SmallSats and CubeSats in Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) have for many years been limited by the short ground station overpass time (around ten minutes per overpass). The use of LEO satellites for real-time applications have therefore been restricted. Delayed data may be acceptable in some cases, but in others, the delay has a negative impact on the use and relevance of transmitted data. The limited overpass time causes satellites to store and...

Satellite phones and communications have been around for over two decades, but still today, many people don’t really understand them. There are many misconceptions out there – that they are only for the very wealthy, the government, or international adventurers. But this isn’t the case! There are many important reasons for people to have quick and efficient access to reliable communications. We’re going to break down the why, when and how of...

Inmarsat received formal confirmation from its launch partner, Arianespace, that the company’s GX5 satellite will be launched from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana on Nov 22. The launch window is between 21:08 and 22:43 UTC. The expected mission time of the Ariane 5 rocket is 34 minutes, 14 seconds, with separation of the 4,007 kg GX5 satellite the final step at approximately 34 minutes, 7 seconds after launch. “GX5...

The new generation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites — thousands of which will be launched over the next few years — may be easier to secure from cyberattacks than current constellations, but in some ways, they present a larger attack surface for hackers, according to a panel at CyberSat Friday. “There are new things that need to be protected” in an LEO constellation, explained Ronald Einhorn, the space programs lead systems engineer for...