This Summer, SES and the Luxembourg Government announced that they would be commissioning the design and development of GovSat-2, the second military communications satellite under their GovSat joint-venture.

So why are SES and the Government of Luxembourg launching such second satellite for GovSat? To understand that, we have to first look at what differentiates GovSat’s capabilities from traditional commercial geosynchronous (GEO) service offerings.

Purpose-built for government missions
The GovSat-1 GEO satellite leverages military payloads capable of delivering sensitive communications via dedicated military frequency bands. While government users often leverage traditional satellite services in commercial frequency bands for certain applications, GovSat-1 offers secure connectivity for more sensitive missions thanks to its Mil Ka- and X-band frequencies, as well as its reinforced security.

In addition, the company operates from a fully dedicated Secure Missions Operations Center, using hardened ground segment that ensures end-to-end security. This allows GovSat-1 to deliver a higher level of service assurance when and where defense users need, such as within Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as well as over the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

Such military-grade communications have the benefit of also being more jam-resistant than usual GEO satellites. This is important, as the past several years have seen governments facing new and fast-evolving threats, making the need for secure services one of the most significant drivers for the development of GovSat-2.

Resilient secure services for NATO allies
Today, GovSat is an in-demand asset for NATO allies for their sensitive military operations, and the need for it has never been higher.

Bearing witness to the ongoing geographical tensions around the world has made many NATO nations in Europe concerned about new aggressions from possible adversaries. This is forcing many of these nations to bolster their own defense and work to ensure they have access to advanced capabilities and systems needed for their own national and overall shared security.

Modern warfighting relies on connectivity and communications. The proliferation of connected sensors and network-enabled military systems makes communications an essential part of coordinated, data-driven, multi-domain operations. Satellite plays an essential role in modern military networks – delivering secure communications and signals to locations where terrestrial networks are either unavailable, untrusted, or denied.

With GovSat-1 being the only commercially-operated satellite that uses military frequencies and that can securely deliver classified information and communications, there has been tremendous demand from across the NATO nations for the satellite’s capacity.

While NATO nations are clamoring for more GovSat capacity to scale, they’re also looking for more enhanced and sophisticated security features, as the threat environment is constantly evolving and adversaries are becoming increasingly capable. Furthermore, they are also looking for capacity in complementary frequency bands such as UHF (Ultra High Frequency).

The combination of these considerations and requirements led GovSat to commission the development of GovSat-2.

A new, even more capable GovSat satellite
Buit by Thales Alenia Space, GovSat-2 will encompass the most recent advancements in satellite and military technology, addressing the strongest requirements in terms of Service Assurance and Security.

GovSat-2 is also being developed with the latest digital processing capabilities on board – to help increase resilience against adversarial jamming, spoofing, and other electronic warfare capabilities. The same technology will also deliver enhanced flexibility, giving the satellite certain beam steering capabilities necessary to address specific jamming scenarios.

Finally, GovSat-2 will be built with the specific current needs of NATO allies in mind. This includes the addition of UHF for tactical communications for allied militaries.

As modern warfare becomes increasingly reliant on networks and communications, the need for a commercial satellite that is capable of securely and assuredly delivering military data increases exponentially. The commissioning of GovSat-2 will help meet this requirement for NATO nations while also enabling increased collaboration and mission coordination across countries – providing the network backbone needed for advanced missions and improving collective deterrence and defense around the globe.

To learn more about GovSat, click HERE.

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D2D 101: An introduction to direct-to-device
D2D connectivity commonly refers to the use of standards-based handheld devices, such as smartphones, to operate directly with satellites. This contrasts with traditional satellite services, which require terminals and terrestrial networks to deliver connectivity to the end user.

While many feel that D2D is a replacement for traditional satellite, it is more of a complementary service. D2D connectivity cannot offer the same throughput and bandwidth as a traditional satellite service. However, it can deliver connectivity and access to remote locations and areas of the globe even when the necessary terrestrial hardware is unavailable. All the end user would require is a compatible smartphone or other mobile device.

The D2D service being built by Lynk will accomplish this using a constellation of satellites located in low Earth orbit (LEO), where strong signals generated very close to Earth will deliver connectivity directly to end-user devices. The O3b mPOWER, operated by SES, will enable necessary space data relay capabilities that effectively backhaul data from the Lynk LEO satellites at very high speeds with very low latency, allowing them to significantly reduce the ground segment required to support their D2D services.

Together, the Lynk and SES constellations will enable government users and military personnel to have end-user devices that simply work, even without a satellite terminal. That is a powerful capability with nearly limitless use cases for the government and military.

Immediate comms when and where they’re needed
In the aftermath of major natural disasters, those tasked with search and rescue missions and responding to emergencies often find themselves without cell service or any terrestrial forms of connectivity. That’s because the same natural disaster that impacted their region invariably destroyed the network infrastructure that powers cellular and terrestrial networks.

Communication and situational awareness capabilities are essential for an effective and collaborative response. They’re necessary to ensure those conducting search and rescue operations don’t wind up needing to be found and rescued, themselves. They’re essential to get alerts about danger, requests for assistance, and other mission-critical communications. But without cellular and terrestrial networks, these essential capabilities are often unavailable.

Historically, satellite providers have deployed Cell on Wheels (COWs) or Cell on Light Trucks (COLTs) to affected areas. These solutions effectively deliver the terrestrial equipment necessary to establish a satellite-enabled Wi-Fi or 5G network that first responders can use for basic communications and situational awareness. However, these solutions aren’t always in place when disaster strikes.

With D2D capabilities, first responders – from law enforcement personnel to wildland firefighters – could have immediate access to essential connectivity, even before COLTs and COWs are deployed to a region. This would immediately make mission-critical communications and situational awareness capabilities available following a natural disaster, putting first responders in a far better position to locate, rescue, and assist those in need.

This same ability to immediately access mission-critical communications, even without satellite terminals or ground infrastructure, can be leveraged for a variety of civilian government use cases. Government employees dispatched to remote locations could benefit from the ubiquitous communications delivered by D2D.

Military operations are often conducted in remote, off-grid locations where terrestrial infrastructure is unavailable. However, concerns about data and signal security could limit the use of commercial D2D solutions for combat applications. However, there is an opportunity to leverage D2D connectivity for non-combat missions and operations.

The post SES and Lynk Global Partner to Enable Game-Changing D2D Capabilities for the Government appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

During the event, Via Satellite’s Senior Editorial Director, Mark Holmes, sat down with SES’s CEO Adel Al-Saleh to take a deep dive into some of these innovations and challenges. Throughout their discussion, Al-Saleh explored a wide variety of topics, such as the competition in the satellite industry, the need for fast and agile R&D cycles, the fast-changing environment, as well as which markets are well-positioned for growth in the satellite space in the near future. Al-Saleh also talked about the partnership with Lynk Global that will address the high-growth direct-to-device (D2D) segment.

Debunking stereotypes
Holmes opened the session by asking how satellite operators and providers can keep pace with Starlink’s recent string of contract deals and wins. Al-Saleh answered by pointing out that all of the major satellite players are winning massive deals and contracts, but Starlink’s wins are more frequently covered by the market media and quickly amplified. “Yet, if you look at the performance of other companies, we can observe that often their business is growing. While Starlink is definitely doing a great job, I think we’re all winning our fair share of big deals. There is incredible demand in the market, and it’s growing,” reassured Al-Saleh.

Al-Saleh cited SES’s recent MEO Global Services (MGS) deal with NATO, the Luxembourg government, and the U.S. Department of Defense as a major win that exemplifies the growing demand for MEO services by the government and military. “It’s a big deal,” said Al-Saleh. “There are deals that are in the triple-digit millions.”

Al-Saleh encourages a closer look on the business performance of the big satellite players, that is generally signaling the industry success. “We’ve got to look at the performances of the businesses, they demonstrate that there’s plenty of demand in the marketplace,” explained Al-Saleh. “I think the narrative needs to shift a little bit more towards this. Especially if we do not talk about just one deal, but look at our performance consistently over multiple quarters.”

Acceleration on Innovation Cycles
One topic that came up during the discussion was whether SES will continue to work with traditional suppliers when investing in next-generation technologies for GEO satellites, or if the company would look for alternative approaches in how it invests in new technology.

Al-Saleh explained that the industry needs to move away from the waterfall development style and move towards becoming faster and more agile as it pertains to evolving satellite networks in an iterative way. “That means the supply chain needs to adapt and change,” he said. “I think there’s a willingness to change, but they’re challenged in doing it. So we’ll see over the next few years whether it’s evolved.”

Al-Saleh also believes that the current innovation and R&D cycles in the satellite industry must evolve: “When we think about starting a project, a particular constellation, or a big satellite, we start with a white piece of paper every time, and then it can take four or five years to introduce a new model. That is too long in our industry.”

SES’s goal is to introduce innovative, new space technologies regularly and fast. “Rather than waiting in a five-year cycle to get to another milestone and launch a constellation, we need to do it much more frequently,” he said. “It’s a challenge for the industry, that everybody understands and it will be interesting to see how it evolves.”

Markets Poised for Growth
As for the markets that are best positioned for satellite growth in the near future, Al-Saleh is placing his bets on the government and cruise industries. “The vertical government market is the largest and the most attractive market for satellite technology and operations,” he said. “And it will continue to be for the foreseeable future. I’m also very excited about the cruise business. It continues to grow, and there’s an insatiable appetite for more bandwidth in these big floating cities.”

Al-Saleh also believes that the automotive industry should not be counted out. “The automotive industry has put out its architecture for the connected car, and they have made it very clear that they will complement the terrestrial network in the cars with satellite networks. And with direct-to-device technologies, smaller terminals, and more powerful satellites – I think there’s more to come. Just watch that space.”

The post SES’s CEO Adel Al-Saleh on the Satellite Industry Potential, Challenges and Innovation at SATELLITE 2025 appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

The nature of the public-private partnership will effectively see the EU and European Space Agency (ESA) committing government funds towards expanding existing MEO and LEO constellations. The resulting satellites will comprise a new satellite network called Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²), which will provide essential satellite communications services for the EU government and militaries, while also giving the partner companies additional satellite capacity that can be leased to allied nations and commercial customers.

This connectivity will also be assured and secured by its multi-orbit nature. By leveraging both LEO satellites and MEO satellites, the IRIS² constellation will be more difficult for adversaries to target. It will also enable the EU to enjoy the resiliency benefits inherent provided by two different orbits.

But why is the EU building its own sovereign satellite service at a time when commercial investment is increasing, and are there more commercial satellite capacity and constellations available for use than ever before? One only has to look at what’s happening in Ukraine to understand why this capability is now essential and no longer a “nice to have.”

In the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some of the first casualties were the terrestrial networks that connected Ukrainians and enabled critical communications. The adversary understood the role that communications play in a coordinated defense and almost immediately eliminated this essential infrastructure. This left Ukraine looking to satellite communications from companies like SpaceX to deliver mission-critical communications.

The EU has seen the importance of assured SATCOM for defense and national security. They also see its potential for delivering connectivity to rural and remote areas – making IRIS² an important investment for Europe’s future. However, IRIS² will do more than provide critical connectivity for the EU. It will also usher in a new era of MEO satellite capability that offers connectivity anywhere on the globe and brings some of the most exciting technological advancements to MEO.

Inclined, optical, and new era for MEO
Part of building out IRIS² includes the development and launch of 18 new MEO satellites. These satellites will be in inclined orbits, specifically to offer high throughput, low-latency connectivity to the regions that could not be serviced by existing SES MEO satellites in an equatorial orbit.

Most communications satellites in GEO and MEO orbit above the Earth’s equator. This optimizes the satellite coverage over populated areas of the Earth but limits the coverage in higher latitude regions. By launching MEO satellites into inclined orbit, SES and the EU will effectively enable the IRIS² constellation to provide global service – enabling better and more complete access for EU nations including delivery of critical high throughput, low latency services to the polar regions, which are becoming increasingly more trafficked and contested due to a variety of factors including climate change and resulting resource competition.

However, connectivity to the polar region is just one advancement that will be evident in IRIS². The IRIS² MEO architecture will feature optical intersatellite links that will enable rapid communication between satellites and provide users much more flexibility on where to land their data.

Optical communications between satellites has been explored heavily by LEO satellite operators for use in their constellations – and for very good reason. By enabling satellites to relay data between themselves in the vacuum of space, satellites can more rapidly and effectively get data to its final destination on Earth. Enabling this capability on IRIS² MEO satellites will enable more seamless communications between even the most distant places on Earth.

While IRIS² will result in new satellites being added to the existing MEO constellation operated by SES, these satellites are not the only ones SES plans to add. The IRIS² satellites will be joined by other new satellites that SES will procure and launch into MEO as part of its next-generation MEO satellite constellation. The rapid increase in new satellites in MEO provides a myriad of new opportunities for global governments, and opens the door for new, innovative capabilities in space through the use of hosted payloads and secondary missions.

These payloads could include scientific missions, Earth observation missions, or could bring advanced communications, sensor, computing capabilities into space – including artificial intelligence (AI) and edge computing capabilities.

The IRIS² sovereign satellite initiative will bring secure, assured, and reliable satellite connectivity to the EU when it enters operation in 2030. But it will also usher in a new and exciting era for MEO satellite constellations. The investment in IRIS2 is sparking the further advancement of communications satellites in MEO, and it will result in MEO capacity extending to practically every corner of the globe and the introduction of exciting new capabilities to MEO satellite networks.

The post IRIS2 Poised to Deliver New Era of Global MEO Coverage appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

Regardless of whether the optimal number of minutes is three or five, it’s apparent that more rapid care results in more positive outcomes when it comes to being wounded in battle. The quality of the care delivered in those first few minutes is also important – the more specialized and higher quality of the care, the better the outcome. This means getting critical, specialized and timely care to wounded soldiers on the battlefield could have a massive impact on soldier survivability and recovery.

Historically, it’s been difficult to get more than triage and emergency medical services to the battlefield – there simply aren’t enough doctors and specialists to have them on the front lines. This means quality, specialized care is often reserved for wounded warriors who are stabilized in the field by emergency medical personnel and then evacuated to a medical facility.

“Telehealth solutions can enable military medics to quickly consult with trauma surgeons or other specialists, ensuring that lifesaving interventions—such as managing hemorrhages, airway control, or resuscitation—are performed as quickly as possible with the best available guidance.” – Dr. Patrick Fullerton

But what if a doctor or specialist could be looking over the shoulder of a medic on the battlefield – helping to direct their actions and learning and monitoring the patient’s condition before they arrive at the hospital? That’s precisely what a company called OPTAC-X is looking to enable with telehealth capabilities delivered via satellite.

Civilian pilot program shows positive results
Leveraging advanced assisted reality headsets and satellite connectivity, OPTAC-X has created a telehealth solution that brings physicians into the field and makes them active participants in the delivery of emergency medical care. This accelerates the delivery of critical, specialized medical care intended to improve patient outcomes. The OPTAC-X solution has been tested in pilot programs for civilians within the United States, and has been highly beneficial for Americans in need of emergency medical care.

“…in the field of emergency medicine, we deal with life-threatening and limb-threatening injuries; that’s our primary job. When people…have highly concerning symptoms or they’ve suffered a life or limb-threatening injury, getting to them quickly and providing care efficiently is critical because many of these diseases or injuries are time-sensitive,” explained Dr. Christopher Russi, an Emergency Medicine Physician at the Mayo Clinic. “When you’re bleeding, the clock is ticking.”

But this solution isn’t just about delivering better care outside of the hospital. It can also ensure better, prompt, and accurate care is administered more quickly when the patient presents at the medical facility.

“…we need to get patients from the point of injury or the point of illness to the hospital as expeditiously but as safely as possible. But that window of time, that transport window, is where we have a bit of a black box. It’s a data vacuum. We have no idea what’s happening with those patients during that Transport window,” said Dr. Russi. Telehealth eliminates that vacuum, ensuring that physicians awaiting patients know exactly what’s coming through the door and can act more rapidly to deliver the appropriate care.

These are just two of the many benefits that OPTAC-X identified in its recent pilot program conducted in conjunction with the Mayo Clinic and Kymeta. That pilot program outfitted emergency medical services (EMS) personnel with the OPTAC-X solution, powered by Kymeta electronically scanned array [ESA] satellite terminals and SES geostationary (GEO) satellite connectivity. During the pilot, EMS personnel were able to bring physicians into patients’ homes, improving the quality and accelerating the speed of care – ultimately improving outcomes.

“We published a case where Mayo Clinic’s ambulance service responded to a patient suffering from severe respiratory distress that devolved into a cardiac arrest. The paramedics that were trained to use the technology connected an emergency medicine physician who had real-time visual on the patient at the scene and provided some resuscitative guidance to the prehospital team.” said Dr. Patrick Fullerton, the CEO and Founder of OPTAC-X. “That patient survived to the hospital and discharged from the intensive care unit. Cardiac arrest has about a 10 percent survival rate outside of the hospital, so this was a great example of OPTAC-X technology making a life-changing contribution…”

Although the technology shows promise for use by EMS personnel and hospitals, could it be adapted to deliver benefits on the battlefield and in other emergency scenarios? The founders believe it could.

From ER to battlefield
Many of the same challenges EMS personnel face are also present on the battlefield. Time and expertise are limited. Conditions are suboptimal and resources are limited. If the OPTAC-X can improve outcomes in emergency medicine, it should be able to do so for battlefield medicine. And, with the OPTAC-X solution capable of leveraging satellite communications to deliver telehealth services within the U.S., it should be able to deliver similar capabilities anywhere else on the globe where satellite connectivity is available.

“…we need to get patients from the point of injury or the point of illness to the hospital as expeditiously but as safely as possible. But that window of time, that transport window, is where we have a bit of a black box. It’s a data vacuum.” – Dr. Christopher Russi

“Telehealth solutions can enable military medics to quickly consult with trauma surgeons or other specialists, ensuring that lifesaving interventions—such as managing hemorrhages, airway control, or resuscitation—are performed as quickly as possible with the best available guidance,” said Dr. Fullerton. “Moreover, telehealth systems help optimize the use of medevac resources by providing accurate assessments from the field, avoiding unnecessary strain on medical logistics, and preventing overcrowding in combat support hospitals.”

Satellite-enabled telehealth would also be beneficial in areas other than the battlefield, including disaster and emergency response scenarios.

“In emergency scenarios, including natural disasters and terror attacks, terrestrial networks may be down, leaving EMS and first responders without comms,” said Dr. Fullerton. “Leveraging satellite communications for telehealth capabilities enables emergency response personnel to provide medical care to those in the field who need it. They can literally have the best specialists on-site quickly. And that’s essential since early intervention saves lives.”

In medical emergencies – whether a soldier is wounded on the battlefield, or a citizen is injured in an accident or a national emergency – getting rapid, quality, specialized care to them could be the difference between life and death. Adopting advanced telehealth solutions using satellite communications can be the key to timely administering this life-saving care – increasing survivability and improving outcomes.

Featured image: The U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School demonstrate a real world MEDEVAC mission at MacArthur Field, Joint Base San Antonio. (U.S. Army photo by Francis S. Trachta)

The post New Satellite-Enabled Telehealth Solutions Deliver Quality Care to the Tactical Edge appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

These organizations and individuals in geographically isolated and remote areas of Alaska have long lived on the other side of a digital divide – unable to experience and benefit from the same high-speed broadband connectivity and modern digital services that many take for granted in the contiguous United States. The addition of OneWeb’s satellite connectivity from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) has the potential to bridge that divide and bring low latency connectivity to many of the rural and remote locations that have struggled with limited or no connectivity in the past. According to SES Space & Defense’s President & CEO, Dave Fields, this new collaboration will, “…provide our customers with secure and reliable connectivity, which is crucial in Alaska’s remote and unforgiving environments.”

To learn more about this revolutionary announcement, we sat down with Michael Martinez, a Program Manager at SES Space & Defense, responsible for delivering connectivity to Alaskans for over a decade.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): Why is connectivity such a challenge in Alaska?

Michael Martinez: There are two major challenges that make it difficult for providers to service some regions and areas of Alaska – remoteness and logistics. These areas are incredibly difficult in which to run fiber. There are rivers, mountains, and other geographic and topographic features that make the installation of fiber lines difficult. And that would be a challenge even with access to the same tools, equipment, and transportation available in the lower 48 states.

GSR: Prior to this announcement, what was SES Space & Defense delivering to the State of Alaska?

Michael Martinez: Depending on the location, we provided connectivity via satellite service utilizing geosynchronous orbit (GEO) satellites or delivered connectivity from a purpose-built microwave network we constructed to service these areas.

While satellites at GEO were incredible for applications that would request a download and then receive the data, these new applications require that data move back and forth quickly.” -Michael Martinez

This was an excellent solution for a very long time. GEO satellites deliver a wide number of communications services and capabilities to this region. However, technological advancements have made it necessary to provide a lower latency, higher-bandwidth solution for the civilian and government users in these regions.

GSR: What technologies are you referring to? What about these technologies require lower latency than what GEO satellites can provide?

Michael Martinez: Most of the traditional applications and data sent over satellite networks involved the data moving one way – it would be pushed to the satellite, and then back down to the recipient that needed the data. This worked fine with GEO satellites because the latency was only experienced in that one direction. But that’s not how modern applications work.

Today, we’re seeing the rise of cloud applications, artificial intelligence (AI) applications, and other advanced workloads and capabilities that I like to call “chatty.” These “chatty” applications require a large amount of data to move back and forth, and all those extra trips to and from the satellite drastically increase the impact of latency.

While satellites at GEO were incredible for applications that would request a download and then receive the data, these new applications require that data move back and forth quickly. And those repeated trips back and forth increase the effect of latency exponentially, which can cause disruption.

GSR: What is OneWeb bringing to this arrangement? What about SES Space & Defense? How do OneWeb’s solutions integrate with the SES network that exists already?

Michael Martinez: For years, we’ve been limited in the tools we could leverage to deliver lower latency connectivity to the very edge. We had terrestrial transport systems, when available, and any microwave or fiber networks that could effectively be run to the edge despite the logistical challenges.

With the addition of OneWeb’s satellite capabilities, we can place a terminal into an area with no coverage and almost immediately deliver connectivity with latency similar to a microwave network.” -Michael Martinez

Our agreement with OneWeb changes the game and gives us a new tool in our connectivity toolbox. OneWeb’s network of satellites in LEO breaks that chokehold. It allows us to deliver low latency satellite connectivity to practically anywhere it’s needed in the more rural and geographically isolated regions of Alaska.

With the addition of OneWeb’s satellite capabilities, we can place a terminal into an area with no coverage and almost immediately deliver connectivity with latency similar to a microwave network.

That’s what OneWeb is delivering as part of this partnership. But SES Space & Defense is also bringing incredibly important capabilities to these regions, as well.

Considering that this connectivity is being leveraged by schools, health clinics, government offices, and other important customers, it must work when needed. SES has built a system or network with redundancy in its WAN transport, enabling connectivity even if there is an interruption.

This is important for our customers. Healthcare organizations, state and local government agencies, and educational institutions simply cannot have degradation in their connectivity when there is an outage. The redundancy that SES has built into the networks that serve these areas ensures that data is transported all the time – even when one mode of transport is degraded or denied.

GSR: What new services or capabilities will be enabled by this announcement? What new organizations or offices will get access to communications?

Michael Martinez: Every existing SES Space & Defense customer in Alaska will soon be able to acquire low-latency connectivity at a reasonable price. That’s the single most important capability that we’re delivering through this partnership with OneWeb.

In 2023, operating in an educational or healthcare environment is difficult without reliable connectivity. That’s what we’re delivering.” -Michael Martinez

What will that allow them to do? The options are almost limitless.

Students can soon conduct distance learning classes or do state-mandated testing online. Schools can offer students new educational opportunities by bringing in specialized teachers via video. Students will even get to see and experience amazing things through virtual field trips.

On the healthcare side, the capabilities are equally impressive. Specialists will be able to service underserved communities. Large healthcare files and information can be shared quickly and seamlessly. Video consults and telemedicine will also be enabled.

In 2023, operating in an educational or healthcare environment is difficult without reliable connectivity. That’s what we’re delivering.

GSR: When will this be available? And what will organizations have to do to gain access to these services?

Michael Martinez: It will become available to our Alaskan customers almost immediately. In fact, in the last year, we’ve deployed LEO satellite services to support a health consortium and three school districts in rural Alaska.

Candidly, there is really nothing that these organizations have to do to get connectivity. Connectivity is offered as a managed service, with capacity and all necessary hardware included. This means they simply need to reach out to SES Space & Defense, and we’ll arrange everything necessary to make high-speed, low-latency connectivity a reality for them.

The post SES Space & Defense and OneWeb Partner to Connect Underserved Areas of Alaska appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

Put plainly, the demonstration conducted by ThinKom, SES, and Hughes effectively illustrated the ability for an end satellite user to seamlessly roam between satellite services originating in different orbits and leveraging different frequency bands.

To learn more about why this multi-orbit and multi-band capability is becoming increasingly essential for U.S. military users, we reached out to Ben Pigsley, the Senior Vice President of Defense Networks at SES Space & Defense.

During our discussion with Ben, we asked about the trends driving the U.S. military to embrace commercial satellite communications (COMSATCOM) from multiple orbits, the maturity and availability of multi-orbit and multi-band satellite services, and what both the government and satellite industry need to do to make this capability readily available for the warfighter.

Government Satellite Report: Can you define multi-band satellite for our readers? How is it different from multi-orbit satellite?

Ben Pigsley: Simply put, when two or more satellites are operating in different earth orbits – such as Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) or Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) – and are operating in the same frequency band, it is considered multi-orbit. When two or more satellites are operating in the same orbit – such as GEO, MEO, or Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) – but are operating in different frequency bands – such as Ku, Ka, C, or X – it is considered multi-band.

Both scenarios offer an added level of resiliency to a satellite network if you have the ground equipment to take advantage of the capability.

GSR: Why is multi-band satellite capacity crucial for the U.S. military? Why is multi-orbit crucial? Why does the military need its satellite architecture to include both?

Ben Pigsley: Today, the military is facing near-peer adversaries that have demonstrated their ability to disrupt, deny, and degrade our communications networks. In today’s environment, government networks are both congested and contested with deliberate and directed jamming, cyberattacks, and kinetic attacks.

Both multi-orbit and multi-band network solutions offer an elevated level of resiliency and increase availability to government customers. Higher availability is critical to the command-and-control networks operated by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).

GSR: What trends are we seeing – and what capabilities are we seeing from our adversaries – that make the creation of a multi-orbit, multi-band satellite architecture essential?

Ben Pigsley: I’ll go back to the fact that networks today are both congested and contested. Network congestion can cause unwanted disruptions due to what we refer to as “blue-on-blue” interference. This occurs when satellite transponders and networks are heavily loaded and one “friendly” network causes problems for another “friendly network” due to equipment malfunctions, improper equipment settings, and other unintentional actions.

“…increased resiliency in network design allows operations to continue either on another satellite in a different orbit, or on another satellite in a different band in the same orbit.” – Ben Pigsley

Contested commercial networks arise from adversaries with sophisticated, aggressive jamming techniques. In both cases, increased resiliency in network design allows operations to continue either on another satellite in a different orbit, or on another satellite in a different band in the same orbit.

GSR: What different elements or segments comprise the end-to-end network or infrastructure needed for effective multi-band and multi-orbit operation?

Ben Pigsley: Other than having the right space segment design, the most critical part of a highly resilient network is state-of-the-art ground terminals that can rapidly switch bands and orbits with minimal or no interaction from the operator.

Additionally, a sophisticated ground network infrastructure that incorporates a Software Defined – Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) is crucial. The addition of machine learning and artificial intelligence in the network are also key to the effective use of multi-band and multi-orbit networks.

GSR: Is the COMSATCOM industry ready to support multi-band and multi-orbit operation? What new technologies or equipment is necessary to enable this? When will that become available?

Ben Pigsley: Yes, the military’s industry partners are ready to support both multi-band and multi-orbit operations. In fact, leading operators like SES Space & Defense already provide these services using SD-WAN architectures delivering high-availability networks.

This is happening within all constellations — GEO, MEO, and LEO — supporting all types of government and military operations.

“Using the ICT Portal, military users can see the impact of network events and gain general situational awareness that can help key decision-makers make more data-driven, informed decisions.” – Ben Pigsley

It should be noted that ground terminal development has lagged the space segment development in this area. However, we see new terminal designs coming into the market every day that can take advantage of multi-band and multi-orbit operations.

GSR: Have there been any exciting advancements or tests done recently that show multi-band, multi-orbit capability may soon be on the horizon?

Ben Pigsley: We began testing and demonstrating multi-band and multi-orbit network designs in 2021. We implemented our designs with key customers at the end of 2022 and we continue to gather availability and performance statistics to help us make informed decisions on improvements to our networks.

Additionally, we’ve developed a customer portal – the ICT Portal – that is capable of tracking network performance in real time.  This capability enables our customers to see their networks in real time and make informed decisions on network loading. Using the ICT Portal, military users can see the impact of network events and gain general situational awareness that can help key decision-makers make more data-driven, informed decisions.

GSR: What can the government do to speed up the development of multi-band and multi-orbit capability from the COMSATCOM industry?

Ben Pigsley: I think the government is headed in the right direction with new requirements like SATCOM as a Managed Service (SaaMS), which does not specify specific orbits or frequency bands.  This allows industry to come up with creative solutions, which will likely include multi-orbit and multi-band offerings.

“In today’s environment, government networks are both congested and contested with deliberate and directed jamming, cyberattacks, and kinetic attacks. Both multi-orbit and multi-band network solutions offer an elevated level of resiliency and increase availability to government customers.” – Ben Pigsley

My suggestion is to continue and increase government interaction with industry so that future government requirements are clearly understood by industry.

GSR: What role can systems integrators and managed service providers play in delivering multi-band and multi-orbit implementations?

Ben Pigsley: Multi-band and multi-orbit networks require coordination and cooperation within industry. The most effective multi-orbit and multi-band network designs will include integrated solutions from multiple satellite operators, multiple terminal manufacturers, and multiple terrestrial network providers.

Industry can define ways to automate “roaming” from network to network, including orbits and frequencies, and develop system interfaces to orchestrate provisioning, operations, and billing of services. This type of coordination and cooperation can happen with both operators and integrators.

The post The Importance of Multi-Orbit, Multi-Band COMSATCOM for the DoD appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

The need for multi-band and multi-orbit satellite communications solutions is a requirement that has largely resulted from changes in the kind of adversaries that the U.S. military and its coalition partners are facing. After two decades of fighting an asynchronous war against less advanced adversaries, today’s military find’s itself facing a near-peer, pacing threat that not only recognizes the advantage that satellite delivers, but has the means to deny that advantage.

Being able to rapidly and seamlessly transition between satellite services in different bands and different orbits gives the military assurance for its mission-critical communications. Should an adversary deny one satellite solution, the military could seamlessly transition to another with little or no impact on mission success.

This is why demonstrations like those conducted by SES, Hughes, and ThinKom are so important – they’re effectively demonstrating a capability that will deliver resiliency and assuredness in the communications backbone that powers so many of the advanced battlefield technologies of tomorrow.

To learn more about this exciting demonstration, the technologies that were used, and why the military needs multi-orbit, multi-band satellite solutions, we sat down with the CTO and Co-Founder of ThinKom, Bill Milroy.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): Can you tell our readers a bit about this demonstration? What did it involve, and what was it looking to demonstrate for government satellite users?

Bill Milroy: SES, ThinKom, and Hughes demonstrated high-performance multi-orbit, multi-constellation service capable of supporting Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) requirements for government missions.

The open architecture ThinKom ThinAir® Ka2517 airborne satcom terminal was demonstrated on SES’s MEO and GEO satellite networks. The testing also validated the latest ThinAir software release, which integrates the Hughes HM400 modem for MEO and GEO operations.

GSR: Why is this ability to roam between satellites in different orbits revolutionary? Is this not a capability that the military has had before? Or were military satellite users previously limited to roaming within a single orbit?

Bill Milroy: Many SATCOM systems are proprietary and optimized to work on a specific network. In fact, some prefer this so that their equipment cannot be used on competing networks. This makes it hard to roam between satellite networks, unless controlled by one satellite operator.

“Airborne platforms are unique in that the system quickly moves in and out of coverage areas, so the antenna needs to be able to quickly transition from beam to beam.” – Bill Milroy

The military is pushing for multi-orbit, multi-constellation capability much stronger now to provide added network resiliency to the warfighter, and the integrators – and ThinKom – are making the accommodation to support the multi-constellation capability.

GSR: Why is this capability exciting for the military? What trends are we seeing in military requirements and the threats that we’re facing that make multi-orbit operations essential?

Bill Milroy: There is growing concern that LEO networks can be more easily denied through kinetic attack by adversaries given their closer proximity and related cyber-access vulnerabilities. Having the ability to dynamically roam to other orbital constellations and networks mitigates the threat.

GSR: This particular test was designed to demonstrate airborne capabilities. What restrictions or challenges does the air domain place on satellite services and solutions? What special considerations in regard to terminals and hardware are unique to the air domain?

Bill Milroy: Airborne platforms are unique in that the system quickly moves in and out of coverage areas, so the antenna needs to be able to quickly transition from beam to beam.

Aircraft also travel to very high latitudes. This means that antennas for airborne platforms need to be able to handle aircraft dynamics – such as buffeting and banking away from the satellite.

“The military is pushing for multi-orbit, multi-constellation capability much stronger now to provide added network resiliency to the warfighter…” – Bill Milroy

This also means that the antenna needs to operate very efficiently, down to very low elevation angles – such as 10 degrees above the horizon.

GSR: What technologies and hardware were used in this demonstration? Are these solutions that are currently in use across the military? Why are these solutions a good fit for military airborne missions?

Bill Milroy: ThinKom’s Ka2517 is a phased array antenna based on the Variable Inclination Continuous Transverse Stub (VICTS) technology. It has a low profile, which helps reduce drag and extended time on station. It’s highly efficient, even down to low elevation angles. It offers high throughput, low prime power / thermal dissipation and has proven to be extremely reliable, highly agile, and multi-orbit compatible.

The Ka2517 antenna is an upgraded variant of the those that have been flying on the U.S. Air Force’s E-4B mobile command post aircraft fleet since 2018.

GSR: We recently saw the launch of the first few O3b mPOWER MEO satellites by SES – one of the three companies involved in this demonstration. Will this hardware and this ability to roam across satellites at different orbits also work with mPOWER?

Bill Milroy: Absolutely. The software is compatible with SES and other GEO constellations (including WGS) and with both the O3b CLASSIC and O3b mPOWER MEO as well as other NGSO services.

“Many SATCOM systems are proprietary and optimized to work on a specific network. In fact, some prefer this so that their equipment cannot be used on competing networks. This makes it hard to roam between satellite networks, unless controlled by one satellite operator.” – Bill Milroy

GSR: Why would the military want to utilize O3b mPOWER for airborne missions? What capabilities and benefits does it enable in contrast to other satellite services?

Bill Milroy: O3b mPOWER is extremely capable and delivers ubiquitous, high-speed connectivity services up to multiple gigabits per second to a single location, with less than 150 milliseconds of roundtrip latency.

The initial constellation is comprised of 11 satellites, each equipped with more than 5,000 digitally formed reconfigurable beams that enable government users to carry out their critical missions, securely.

GSR: Are these technologies – the hardware and terminals – that were involved in the demonstration available to the military today?

Bill Milroy:  Absolutely. ThinKom is delivering this hardware today and our customers have equipped ISR aircraft, such as Bombardier’s Challenger 650 and Global 6000 Series aircraft.  We also have a smaller, lighter-weight variant called the Ka1717 intended for even smaller business jet class platforms.

To learn more about the recent demonstration conducted by ThinKom, SES, and Hughes, click HERE.

The post Industry Demonstrations Show Multi-Orbit, Multi-Band Satellite Comms Within Reach for the U.S. Military appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

The name change, effective immediately, comes after SES Government Solutions merged with the recently acquired DRS Global Enterprise Solutions (DRS GES). According to the company, the SES Space & Defense name reflects the organization’s new positioning and expanded offering serving the needs of the U.S. government and military customers.

Over the past four months, SES Space & Defense saw the appointment of its new leadership team, as well as the integration of capabilities that reflect the newly combined organization and differentiated value proposition. The company is focused on building, managing, and supporting the most advanced satellite network solutions for the U.S. government and Department of Defense (DoD). SES Space & Defense has been restructured to serve its customers across two integral markets – space and defense – by creating two business units, Space Initiatives and Defense Networks, to provide best-in-class satellite network solutions.

The Space Initiatives unit targets fleet-centric projects leveraging SES’s global multi-orbit satellite fleet, infrastructure, and assets. The Defense Networks unit is centered on multi-operator managed services and end-to-end mission-critical communications.

“This is a major milestone for us, and more importantly for our U.S. DoD customers,” said SES Space & Defense President and CEO David Fields. “In August we consolidated two best-in-class organizations focused on the U.S. government satellite communications needs, and we remain fully committed to providing innovative world-class space solutions to our most tactical customers. With SES Space & Defense as our new name, we would like our strategic vision and focus to come through brightly.”

SES Space & Defense’s ICT Portal
In addition to the company’s name change, SES Space & Defense has also announced their new Common Operational Picture (COP) capability, the Information & Communications Technology (ICT) Portal.

The ICT Portal is a modular web-based NetOps capability providing end-to-end situational awareness in a consumable single-pane-of-glass user interface. The ICT Portal uses the same holistic and vendor agnostic approach as the SES Space & Defense ICT Ecosystem – providing customers with a comprehensive and flexible monitoring and reporting solution. Accessible anywhere in the world, the technology agnostic capability is customizable based on mission and customer operational requirements.

The consolidated network visibility provides the transparency necessary to rapidly identify and diagnose issues across complex networks, including terrestrial and space assets, so networks and applications can be fully optimized to increase performance. In addition, the ICT Portal allows all SATCOM assets to be viewed as one comprehensive satellite and network architecture, providing customers with access to innovative solutions and making a more resilient satellite architecture a reality.

The ICT Portal is secure by design and incorporates the latest security and data processing technologies, ensuring mission assurance for government and military users.

“Today’s military and government users are more network-enabled than ever before, and our ICT Portal supports this through increased visibility and control over their network,” said SES Space & Defense President and CEO David Fields. “The ICT Portal will be showcased at the SIA DoD COMSATCOM Workshop, enabling our most tactical customers to see how performance, network transparency and assurance, makes it a critical capability for successful missions.”

To learn more about how solutions like the ICT Portal can transform how the military monitors network performance, click HERE.

The post SES’ government arm changes name and announces new ICT Portal appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

While the launch of these first two satellites will not immediately result in the SES O3b mPOWER satellite service becoming available to government users, it’s a massive first step in what will be a revolutionary introduction to the commercial satellite industry. And it’s a long time in the making. The SES O3b mPOWER satellite service was first announced in September 2017 and has been anxiously awaited by military and government satellite customers ever since.

With the launch right around the corner, the Government Satellite Report sat down with the CEO of SES Space and Defense, David Fields, to discuss the SES O3b mPOWER service. During our discussion, we asked why the service is considered revolutionary across the satellite industry, why government and military users are excited about its launch, and the technology trends that are making this new service necessary.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): The first O3b mPOWER satellites are tentatively slated to launch later this week. Why is this such an exciting milestone for SES Government Solutions? What about these new satellites is so revolutionary?

David Fields: It’s important to understand that the O3b mPOWER satellite service represents a truly transformational advancement in commercial satellite capability. The O3b mPOWER service is a massive breakthrough in the delivery of satellite capacity from non-geostationary orbit (NGSO).

Being positioned in MEO enables the O3b mPOWER satellites to deliver incredible capacity at extremely low latency. This higher throughput and lower latency are ideal for many of the advanced IT solutions and capabilities that are being implemented across the U.S. government and military today.

Our government and military customers need lower latency and higher throughput. They need a more simple and more flexible ground infrastructure that is more customizable and easier to secure. They need the ability to leverage sovereign gateways. O3b mPOWER delivers all of these things to our government and military users.

The service is not a closed system. It enables military and government users to leverage their own gateways. It enables them to bring their own waveforms. It’s compliant with all of their most rigid security requirements.

O3b mPOWER delivers all of these things because it was built with the needs of our government and military users in mind. It wasn’t designed to be a consumer solution that is also available to the government. SES built O3b mPOWER from the bottom up to meet government and military requirements.

GSR: If you were a government or military organization, why would O3b mPOWER be important for you? What trends are we seeing in the government that make the launch of O3b mPOWER an important development?

David Fields: That’s a great question, and it really comes down to data. Just look at the military – in particular. The amount of sensor data, the amount of video, and the amount of data – in general – that is being aggregated in theater and that needs to be transmitted back to senior military decision-makers is enormous now.

The amount of data that is being generated is staggering. And for that data to be useful for the military, it needs to be made available, analyzed for actionable insights, and shared in real time. That’s what will enable the military to make better, more data-driven decisions.

“We’re very excited to see these first satellites launched and get into orbit…There will be several additional launches after this initial launch. However, these first satellites that we’re launching will enable us to validate the service and capabilities.” – David Fields

The applications that the government and military leverage at the tactical edge will only continue to expand to fill the amount of bandwidth that these organizations can afford to buy. Our goal with O3b mPOWER is to deliver a cost-effective satellite service that delivers high-throughput, low-latency bandwidth when they need it, and where they need it.

GSR: When we talk to people about O3b mPOWER and the benefits that it will deliver, the capacity and low latency are usually the first things they mention. But there is more to O3b mPOWER than that – the satellites will also offer more flexibility. Why would the government care about that?

David Fields: These satellites are some of the most capable ever built. This enables them to deliver incredible flexibility for government users. O3b mPOWER gives government and military users the ability to define and steer beams. This is immensely important since it enables users to place a beam of satellite capacity where they need it and when they need it.

This means that government users are not locked into paying for an established amount of capacity or coverage that they don’t need. If they need capacity for a small group of naval vessels, or a small squad of warfighters, or even a single ISR aircraft, they can put a beam where they need it to meet that requirement.

Also, O3b mPOWER enables asymmetric capability. This means that the outbound and inbound capacity is not fixed. If more inbound capacity is needed, the inbound satellite capacity can be increased. If an ISR mission requires mostly outbound data so that HD video can be transmitted in real-time, that can also be accommodated. Government and military users will have the flexibility to tailor the capacity in either direction to meet their unique mission requirements.

GSR: Security is a major issue for the military today. How can O3b mPOWER protect military networks and data at a time when satellite is more essential, but the space and cyber domains are increasingly threatened?

David Fields: The nature of the O3b mPOWER satellites, themselves, make them more secure and more assured for government and military users. The ability to provision and steer a small beam of connectivity makes O3b mPOWER inherently more assured than wide beam satellite solutions.

The smaller beams that are utilized by O3b mPOWER are harder to locate for adversaries. They’re also harder to deny. As you know, satellite jamming needs to happen from within the beam, so a smaller beam is – by its nature – more difficult to jam for adversaries.

“The service is not a closed system. It enables military and government users to leverage their own gateways. It enables them to bring their own waveforms. It’s compliant with all of their most rigid security requirements.” – David Fields

But, jamming aside, security and assurance come down to the resiliency of the network.

Since the O3b mPOWER satellite service was designed with government and military users in mind, SES has ensured that they can bring their own waveform. This includes protected waveforms. Also, since the service was purpose-built for government and military users, it offers something that many commercial satellites can’t – bandwidth that is always available when and where they need it.

The O3b mPOWER satellite service offers capacity that is committed to government and military users, which ensures that they’re not competing with other authorized users. There won’t be a lack of capacity for government or military users because gamers, or consumers that are streaming entertainment content are dominating the capacity.

GSR: What advanced use cases and capabilities could you envision the government and military leveraging O3b mPOWER for in the immediate future?

David Fields: SES was one of the first companies to build an NGSO commercial capability. We have years of experience operating an NGSO constellation and truly understand the advantages and disadvantages of NGSO commercial satellite services.

O3b mPOWER leverages that experience and expands on our ability to deliver capabilities that government and military users have been asking for. That includes things like mobility and comms on the move for our military users.

“These satellites are some of the most capable ever built. This enables them to deliver incredible flexibility for government users.” – David Fields

Since O3b mPOWER provides smaller, more powerful beams, it can deliver capabilities to smaller antennas for use in ISR, land mobility, and other use cases that require small aperture terminals. These are capabilities that have not been served to date and are in high demand from our government and military users.

GSR: Obviously, when it comes to satellite services and solutions, the launch of a satellite doesn’t mean that the service is immediately available. What needs to happen in space after the satellites are launched? How long will it take for the satellites to come online? When will O3b mPOWER service be available for users?

David Fields: Every journey begins with a single step, and the O3b mPOWER journey begins this week with this launch. The current launch date is tentatively scheduled for December 16, 2022. That launch starts the process.

We’re very excited to see these first satellites launched and get into orbit. But, as with any NGSO satellite service, the satellites do not remain in a fixed point or location in the sky. This means that you need to have the full constellation launched for it to function.

There will be several additional launches after this initial launch. However, these first satellites that we’re launching will enable us to validate the service and capabilities. As the additional satellites are launched, SES will be building out the network and testing functionality to ensure that O3b mPOWER is ready for customers when it comes online.

We anticipate that this revolutionary service will be available for our users in Q3 of 2023.

For additional information about O3b mPOWER, click HERE.

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