Geospatial analytics provder Preligens (former Earth Cube): Owning satellites would be value-destroying for us

Geospatial analytics provder Preligens (former Earth Cube): Owning satellites would be value-destroying for us

Nov 30, 2020

PARIS — French geospatial analytics platform operator Preligens, formerly Earth Cube, will use its 20 million euros ($24 million) Series A funding to expand to an additional 10 NATO nations and bolster its presence in the United States.
Preligens Co-Founder and Chief Executive Arnaud Guérin said Preligens, already well-established with the French Defense Ministry, will also complete deployment of its platforms to French military operations centers in 2021.
Unlike Maxar Technologies, BlackSky and Airbus Defence and . . .
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In light of Vega failure, Avio asks investors to take the long view on rocket performance

In light of Vega failure, Avio asks investors to take the long view on rocket performance

Nov 30, 2020

PARIS — Vega rocket prime contractor Avio SpA is asking investors to view Vega’s Nov. 16 failure, the second in 16 months, in the perspective of the global launch sector, where failures of relatively new rockets are common.
Avio’s argument is that Vega’s two failures in its first 17 launches is not out of line with the history of most new rockets, including Europe’s Ariane 5 and the SpaceX Falcon 9. The SpaceX data presented by Avio includes the Falcon 1, which bears little resemblance to . . .
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Does Europe have a launch strategy? Not really

Does Europe have a launch strategy? Not really

Nov 23, 2020

PARIS— The fact that Europe’s established launch sector is gasping for air at the moment is not enough for European governments to agree to a common launcher strategy.
Any remaining doubts about that would have been put to rest by the Nov. 20 briefing of European government ministers following the 10th Space Council of the European Union and the European Space Agency (ESA).
Everyone sang the usual “Stronger Together” lines, but insisted on pursuing policies that have little coherence with each other . . .
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Between ESA and the European Commission, a ‘long engagement.’ Happy marriage still to be confirmed

Between ESA and the European Commission, a ‘long engagement.’ Happy marriage still to be confirmed

Nov 23, 2020

PARIS — The 27-nation European Commission and the 22-nation European Space Agency (ESA) appear far from concluding a Framework Agreement on how they will work together despite months of negotiations.
That was the conclusion drawn from the 10th European Space Council of the European Union and ESA, held Nov. 20.
The two organizations have a history of friction over who has what responsibility, a friction that has not been eased by the creation of the European Union Agency for the Space . . .
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Adrian Steckel on his wild ride as OneWeb CEO: ‘The UK and Bharti are executing our business plan’

Adrian Steckel on his wild ride as OneWeb CEO: ‘The UK and Bharti are executing our business plan’

Nov 20, 2020

PARIS — Adrian Steckel became OneWeb’s chief executive in September 2018 and knew he was in for a rough ride even if everything went well. Everything didn’t go well.
Already it was clear that lead investor SoftBank was having second thoughts about its position. Steckel’s determination to pivot OneWeb from Feed the World Broadband to Business Survival First was not without difficulties, including a lawsuit by Intelsat: http://bit.ly/2kFXJP3
Capex was flying . . .
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OneWeb exits 8 months of Chapter 11 having wiped away $3.4B in debt; needs $1.2B in new financing

OneWeb exits 8 months of Chapter 11 having wiped away $3.4B in debt; needs $1.2B in new financing

Nov 20, 2020

PARIS — The OneWeb Global satellite broadband company formally exited bankruptcy on Nov. 20 eight months after seeking the protection of the U.S. Chapter 11 restructuring process.
The company has reduced its debt by some $3.4 billion, including $1.6 billion in secured debt, and received commitments for $1 billion in new equity from the British government and telco network operator Bharti Global of India.
The British government owns a “golden share” of the new OneWeb, but its formal equity ownership is 42%. Bharti . . .
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US Air Force exports space pitch day to UK. Result: Contract winners from US, UK, India, Australia

US Air Force exports space pitch day to UK. Result: Contract winners from US, UK, India, Australia

Nov 19, 2020

PARIS — The 30-nation NATO alliance wants to adopt space pitch days to access promising new technologies in the wake of the first International Space Pitch Day, funded by the U.S. and British military, which resulted in about $500,000 being distributed among 10 companies, including one from a non-Five-Eyes nation, India.
An Australian startup was also among the winners, as were three British startups and five from the United States: https://bit.ly/36OqdKl
The final competition, held Nov. 17 as part of . . .
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