The SATELLITE show once again offered a barometer of the industry’s growing reputation as well as providing an exciting look into satellite’s future. Hosting Sir Richard Branson and Sunil Bharti Mittal, who announced a deal between OneWeb and AT&T, were just two highlights of the event. For those of you who were not able to make it, our good friends at NSR put together a feature highlighting some of the key takeaways from the event.

There is no doubt that OneWeb has made quite an impression in recent months, and not just with the AT&T deal. We have a big interview with the new CEO Neil Masterson to talk all things OneWeb and his ambitions for the operator. We also have a feature on Arctic communications, taking a look at how satellite communication is evolving to serve the changing region’s connectivity needs.

It was great to host the industry again, and while obviously the travel restrictions made it difficult for a number of us internationally (such as myself), we look forward to hosting another event in March 2022, where hopefully even more of us can re-engage with the community.

In these difficult times, I have been touched by the support from people in the industry, and I can’t thank you enough. I know our editorial team sees it as a privilege to support you and provide you a mix of information, education, and hopefully entertainment. I am keenly aware that all of our stories have been different over the last 18 months, and I know working in this industry, where we talk of the impact of satellites in reducing digital divides, enabling better healthcare and education, leading the battle against climate change, is more than just a job for a lot of us. It is a passion, an ideal to create a better world. And even in these difficult times, that passion shines through.

In October, we are delighted to bring back our CyberSatGov event where we look at satellites and cybersecurity, and particularly what it means for government customers. We have an A-list roster of speakers including the new U.S. National Cyber Director, Chris Ingles. This takes place at the Hyatt Regency Reston on Oct. 6 and Oct. 7. There is still time to register: https://na.eventscloud.com/cybersat?discountcode=TOPNAV. We also have a Classified Day on Oct.5.

Thank you once again for all of your support. We wish you all the best for the rest of the year.