Researchers are turning to advanced satellite technology to address a critical gap in global infrastructure safety: the lack of structural monitoring on the world’s longest bridges. Due to high logistical hurdles and prohibitive costs, fewer than one in five bridges spanning 492 feet or more currently have systems installed to track structural health. However, a shift toward space-based monitoring could soon triple the number of bridges under active surveillance, allowing engineers to detect dangerous structural changes remotely.

The Science of Satellite Monitoring

A recent study published in Nature Communications validated the feasibility of this approach using the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellite constellation. By utilizing a data analysis technique known as Multi-Temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (MT-InSAR), researchers were able to identify structural displacements as small as a few millimeters—roughly the thickness of a dime. While minute, these shifts can serve as early warning signs of structural weakness, providing data that was previously difficult to capture without expensive on-site equipment.

The Role of NISAR

The scope of this monitoring is set to expand significantly with data from the NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite, a joint operation between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation. NISAR is designed to collect higher-resolution data than its predecessors, systematically gathering imagery of nearly every bridge in the world twice every 12 days. This comprehensive, time-series radar data will allow civil engineers to observe trends and stress points with greater clarity than ever before.

The Invisible Ruler

You can imagine the satellite’s radar beam not as a straight line, but as a sine wave—a repeating corkscrew of energy with a specific wavelength (often about 5 to 24 centimeters). When this wave hits a bridge and bounces back to the satellite, it returns at a specific point in its up-and-down cycle. This specific point is called the “phase.”

Measuring the Shift If a bridge moves even slightly between satellite passes—perhaps sinking by just a few millimeters due to stress—the distance to the satellite changes. Consequently, the returning radar wave will hit the sensor at a slightly different point in its cycle. By comparing the phase of the wave from the first pass to the phase from the second pass (interferometry), the satellite can calculate exactly how much the distance has changed. Because the wavelength is known and stable, engineers can measure shifts that are merely a tiny fraction of that wavelength, resulting in sub-centimeter precision.

Why Bridges are Ideal Targets This technique works exceptionally well on bridges because they are what scientists call “Permanent Scatterers.” Unlike forests or water, which change texture constantly, bridges are hard, geometric structures that reflect radar waves consistently over many years. This allows the satellite to lock onto specific points on the bridge—like a pylon or a cable anchor—and track its specific movement history with extreme accuracy.

Santa Rosa, CA — Keysight Technologies and KT SAT have successfully demonstrated the telecommunication industry’s first non-terrestrial network (NTN) multi-orbit handover, marking a significant leap toward the realization of resilient 6G connectivity.

Conducted at the Kumsan Satellite Network Operation Center in Korea, the proof-of-concept established a live connection using the commercial KOREASAT-6A geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite and successfully transferred the active session to an emulated low Earth orbit (LEO) link without service interruption. This achievement validates the technical ability of future networks to maintain continuous communication while switching between distinct satellite orbits, a core requirement for ensuring ubiquitous global coverage.

The demonstration is particularly notable for its alignment with emerging global standards, specifically utilizing the Ku-band spectrum with a downlink of approximately 12.3 GHz and an uplink of 14.4 GHz. By incorporating this frequency range, the collaboration directly addresses the newly standardized 3GPP Release-19 specifications, which are central to current operator deployment strategies.

Utilizing Keysight’s Network Emulator Solutions and UeSIM RAN Testing Toolset to mimic base stations and user equipment, the engineering teams successfully navigated the inherent challenges of satellite connectivity—such as high latency, Doppler effects, and dynamic link conditions—to ensure a seamless transition between the live GEO satellite and the emulated LEO environment.

This breakthrough offers a practical roadmap for the telecommunications industry as it seeks to integrate terrestrial and space-based networks. By proving that multi-orbit mobility can be validated accurately in a controlled lab setting, Keysight and KT SAT have demonstrated a cost-effective method for operators and device vendors to test advanced scenarios without relying solely on expensive field trials. This capability allows for the earlier study of propagation and interoperability, ultimately accelerating the development of “always-on” connectivity that can withstand disasters and reach remote areas. According to executives from both companies, this success paves the way for integrated services that combine the broad coverage of existing GEO satellites with the low-latency benefits of future LEO constellations.

Seo Young-soo, CEO of KT SAT, said: “As the only satellite communications service provider in Korea, KT SAT is progressively validating the applicability of NTN gNB and UE using our five operational GEO satellites. Building on the results of this trial, we will actively explore strengthening the competitiveness of our next-generation GEO satellite for the global market and delivering integrated multi-orbit communication services based on NTN systems, including traffic handover across our own GEO and future LEO/MEO constellations.”

Peng Cao, Vice President and General Manager of Keysight’s Wireless Test Group, Keysight, said: “This demonstration shows how emulation can bring future multi-orbit networks into the lab today. By combining a live GEO connection with emulated LEO conditions using NR-NTN parameters in Ku-band, Keysight gives operators and vendors a practical way to study NTN handover behavior, optimize mobility strategies, and reduce the cost and risk of early deployments.”

TOKYO — Addressing the growing vulnerability of orbital infrastructure to digital incursions, Synspective has initiated a joint research project with GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae to develop standardized defense protocols for satellite systems. The collaboration aims to merge Synspective’s operational data from its Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) constellation with GMO’s white-hat hacking capabilities to identify and mitigate space-based cyber threats.

Protecting a $1.8 Trillion Orbital Economy

The democratization of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) has shifted satellites from niche government assets to critical nodes in the global economic infrastructure. According to the World Economic Forum, the space economy is projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035. However, this expansion has introduced new attack vectors. Unlike terrestrial IT systems, spacecraft operate in a constrained environment where hardware upgrades are impossible and remote remediation is difficult.

As small satellites increasingly handle sensitive data regarding national security, disaster response, and supply chain monitoring, the “security through obscurity” model is no longer viable. This partnership seeks to move beyond reactive patching toward a proactive, baked-in security architecture for next-generation constellations.

Defining Space-Based Threat Models

The joint research focuses on adapting terrestrial cybersecurity methodologies to the unique constraints of the space domain. The initiative is structured around two primary pillars:

• Satellite-Specific Threat Analysis: The teams will map potential attack surfaces specific to orbital assets, analyzing how the space environment affects system vulnerabilities and analyzing risk at the system level.
• Countermeasure Development: Rather than theoretical modeling, the project aims to produce reproducible, practical defense mechanisms. This includes creating test scenarios to verify the effectiveness of countermeasures against identified risks.

Industry Perspectives

The collaboration leverages GMO Cybersecurity’s background in securing autonomous systems to address the specific latencies and hardware limitations of satellite operations.

“Satellite services have already become a vital part of the world’s social infrastructure, and ensuring its security is an urgent challenge,” said Kosuke Ito, Executive Officer at GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae. “By applying our advanced hacking technologies and expertise, developed through years of work with automobiles, IoT devices, and drones, to satellite systems, we aim to establish satellite-specific threat models and practical testing methodologies.”

Standardization Goals

The ultimate objective of the research is to establish a standardized framework for security evaluation in satellite design and development. Synspective intends to integrate these findings into its future satellite iterations, potentially influencing broader industry standards for commercial space operations.

MENLO PARK, Calif. — In a precedent-setting move for space domain awareness (SDA) procurement, LeoLabs announced today it has secured a joint contract from the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and the U.S. Space Force (USSF). The deal, awarded on September 30, 2025, but publicly detailed today, marks the first time these two agencies have collaborated to simultaneously license a commercial object catalog, signaling a major shift toward civil-military fusion in orbital management.

Under the terms of the agreement, LeoLabs will feed its “Object Catalog”—which currently tracks nearly 25,000 resident space objects—directly into two critical government systems: the USSF’s Unified Data Library (UDL) and the DOC’s burgeoning Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS).

The Scope of the Data

LeoLabs will provide a massive influx of real-time data, including its full public catalog, high-fidelity radar observations, object state updates, and maneuver detection data. The company claims its radar network currently tracks 99.3% of the objects in the Department of Defense’s own public catalog, including 99.96% of all active satellites and 98.56% of tracked debris.

By feeding this data into the UDL, the Space Force’s Joint Commercial Operations cell (JCO) gains enhanced visibility for national security missions. Simultaneously, the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) will use the same data stream to validate and build out TraCSS, the civil system designed to take over space traffic management responsibilities from the military.

Strategic Implications

This contract is a direct execution of the recent Presidential Executive Order on “Ensuring Commercial, Cost-Effective Solutions in Federal Contracts.” Historically, the DoD and civil agencies have procured data in silos. This joint licensing model creates a “buy once, use many” framework that reduces taxpayer redundancy while establishing a single source of truth for orbital data across the government.

“This interagency adoption signals LeoLabs’ emergence as the nation’s leading commercial source of persistent Orbital Intelligence,” the company stated in a release.

Strategic Analysis

This award establishes a critical precedent for civil-military fusion in Space Situational Awareness (SSA). By integrating a commercial catalog simultaneously into the military’s Unified Data Library (UDL) and the civil Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS), the US government is effectively validating the commercial sector’s ability to provide the “foundational layer” of orbital data. This moves the USSF closer to a “monitor and act” posture, while offloading the routine “catalog and coordinate” duties to the DOC and commercial vendors.

SatNews, December 8, 2025 — In a Monday morning marked by significant capital movements across the orbital ecosystem, the space industry saw a major validation of the “Space-as-a-Service” financial model, a critical reinforcement of the traditional video broadcast market, and new infrastructure bridging the gap between space sensors and kinetic defense.

Financing the Future: SLI and AscendArc

Leading the news cycle is a substantial financial commitment from Space Leasing International (SLI), which has signed a framework agreement worth up to $200 million with seed-stage satellite manufacturer AscendArc.

The deal, which effectively functions as a sale-and-leaseback mechanism for AscendArc’s upcoming “micro-GEO” platform, represents a pivotal shift in how orbital assets are capitalized. Traditionally, operators have been forced to shoulder massive upfront Capital Expenditures (CAPEX) to procure Geostationary assets. SLI’s investment allows AscendArc to build and retain ownership of the physical assets while leasing the capacity or the bus itself to operators on an Operational Expenditure (OPEX) basis.

Industry analysts suggest this move significantly de-risks the entry into GEO for smaller nations and commercial data relay providers. AscendArc, known for its modular propulsion architecture, can now move to production on its first block of satellites without waiting for a traditional, paid-in-full customer order. This liquidity injection signals that the “lease-vs-buy” dynamics that dominate the aviation industry are finally maturing within the satellite manufacturing sector.

Eutelsat Anchors MENA Dominance

While NewSpace explores novel financing, Eutelsat Group has demonstrated the enduring resilience of the traditional broadcast model. The operator confirmed this morning a multi-year capacity renewal with beIN MEDIA GROUP, the premier sports and entertainment broadcaster in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

The agreement locks in critical Ku-band capacity at Eutelsat’s premier 7/8° West video neighborhood. This orbital position is one of the most lucrative “hotbirds” in the industry, reaching over 50 million TV homes.

Despite the market hype surrounding Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations and IP-based delivery, this contract underscores a strategic reality: for mass-market distribution of high-value live sports (including exclusive football rights held by beIN), the point-to-multipoint economics of GEO widebeam remain unbeaten. For Eutelsat, securing a long-term commitment from a Tier 1 client like beIN stabilizes backlog revenue and maintains high fill rates on their existing fleet, providing a cash-flow bulwark as they continue their integration with OneWeb.

Lockheed Martin’s Sensor-to-Shooter Lab

On the defense front, Lockheed Martin Space has officially opened a new $17 million System Integration Lab (SIL) in Courtland, Alabama. While the facility is technically housed under the company’s Missiles and Fire Control division, it is operationally linked to Lockheed Martin Space assets.

The facility is designed to close the loop between space-based missile warning sensors—such as those in the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Tracking Layer—and hypersonic strike vehicles like the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW).

This development highlights the US Space Force’s growing emphasis on “operationalizing” the domain. Space is no longer merely about observation; it is the primary guidance enabler for hypersonic kinetics. The SIL will allow for digital engineering and hardware-in-the-loop testing to ensure that data flows seamlessly from orbit to the fractured-second decision loops required by hypersonic systems.

Simsbury, Conn. — Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company (EBAD) has confirmed the successful flight and actuation of its Payload Release Module (PRM9104), marking a critical milestone in the company’s separation system roadmap. The mechanism successfully dispensed Impulse Space’s Mira spacecraft from the launch vehicle’s upper stage during the recent Transporter-15 rideshare mission.

This operation represents the second successful flight of the PRM9104, a system engineered to address the increasingly rigorous mechanical environments of high-density rideshare launches. The deployment underscores the operational maturity of EBAD’s NEA® (Non-Explosive Actuator) technology, which provides the ultra-low shock release required to protect sensitive orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs) like Mira.

Impulse Space’s Mira serves as a high-thrust platform for commercial and national security missions, designed to offer significant in-space mobility. EBAD officials highlighted the synergy between their separation technology and Impulse Space’s maneuvering capabilities.

“Serving as a responsive, high-thrust platform for commercial, civil, and national security missions, [Mira] represents a major advancement in in-space mobility, enabling customers to reach and operate in their final orbits quickly, easily, and affordably,” the company stated regarding the mission partner’s vehicle. “EBAD is honored that its precision dispensing technology once again played a key role in enabling Mira’s deployment into space.”

Scaling for Constellations: The mission builds upon the heritage of the predecessor PRM9103, which has seen extensive use across government and commercial sectors. EBAD is now moving to scale the product line to meet the demand for heavier payloads.

According to the company, the larger PRM9106 is currently on schedule to take flight in 2026. This expansion is a direct response to “growing payload and constellation requirements,” positioning the PRM family as a standard interface for the next generation of mega-constellations.

Industrial Reliability: The PRM mechanism is designed to align with the industry’s shift toward redundant, low-shock separation systems—a critical requirement as launch vehicles become more powerful and payloads more sensitive.

“EBAD’s family of PRM dispensing mechanisms has been selected for some of the world’s largest commercial and military constellations, chosen for its reliability, simplicity, and proven performance,” the company stated. “As demand for responsive launch and in-space mobility accelerates, EBAD remains committed to providing mission-ready hardware that customers can trust.”

MUNICH — Isar Aerospace has signed a launch services contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to deliver the Syndeo-3 mission to orbit. Scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026, the mission will launch aboard Isar’s Spectrum rocket from Andøya Spaceport in Norway.

The contract falls under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 In-Orbit Demonstration and In-Orbit Validation (IOD/IOV) programme. Managed by ESA on behalf of the European Commission, the program aims to provide affordable access to space for new technologies, allowing European entities to flight-test innovations prior to commercialization.

Mission Profile and Payload Aggregation

The Syndeo-3 spacecraft serves as an orbital aggregator, hosting 10 distinct experiments from institutions across Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and Luxembourg, as well as the European Commission itself.

Redwire Corporation is the prime contractor for the satellite segment. The mission will utilize Redwire’s “Hammerhead” platform, a spacecraft bus designed for flexible payload integration in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). According to ESA, Syndeo-3 represents the largest spacecraft to fly under the IOD/IOV programme to date.

Key mission parameters include:

• Launch Vehicle: Spectrum (Isar Aerospace)
• Spacecraft Bus: Hammerhead (Redwire)
• Payloads: 10 European technology demonstrators
• Launch Site: Andøya Space, Norway
• Target Orbit: Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Executive Commentary

The agreement highlights the growing reliance on commercial European launch providers to secure sovereign access to space for institutional missions.

“ESA’s and the European Union’s growing trust in Isar Aerospace for new missions underscores how institutions are recognizing the importance of partnering with commercial innovators to jointly build sovereign space capabilities for Europe,” said Stella Guillen, Chief Commercial Officer of Isar Aerospace.

Dietmar Pilz, ESA Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality, noted that the collaboration strengthens the continent’s ability to validate technology domestically. “I am pleased to confirm the conclusion of a launch service agreement between ESA and Isar Aerospace for the Syndeo-3 mission,” said Pilz.

Program Outlook

This contract follows Isar Aerospace’s selection for previous ESA initiatives, including the “Boost!” Commercial Space Transportation Services program. The company continues to prepare for the second test flight of its Spectrum vehicle, following an initial attempt in March 2025.

The Syndeo-3 mission is slated for a launch window opening in late 2026, pending the successful qualification of the Spectrum vehicle and readiness of the Redwire-built spacecraft.