Industry Consolidation Efforts are Ready For the Next Step

If there is one subject that is sure to get the satellite industry talking it is major industry consolidation. After much talk in previous years, things have really kicked into gear in recent times. Viasat’s acquisition of Inmarsat was a major move. Recently, Eutelsat and OneWeb have announced details of a merger, and it has been reported that SES and Intelsat could also be in talks.

It is clear that we are in a significant period of change. I often use these Editor’s Notes to talk about revolution in the satellite industry, the onset of thousands, tens of thousands of satellites. It is clear that a new order is being established. The days of an opening general session at SATELLITE just featuring the likes of SES, Intelsat, Eutelsat, Telesat will move on. That is not to say these companies are not hugely important. But, they may become part of something bigger or join forces with others. It has already begun. Our industry is truly transforming before our eyes, and it is exciting to see.

Speaking of transformation, one of our main stories this issue is an interview with Lori Garver, the former deputy administrator of NASA, and how she helped spearhead change at NASA to become a more modern, forward-thinking agency. It is a fascinating journey.

For the first time ever in Via Satellite, we put the spotlight on the vibrant space industry in New Zealand, a country with a population of just over five million people. It is a country with rich geography, stunning landscapes. The story will transport you there and share how the country's space industry is developing.

There is no doubt there is lots going on in our industry right now. As we head into the fall, I suspect we will have not heard the last of the big stories in our industry, and we could see other significant partnerships/mergers. We look forward to watching this transformation as our industry continues to plot an exciting path forward, one that seems so much more exciting that we could have imagined a decade ago.