Tuesday, March 7, 2017

News from Satellite 2017: Launch bottleneck keeping smallsat growth in check; Space startups risk a bursting investment bubble

News from Satellite 2017

SpaceNews is providing daily coverage of Satellite 2017 this week
with support from Cobham and China Great Wall Industry Corp.
Tuesday, March 7, 2017

News from the Show

Space startups risk a bursting investment bubble
Jeff Foust — Space startup companies seeking to raise money may face problems in the years ahead, particularly in satellite and launch markets where there are already a large number of ventures, investors and analysts warned.

Launch bottleneck keeping smallsat growth in check
Debra Werner — Small satellite companies will generate impressive returns, but first the industry needs more launch opportunities and help reaching new customers, according to speakers at the Satellite 2017 conference.

Teleports groaning under the strain of proliferating satellites
Debra Werner — In the past, Wayne Haubner told his team at VT iDirect that future satellite hubs would need to be 10 times as capable as their predecessors at one-tenth the price. That improvement no longer seems adequate.

Smallsats could help U.S. mitigate losses in space conflict
Phillip Swarts — The United States must be prepared to lose satellites in the event of a conflict, but smallsats and dispersed systems can help ensure key capabilities remain operational.

Arabsat orders its first made-in-Saudi satellite
Caleb Henry — Arabsat has ordered a new telecommunications satellite from two Saudi Arabian entities that have worked with Lockheed Martin to learn how to build spacecraft.

Stratolaunch's Chuck Beames joins startup York Space Systems
Caleb Henry — A startup that aims to build 200 satellites a year is opening an automated manufacturing facility on a college campus and adding a former Paul Allen hire to its board of director.

In Brief

The Trump Administration's plan to increase government spending could provide additional revenue for the commercial satellite communications industry, Andrew Spinola, Wells Fargo Securities equity analyst, said March 6. Spinola also anticipates mergers or acquisitions among the major satellite operators. "There are way to many players in this space and too many people making independent capital decisions," he said. "If they were to consolidate, they could have much better returns."

"In the space profession, it is Burger King at rush hour 24/7/365 providing synchronous capabilities across all theaters to civilians, to diplomats, to government, to military, to whatever types of agencies, using the various types of satellites and we have to integrate all of those capabilities globally."
— Michael Smith, professor of strategic space studies at the Air Force's Air University, discussing the increasing demand signal space airmen are facing.

Tuesday's Best Bets

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos introduces his company to the commercial satellite industry when he gives his 8:15 a.m. keynote in Ball Room BC. If we're lucky, Bezos will offer new details about his company's launch plans, including customers for the vehicles the company has under development.

After Bezos, stick around Ballroom BC for the Global Operators CEO panel, which starts at 8:45 a.m. All the biggies: Intelsat, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, ViaSat and Telesat. Wait, where's SES? Has anybody seen SES?

Tuesday's sessions end with the International Satellite CEO panel at 4:15 p.m. in Room 202. Panelists include the head honchos of Arabsat, Asia Broadcast Satellite, Hispasat, Hughes, OneWeb and Yahsat.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017