • Continuous and Proactive Monitoring: Near real-time analysis after each satellite overpass, enabling predictive maintenance and improved data-driven decision making rather than reactive responses 
  • The implementation will build upon, rather than replace, Network Rail’s decades of manual examination expertise, using existing asset knowledge to validate and interpret Earth Observation data for enhanced asset management decisions. 

Network Rail’s decision to use a suite of remote sensing technologies to enhance and optimize existing asset management systems reflects the organization’s commitment to operational excellence.

This first network-wide implementation is expected to influence adoption of integrated InSAR solutions across the global rail industry, with other major operators evaluating similar approaches.

The contract demonstrates the commercial viability of integrated satellite-based infrastructure monitoring and establishes new benchmarks for railway asset management. The implementation positions the UK at the forefront of railway innovation, with Network Rail leading the adoption of advanced monitoring technologies in major rail operations. 

We are delighted with this appointment – it is a testament to the vision of decision-makers in Network Rail, and the quality of work delivered by the Network Rail and SatSense teams on this theme over the years,” said Dr. Matthew Bray, CEO of SatSense Ltd. “We’re excited to work towards realising the benefits that remote sensing offers in rail, enhancing safety and reliability at scale.” 

About SatSense Ltd.
SatSense Ltd, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Leeds, is a leading InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) service provider specializing in ground and structural movement monitoring for critical infrastructure. Built on decades of academic heritage, the company delivers near real-time satellite-based monitoring solutions across civil engineering, utilities, natural hazards, and energy sectors. While UK-based, SatSense operates globally across Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Americas. 

Filed Under: News

ESA’s Arctic Weather satellite adds power to forecasts

October 26, 2025 by editorial

Although ESA’s small Arctic Weather Satellite was built as a demonstrator for future constellation called EPS-Sterna, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts is now incorporating its data into its operational weather forecast system—highlighting the fact that small satellites delivered in record time can achieve great things.

Arctic Weather Satellite in action
Arctic Weather Satellite in action

Conceived, built and launched in just three years and within a tight budget, the Arctic Weather Satellite delivers high-value atmospheric humidity and temperature data from a compact platform. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is the first center to use these new observations operationally, which are leading to a robust improvement in forecasts.

The data, along with numerous other observations, are merged with a short-range forecast that is guided by earlier measurements to produce the most accurate possible snapshot of the Earth’s current state. This analysis then serves as the starting point for generating weather forecasts.

Information from the Arctic Weather Satellite’s microwave radiometer complements data from similar sensors on much larger satellites provided by organisations such as the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (Eumetsat), the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA).

Arctic Weather Satellite reveals ice clouds
Arctic Weather Satellite reveals ice clouds

For the first time, the Arctic Weather Satellite operates in the ‘sub-mm’ spectral band – wavelengths shorter than 1 mm – to also provide fresh insights into ice clouds, as shown in the image above. The mission proves that high-quality, passive microwave measurements can be delivered by a small, cost-efficient satellite.

Launched a year ago, the mission – developed as a prototype within three years and for a fraction of the cost of a traditional Earth-observing mission – has already demonstrated that the New Space approach of building quickly and at low cost could be applied to a future constellation of similar satellites.

And now, ECMWF’s decision to assimilate its data into their forecasting system stands as a strong endorsement of the mission’s excellence.

The image just below, for example, shows how the mission is improving wind forecasts, improvements show up in blue. The last image shows how the mission’s new 325 GHz channel can be used to reveal colder brightness temperatures which then offer a clearer view of typhoons.

Arctic Weather satellite improves wind forecasts
Arctic Weather satellite improves wind forecasts

Ville Kangas, ESA’s Arctic Weather Project Manager, said, “We are extremely proud of this mission. While we were confident that our New Space approach to developing and building the satellite would succeed, its performance in orbit has far exceeded our expectations. And given that it is only a demonstrator – a precursor to a potential constellation of satellites capable of delivering an almost continuous stream of data for very short-term weather forecasting in the Arctic and beyond – we couldn’t be more delighted.”

Weighing just 125 kg and measuring 1.0 m × 5.3 m × 0.9 m, the Arctic Weather Satellite is a small satellite. It carries a 19-channel cross-track scanning microwave radiometer that yields high-resolution vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and humidity in all weather conditions.

Despite its name, the Arctic Weather Satellite collects measurements around the globe. However, its humidity data are particularly valuable for weather forecasting across the Arctic where concentrations of water vapor can change rapidly.

Arctic Weather Satellite offers clearer view of cyclones
Arctic Weather Satellite offers clearer view of cyclones

The impacts of the climate crisis are being felt more strongly in the Arctic than other parts of the world. Nevertheless, what happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic, so these changes are affecting the Earth system as a whole. Information from the Arctic Weather Satellite and the potential constellation, called EPS-Sterna, will also support research into climate change.

The proposed constellation would comprise six satellites for higher temporal coverage, and each satellite would be replenished three times to ensure data is delivered for years to come.

It is envisaged that ESA would build the EPS-Sterna constellation in cooperation with Eumetsat, following the established model used for Europe’s other meteorological missions, namely the geostationary Meteosat and the polar-orbiting MetOp missions.

The Meteosat geostationary satellites, positioned 36,000 km above the equator, return images every 15 minutes but they have no visibility of higher latitudes closer to the poles, making them unsuitable for Arctic weather forecasting. The MetOp satellites do return data over the poles as they circle Earth from pole to pole in a lower orbit, but it can take up to 24 hours to achieve global coverage. The EPS-Sterna constellation of six satellites would fill the temporal coverage gap.

If the EPS-Sterna constellation becomes a reality, it would complement the MetOp Second Generation, Joint Polar Satellite System and Fengyun polar orbiting weather missions, doubling the number of orbital planes from three to six.

While the decision on EPS-Sterna is still to be made, the Arctic Weather Satellite is certainly already proving its worth: successfully built as a New Space mission, hailed as excellent, and now its data are being used operationally—not bad for a prototype.

Filed Under: News

Airbus, Leonardo and Thales sign MoU to create a leading European player in space

October 24, 2025 by editorial

Airbus, Leonardo and Thales sign Memorandum of Understanding to create a leading European player in space

These companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at combining their respective space activities into a new company.

By joining forces, Airbus, Leonardo and Thales aim to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy in space, a major sector that underpins critical infrastructure and services related to telecommunications, global navigation, earth observation, science, exploration and national security. This new company also intends to serve as the trusted partner for developing and implementing national sovereign space programmes.

This new company will pool, build and develop a comprehensive portfolio of complementary technologies and end-to-end solutions, from space infrastructure to services (excluding space launchers). It will accelerate innovation in this strategic market, in order to create a unified, integrated and resilient European space player, with the critical mass to compete globally and grow on the export markets.

This new player will be able to foster innovation, combine and strengthen investments in future space products and services, building on the complementary assets and world-class expertise of all three companies. The combination is expected to generate mid triple digit million euro of total annual synergies on operating income five years after closing. Associated costs to generate those synergies are expected to be in line with industry benchmark.

The project is expected to unlock incremental revenues, leveraging an expanded portfolio of end-to-end products and services leading to a more competitive offering, and greater global commercial reach. The combined capabilities also pave the way for even more innovative new programs to enlarge the new company’s market positioning. Further operational synergies in, among others, engineering, manufacturing and project management, are anticipated to drive long-term efficiency and value creation. Upon conclusion of the transaction, this new company will encompass the following contributions:

Airbus will contribute with its Space Systems and Space Digital businesses, coming from Airbus Defence and Space. Leonardo will contribute with its Space Division, including its shares in Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space. Thales will mainly contribute with its shares in Thales Alenia Space, Telespazio, and Thales SESO.

The combined entity will employ around 25,000 people across Europe. With an annual turnover of about 6.5bn€ (end of 2024, pro-forma) and an order backlog representing more than three years of projected sales, this new company will form a robust, innovative and competitive entity worldwide.

Ownership of the new company will be shared among the parent companies, with Airbus, Leonardo and Thales owning respectively 35%, 32.5% and 32.5% stakes. It will operate under joint control, with a balanced governance structure among shareholders.

Accelerating European leadership in space and ensuring its strategic autonomy, the new company aims to:

  • Foster innovation and technological progress by harnessing joint R&D capabilities to be at the cutting edge of space missions in all domains, including services, and enhance operational efficiency, benefiting from economies of scale and optimized production processes.
  • Increase competitiveness facing global players, reaching critical mass and ensuring Europe secures its role as a major player in the international space market.
  • Lead innovative programs to address evolving customer and European sovereign needs, national sovereign and military programs, by providing integrated solutions for infrastructure & services in all major space domains, driving cooperation across nations and having the capability to invest.
  • Strengthen the European space ecosystem by bringing more stability and predictability to the industrial landscape, amplifying opportunities for the benefit of European suppliers of all sizes.
  • Create new opportunities for employee development through broader technical capabilities and the extensive multinational footprint of the new company.

This new company will pool, build and develop a portfolio of complementary technologies and end-to-end solutions, from space infrastructure to services (excluding space launchers). It aims to accelerate innovation in this strategic market, in order to create a “unified, integrated and resilient European space player with the critical mass to compete globally and grow on the export markets.”

This new player will be able to foster innovation, combine and strengthen investments in future space products and services, building on the complementary assets and world-class expertise of all three companies. The combination is expected to generate mid triple digit million euro of total annual synergies on operating income five years after closing. Associated costs to generate those synergies are expected to be in line with industry benchmark,” the statement said.

Employee representatives of Airbus, Leonardo and Thales will be informed and consulted on this project according to the laws of involved countries and the collective agreements applicable at each parent company.

Completion of the transaction is subject to customary conditions including regulatory clearances, with the new company expected to be operational in 2027.

Guillaume Faury, Chief Executive Officer of Airbus, Roberto Cingolani, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Leonardo and Patrice Caine, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Thales, issued a joint statement that said, “This proposed new company marks a pivotal milestone for Europe’s space industry. It embodies our shared vision to build a stronger and more competitive European presence in an increasingly dynamic global space market. By pooling our talent, resources, expertise and R&D capabilities, we aim to generate growth, accelerate innovation and deliver greater value to our customers and stakeholders. This partnership aligns with the ambitions of European governments to strengthen their industrial and technological assets, ensuring Europe’s autonomy across the strategic space domain and its many applications. It offers employees the opportunity to be at the heart of this ambitious initiative, while benefiting from enhanced career prospects and the collective strength of the three industry leaders.”

Filed Under: News

Quantum Space’s Ranger Prime mission is targeting June of 2026 for launch

October 23, 2025 by editorial

Quantum Space has completed their Manufacturing Readiness Review (MRR) for the firm’s upcoming Ranger Prime mission, marking a key milestone toward the projected June of 2026 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The Ranger Prime mission will validate the on-orbit performance and remote proximity targeting operations of Quantum Space’s Ranger 500 spacecraft, one of the company’s Ranger Space Superiority vehicle product lines.

Designed to deliver high maneuverability, large payload capacity, and unmatched propulsion performance, the Ranger fleet will provide the U.S. Space Force (USSF) with the capability to maneuver without regret, substantially increasing the Warfighter’s strategic and tactical flexibility.

The Ranger Prime mission precedes by six months the launch of Quantum Space’s flagship Ranger 2000 spacecraft, the largest and most capable of the company’s Ranger line.

The Ranger program represents a new generation of U.S.-built spacecraft designed to provide persistent, agile, and resilient capabilities across multiple orbital regimes.

Our Ranger Space Superiority Vehicle fleet, with its game-changing propulsion capability and payload capacity, can form the backbone of America’s Golden Dome space element,” said Richard Matlock, Senior Vice President for National Security Space Programs at Quantum Space.

Over the last three years, Quantum Space has focused research and development on designing, testing, and qualifying the Ranger fleet and stand ready to meet the President’s challenge to defend the nation from and within space,” said Phil Bracken, Chief Technology Officer of Quantum Space. “With the Manufacturing Readiness Review complete, our team will begin spacecraft assembly and testing ahead of shipment to the launch services contractor in early 2026.”

About Quantum Space
Quantum Space builds agile spacecraft to strengthen U.S. space defense and meet the demands of modern space operations. Our mission centers on the Ranger platform: a highly maneuverable spacecraft designed to address the needs of national security and commercial operators. With patented propulsion, extended on-orbit endurance, and modular flexibility, Ranger is engineered to outmaneuver legacy satellites and operate dynamically across diverse mission sets
.

Filed Under: News

Hughes expands with the strategic acquisition of Anderson Connectivity

October 23, 2025 by editorial

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), an EchoStar company (Nasdaq: SATS),has acquired Anderson Connectivity, a leading aerospace innovator in design, engineering, and manufacturing services based in Melbourne, Florida.

This acquisition significantly expands Hughes capabilities, adding key technology and engineering talent and product solutions while positioning the company for accelerated growth in the global aviation, space, and defense markets.

As part of the acquisition, Hughes welcomes Brian Anderson, founder of Anderson Connectivity, who will join as Vice President, Aviation Technology & Innovation Officer. Hughes will also take over Anderson Connectivity’s Melbourne, Florida, facility, which will become a cornerstone of aviation innovation and rapid product development for Hughes and EchoStar.

Our Aviation and Defense business units at Hughes continue to excel,” said Hamid Akhavan, president and CEO, EchoStar. “EchoStar is investing in a robust future and is proud to add Anderson Connectivity to augment our already strong foundation.”

Brian Anderson is a visionary in aerospace technology, and his team brings unmatched expertise and capabilities,” said Paul Gaske, Chief Operating Officer, Hughes. “This acquisition allows us to accelerate our innovation, global support, and deliver even greater value to our aviation customers while supporting the strong growth of our Defense and Space businesses.”

Screenshot

Filed Under: News

1st data rec’d from Met-Op-SG’s IASI-NG

October 22, 2025 by editorial

The IASI-NG instrument (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer-New Generation) flying on the Metop-SGA1 weather satellite has sent back its first data.

MetOp-SG’s IASI-NG returns first data

Lifted into space from the Guiana Space Centre by an Ariane 6 launcher on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, the IASI-NG instrument flying on the Metop-SGA1 weather satellite has sent back its first data. The calibration/validation phase is now underway to precisely calibrate the instrument and refine processing parameters to obtain perfectly calibrated atmospheric spectra for operational distribution to users in 2026. These data are eagerly awaited by the international scientific community and national weather services.

Metop-SGA1 was developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) on EUMETSAT’s behalf and is operated by EUMETSAT. At the end of the in-orbit commissioning phase, EUMETSAT will take over management of operational data for all instruments on the satellite.

CNES has overall technical responsibility for IASI-NG, including during in-orbit commissioning, with support from the French national scientific research centre CNRS and national weather service Meteo-France. CNES also developed part of the EUMETSAT processing chain that turns raw acquisitions from the instrument into atmospheric characterization data, and is in charge of developing and operating a technical expertise centre to monitor the instrument’s performance in orbit. The instrument was built for CNES by Airbus Defence & Space, working from instrument specifications and science goals established by the scientific community.

IASI-NG is designed to observe Earth’s atmosphere for meteorology, climate science and air quality monitoring. It succeeds the IASI instruments operating on the first generation of Metop satellites since 2006. It is set to improve performance by a factor of two and will sound the atmosphere with unprecedented precision, measuring temperature, humidity and atmospheric composition (ozone, methane, carbon dioxide, aerosols, etc.) continuously over a period of 20 years, thus making a significant contribution to the monitoring of Earth’s climate. CNRS research laboratories are closely involved in processing IASI-NG spectra to extract the geophysical and climate data required to characterize and monitor the planet’s atmosphere.

The first data from the IASI-NG instrument were generated from raw measurements processed with system settings defined during ground testing. This first spectrum (pictured above) shows the composition of the atmosphere seen by the instrument as the satellite was flying over Toulouse, France.

IASI-NG splits light waves reflected from Earth according to their frequency. Snapshots of the atmosphere are obtained from 16,921 separate data points (spectral channels), each of which can be selected and compared to any other point on the globe. This atmospheric spectrum represents the amount of energy measured as a function of light wave frequency in IASI-NG’s infrared range. Providing much greater detail than its predecessor, the instrument is able to identify the characteristic signatures of molecules in the atmosphere. These initial spectra acquired on September 30th already give a glimpse of the broad variety of chemical species that IASI-NG can sense, such as carbon dioxide, nitric acid, methane or ozone.

Premier spectre de l’atmosphère acquis par l’instrument IASI-NG au-dessus de Toulouse.png
First atmospheric spectrum acquired by the IASI-NG instrument over Toulouse, France. ©CNES, 2025
En compilant les données d'un seul canal spectral sur plusieurs orbites.png
By compiling data from a single spectral channel over several orbits, we can generate a synoptic picture of this specific atmospheric characteristic. This is a composite image of October 7th, 2025, from the
11-μm channel, highlighting the thermal properties of clouds and Earth’s surface.

The instrument observes radiation from Earth, and the spectral lines it sees show light absorbed by the different molecules in the atmosphere at that particular time. The depth of these lines tells us how many molecules are present, while the sharper resolution allows us to determine this information with greater accuracy at different altitudes.

This range of molecules, along with humidity, temperature, dust and cloud profiles, will be targeted by the mission and measured more than a million times a day, across the surface of the globe and the entire depth of the atmospheric column, for the next two decades.

The first data also include information acquired by IASI-NG’s imager, which operates in an infrared channel and enables exact co-registration of sounding points with images. All data are acquired by scanning left to right along the satellite’s track.

The IASI-NG instrument’s improved performance is made possible by an innovative Mertz interferometer[1] concept, deployed for the first time on a space mission. Its measurements will enable extraction of more accurate vertical profiles of temperature and humidity close to the surface, a key requirement for further improving global and regional numerical prediction models.

The IASI-NG mission is a key element of international climate science efforts. Its improved performance will deliver more data on greenhouse gases and deeper insights into the chemical components in the atmosphere to better estimate air quality.

The IASI-NG mission is expected to continue acquiring data until at least 2047 and possibly beyond. Added to the dataset built up by the previous generation of IASI instruments, these data will provide an unprecedented climate record covering more than 40 years of global atmospheric observations.

[1] The Mertz principle is based on a Michelson interferometer that compensates for field effects by inserting in the optical path a plate whose thickness is controlled to provide the right optical index. 

Filed Under: News

Globalstar intros their RM200M 2-way satIoT module

October 22, 2025 by editorial

Globalstar (NASDAQ: GSAT) has brought their commercial RM200M two-way satellite IoT module to industry attention—this solution that enables affordable and resilient connectivity for critical assets everywhere and is now globally certified.

The RM200M, pictured above, is the latest addition to Globalstar’s portfolio of low-cost, low-power satellite IoT solutions. Leveraging Globalstar’s licensed L- and S-band spectrum and second-generation satellites, the module delivers reliable, two-way connectivity and is future-proofed to support cellular connectivity from the same module, enabling robust communications for critical IoT applications ranging from logistics and transportation to energy, agriculture, and environmental monitoring.

Already being leveraged in critical IoT applications worldwide, the RM200M is enabling customers across industries to bring new solutions to market faster. From North America to Asia Pacific, enterprises are adopting the module for its flexibility, multi-mode capability, and ease of integration.

With the RM200M module now certified across major geographies, we’ve moved to true global reach with our two-way communications,” said Mersad Cavcic, Globalstar Chief Product Officer. “This milestone gives our partners and customers a reliable, cost-effective solution for connecting assets and operations across expansive geographies and hard-to-connect territories alike.”

RM200M gives us the ability to stay connected with critical assets no matter where they move,” said Tsogbadrakh Surenjargal, Co-Founder Spotter International. “The combination of two-way satellite communications and low-power consumption helps us streamline operations, reduce downtime, and deliver better service to our customers.”

Filed Under: News

Kepler awarded contract to support Canadian Arctic Defence

October 22, 2025 by editorial

Kepler Communications has been awarded a multi-year contract from Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) to demonstrate real-time data sharing and connectivity for Continental Defence, including the Canadian Arctic.

The initiative will conduct research and analysis to support the development of technologies enabling resilient space architecture that integrates communications, sensing, and command and control. Kepler’s commercial LEO constellation, the Kepler Network, that will serve as a communication backbone to connect on-orbit platforms with multi-domain assets.

Launching in early 2026, Kepler will leverage its first tranche of data relay satellites to demonstrate real-time, high-throughput optical intersatellite links between space and a remote ground terminal in Northern Canada. The secure and encrypted relay demonstrations will model and simulate network resiliency, relay terrestrial-based data, relay and compress Earth observation imagery, process data on orbit, and analyze other key performance metrics.

We are proud to be delivering the future of real-time connectivity for Canada’s Arctic,” said Mina Mitry, CEO and co-founder of Kepler Communications. “Kepler is committed to advancing sovereign, resilient communications infrastructure by enabling high-speed, secure, low-latency connections in one of the most challenging environments on Earth, strengthening Canada’s presence and capabilities in the North.”

Filed Under: News

Iridium awarded U.S. DoT contract for complementary PNT services deployment + testing

October 21, 2025 by editorial

Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM) has been selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) for an award through its Complementary Positioning,Navigation, and Timing (CPNT) Action Plan Rapid Phase Award II to support a broad network deployment of Iridium® PNT services.

Iridium is working with T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) to launch live-site activations across the United States, which delivers state-of-the-art, 5G network complementary timing synchronization that further strengthens their network resilience and helps to ensure customers enjoy the most reliable experience possible.

As the U.S. government’s civil lead for PNT, the DoT CPNT Action Plan is designed to evaluate mature and commercially available CPNT technologies in order to strengthen PNT resilience and enhance the safety of critical infrastructure, like 5G networks. Through this contract, T-Mobile will expand its installation of Iridium PNT receivers to 90 additional live 5G network sites in geographically diverse locations.

Iridium PNT will help protect against GPS disruptions that cause downtime and compromise the data integrity and performance of 5G networks, which rely on coordinated, precise timing to deliver the necessary speed, capacity, and reliability of service to end-users.

T-Mobile will also perform nominal and adverse user equipment exercises at its testing range. The indoor location, which includes the necessary wireless infrastructure, provides an ideal setting for DOT, Iridium, and T-Mobile to observe and record results.

Capable of sub-100-nanosecond accuracy—better than a millionth of a second—and secured using cryptographic techniques, Iridium PNT signals are 1,000 times stronger than GNSS systems like GPS and work inside buildings with no need for an outdoor antenna. The service is delivered by Iridium’s LEO satellite constellation, which provides truly global weather-resilient L-band connectivity.

It is essential for the U.S. to strengthen the resilience of our 5G wireless networks and other critical infrastructure that relies on PNT,” said Dr. Michael O’Connor, executive vice president, PNT, Iridium. “Our partnership with an industry-leading company like T-Mobile underscores the proven performance of our solution and reinforces why it’s the gold standard for PNT services like timing synchronization.”

Filed Under: News

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