Wistful for Paris

It is mid-September, and summer turns to fall, we are all adjusting to the new normal. Those of us with kids are dealing with back-to-school, which looks different this year. An interesting and potentially challenging winter awaits for all of us. As I write this ed note, it is the week many in the industry were meant to gather in Paris for World Satellite Business Week, one of the major touchpoints for our industry. Paris is beautiful this time of year, and I would like to wish my friends at Euroconsult all the best. Having worked on SATELLITE for many years, I know the sheer amount of work that goes into putting together a world-class satellite event. I look forward to us getting back to Paris in the future and seeing them and the industry again soon. It is one of my favorite weeks of the year, and I, like many others, will miss being there this year.

In this issue of Via Satellite, we have a great mix of content we hope you will enjoy. My colleague Jeff Hill does an in-depth interview with Dan Jablonsky, president and CEO of Maxar Technologies, about the evolution of one of the most diverse and intriguing companies in the satellite sector. Another colleague Rachel Jewett writes a fascinating piece detailing U.S. space strategies ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November. While President Donald Trump vs. former Vice President Joe Biden has many interesting sub-plots, there are some intriguing differences and even similarities when it comes to their space strategies.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the satellite industry is going to become a much bigger topic over the next few years. We are entering into a new era and it will be fascinating to see how space and satellite companies use and embrace AI to bring new innovations to the industry. For our cover story, we talked to 10 space companies about how they are using AI and what a space-based AI future might look like.

With our CyberSatGov event coming up, I spoke with a number of satellite companies about the threats the industry faces and how it can work to keep space networks secure. This could be the decade where thousands of satellites could be launched, many a lot closer to Earth. We look at how the industry will face an ever increasing security threat.

Finally, I will continue to wish our community all the best. I hope you, your loved ones, and your colleagues continue to stay safe and healthy over the months ahead. On behalf of the editorial team of Via Satellite, we will continue to bring the best content we can, whether it’s stories and features, podcasts, webinars, virtual events/digital weeks, conversations etc. See you soon.