Changing Times Signal New Issues for the Satellite Industry

The world changes very quickly. If we were to rewind five years ago, Via Satellite would not have even thought about issues around blockchain, cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Fast forward five years, and we see the satellite world changing pretty dramatically. This issue of Via Satellite, which will be published ahead of our highly successful (and I would argue important) event, CyberSat, is strong evidence of this. In this issue, we look at the futuristic scenario of what might happen if the satellite industry was to have a major security breach. With many industries now having been exposed in this way, it seems only natural that satellites could be targeted in the future. In this feature, we talk to key members of the Cyber- Sat Advisory Board about this type of scenario.

Speaking of the future, a big talking point in our industry is the growing importance of software when it comes to satellite manufacturing. Tereza Pultarova looks at the growing importance of software- defined satellites and how these are changing the game for operators and manufacturers as we move toward a more fluid, efficient industry. Blockchain is one of those buzz terms that appears just about everywhere nowadays, but what does it mean for the satellite industry? Anne Wainscott-Sargent looks at the potential impact of blockchain on our industry. Finally, Annamarie Nyirady puts the spotlight on the African satellite market. With AfricaCom not that far away, Africa remains a hive of activity as countries in the region look to use connectivity to kickstart economies. Here, we take a look at recent efforts by the industry to enable this.

Our industry is changing, and fast. It makes me wonder what we will be talking about in another five years — we would love to hear your thoughts on this! VS