The satellite industry is going through a digital transformation. In this episode of On Orbit, we’re joined by a group of experts representing RF manufacturing, and both parabolic and electronically scanned antennas for a look at digitization at the edge. 

Guests include Simon Swift, engineering director of ETL Systems; Dave Nicoll, strategic business director of Holkirk Communications; and John-Paul Szczepanik, CTO of All.Space. The discussion covers what digitization at the edge looks like for both conventional antennas and ESA terminals, and how it allows users at the edge with small, portable terminals to have the resilience of multiple networks without the need for multiple physical modems. 

This episode of On Orbit is sponsored by ETL Systems. For more information, visit etlsystems.com. 

Back from Paris, Via Satellite Editor Mark Holmes joins On Orbit host Rachel Jewett to unpack some of the top takeaways from World Space Business Week. Two themes drove much of the conversation during the week — direct-to-device (D2D) and defense. Spectrum was a big topic of conversation with SpaceX’s big spectrum buy and Viasat and Space42 unveiling a new shared spectrum approach to D2D. And while defense demand is not new, it’s driving conversations from satellite connectivity, imagery, and manufacturing, as Europe in particular is working though what increased defense spending means for space capabilities. 

Change was another theme this year with a new venue, and lots of new faces getting together to learn about the space and satellite industry. The editors cover some of the top storylines from the week, and their favorite parts of being in Paris in September.

 Over the past year, Umbra has expanded its business from operating a commercial SAR constellation to also offering Mission Solutions — where it develops bespoke and custom space systems for the U.S., and its partners and allies.  

This episode of On Orbit features Jason Mallare, vice president and general manager of Umbra’s Mission Solutions business. Jason describes Umbra’s culture as “customer-obsessed,” and talks about how his team takes the learnings from operating its own constellation and uses that experience to help customers fulfill their own unique missions. Jason sees rising demand for space systems from defense and intelligence around the world, and explains why sovereignty is an important issue for these customers. 

 This episode of On Orbit is sponsored by Umbra.

The relationship between the commercial space industry and the Space Force has evolved in recent years. While the Space Force using commercial capabilities is not new, the “buy before build” philosophy has marked a change in acquisition strategy. 

Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office (COMSO) was set up two years ago to better integrate commercial capabilities. This week’s On Orbit podcast episode features Lt. Col. Tim Trimailo, director of the Commercial Space Office. Trimailo took the helm of COMSO in April. 

Trimailo says that while COMSO has spent time seeding the landscape of commercial capabilities, the focus is shifting to delivering operational capabilities to the warfighter. He also shares the latest on the Commercial Space Augmentation Reserve, the Proliferated Low Earth Orbit, or PLEO IDIQ contract, and takeaways from a recent wargame around space domain awareness. 

This interview was part of the GovMilSpace Digital Series, a virtual event that brought together U.S. and allied space, defense, and intelligence leaders to address the evolving threats and priorities shaping tomorrow’s missions. The series is available on-demand, with a panel discussion and video interviews featuring the Space Development Agency, UK Ministry of Defense, German BSI, and more. Registration is now open for GovMilSpace 2026, where these critical conversations continue in person during SATELLITE Week.

In this week’s episode, On Orbit interviews Beau Legeer, director of Imagery and Remote Sensing at Esri. While Esri doesn’t operate its own satellites, the company integrates commercial satellite data into its ArcGIS software offering, working to make satellite imagery accessible and user friendly for its customers. 

Beau talks about how the barrier to entry to exploiting satellite imagery has dramatically decreased from his start in the industry, when images were still processed on tape. And now, advances in AI models and even business models and subscriptions are lowering that barrier to entry even further to allow for more widespread adoption of satellite imagery. 

This episode is sponsored by AvL Technologies. AvL Technologies is a leading manufacturer of multi-band and multi-orbit satellite communications ground terminals, serving both government and commercial markets. With terminals ranging in size from 60 cm  to 4.6 m AvL provides efficient, cost-effective solutions for voice, video, and data connectivity without the need for specialized training. AvL’s innovative and visionary approach to engineering and design ensures the critical requirements of today’s missions are met. For more information please visit avltech.com.

This episode of the Future Space Economy series focuses on how space is shaping the future of medicine. Host Jeff Hill is joined by Eascra Biotech CEO and co-founder Mari Anne Snow and Jana Stoudemire, senior executive, Barrios Technologies, to discuss some exciting new developments in bringing medical and pharmaceutical research to space. 

Eascra Biotech is a nanomedicine company that was selected for NASA’s Igniting Innovation: Science in Space to Cure Disease on Earth program to study a new application for their Janus Base Nanoparticles (JBNps) on the ISS. The program just launched to the ISS this past May. Snow talks about what they’ve learned about the ISS mission and how the space industry can better communicate the value of space as a research environment for the pharmaceutical industry. 

Stoudemire is working to establish a new business at Barrios Technologies supporting the development of economically sustainable and profitable uses of space. After a career in pharma, biotech and medical devices, Stoudemire transitioned to lead life science research in microgravity as part of the team managing the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory, and roles with Space Tango and Axiom Space.

This episode is part of the Future Space Economy webcast series, sponsored by MDA Space.

The past few years have seen an uptick in partnerships between satellite and telcos as mobile operators look to expand the reach of their networks. Direct-to-device has garnered many of the headlines in this area, but the satellite-telco convergence also encompasses satellite broadband, backhaul, and IoT.

This week, we hear from Tim Hatt, head of Research and Consulting for GSMA Intelligence, with perspective from the mobile industry’s side of the satellite/telco convergence. GSMA Intelligence provides forecasts and research for the global mobile ecosystem. The mobile ecosystem is closely watching the rollout of satellite constellations, and GSMA Intelligence is now tracking more than 100 partnerships between mobile operators and satellite companies.

Tim talks about how mobile operators see working with satellite as a differentiator, some of the issues at play as direct-to-device begins to commercialize, and why we shouldn’t overlook the potential of standards-based satellite IoT.

While the satellite connected car has long been seen as a future market for the satellite industry, it hasn’t broken through into the mainstream yet. But recent developments in standards and technology are bringing this closer to reality. This week’s episode features two experts in vehicle connectivity from BMW Group, Olaf Eckart and Georg Schmitt, for a discussion on the path to integrating satellite connectivity into vehicles. 

Eckart and Schmitt explain the use cases where satellite makes sense for vehicles, some of the challenges specific to the automotive industry, and the roadmap for integrating satellite into vehicles from narrowband, wideband, to broadband. The first mass market applications with non-terrestrial network (NTN), narrowband IoT applications are expected to be deployed from 2027 on. 

They are part of the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), and the discussion covers vehicle demonstrations that 5GAA recently hosted with satellite companies in Paris. The automotive industry is looking to benefit from the work that has been done to integrate satellite into mobile networks, and Eckhart and Schmitt talk about how standards have driven new momentum in the work between automakers, MNOs, and satellite players.

NASA's James Webb Telescope has captivated the public with incredible discoveries that include dying stars, distant galaxies, and signs of life on other planets. The telescope launched in December of 2021 after 25 years in development. In this episode, we explore the history of the James Webb project, its journey to space, its breakthrough findings, and potential follow-up programs that could build on its success. 

Via Satellite Executive Editor Jeffrey Hill interviews Scott Willoughby, who served Northrop Grumman’s vice president and program manager for the James Webb Space Telescope, and Dr. Bhanu Sood, deputy chief technologist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Sood has served as NASA's risk assessment process owner for microelectronics on a number of flagship programs including JWST. 

This episode is part of the Future Space Economy webcast series, sponsored by MDA Space. 

With the start of hurricane season fast approaching, recent reports show that cuts and staff vacancies at the National Weather Service and NOAA could impact public safety services. Earlier this month, CNN reported that a number of NWS weather forecast offices do not have a meteorologist-in-charge due to layoffs, early retirements, and vacancies. 

In this episode, On Orbit interviews Dan Harkins, COO of Tropical Weather Analytics, about how the upcoming hurricane seasons could be impacted by cuts and vacancies, and the critical role that government weather satellites play in keeping the public safe. 

 While the U.S. is talking about investing in a massive-scale Golden Dome for missile defense, Harkins argues the country should consider a similar investment into weather monitoring capabilities — given how extreme weather events lead to loss of life, and disruption for both people and businesses. Aside from cutbacks, Harkins talks about what is missing in government weather monitoring capabilities, and how commercial companies play a role.