Space is a Network.
Constellations is Your Connection.

Policy & Regulation

Jesús Bernal Allende joins Constellations to explore how existing space law is being applied as autonomous systems take on a larger share of spacecraft decision making.

As interest in nuclear power for space accelerates, experts examine how advanced reactors could enable sustained lunar operations while introducing new challenges around cybersecurity, autonomy, proliferation, and governance in the emerging cislunar economy.

Satellite Connectivity & Technology

Sovereignty Without Borders

As the global space economy evolves, national autonomy is shifting from simple hardware ownership toward total control over the operational stack, including data and networks. Industry experts suggest that hybrid architectures are now the most pragmatic way for nations to maintain security and decision-making authority in an increasingly interconnected orbital landscape.

The SpaceRise consortium—led by industry heavyweights SES, Eutelsat, and Hispasat—has finally hammered out the compromises needed to secure a multi-billion euro green light for the secure multi-orbit network. While the roadmap includes some technical concessions to hit aggressive 2030 deadlines, the deal marks a massive leap forward for Europe’s strategic autonomy in space-based communications.

CEO Matt Desch is finally playing the valuation game, signaling openness to mergers or alliances to command the premium multiples currently assigned to direct-to-device hype. Beyond the spectrum positioning, the firm operates as the baseline fallback network for aviation and government infrastructure, offering an embedded hedge against broader market exuberance.

Steve Bochinger of Novaspace discusses the space sector development in the Middle East including the vision for space, investment opportunities, strategic partnerships and drive for sovereignty.

Germany has pledged €35 billion for military space programs through 2030, putting a national broadband constellation on the table even as Berlin remains a major Iris2 contributor. The move raises questions about duplication versus interoperability between national and EU systems and underscores the push to balance sovereignty with European cooperation.

BCG Associate Director for Aerospace and Defense Alessio Bonucci looks at how countries are rethinking space sovereignty amid tightening industrial capacity, new geopolitical realities and evolving partnerships.

Cloud Computing

Certifiable

The approval of a certification program for the DIFI 1.1 standard marks a key step toward greater interoperability and trust in digital IF equipment, enabling both standardized performance assurance and independent third-party validation. As virtualization and cloud-based ground systems expand, DIFI compliance and feature-based certification will make it easier for organizations to specify, deploy and scale interoperable solutions.

TransAstra’s innovative “Capture Bags” are designed to snag hazardous debris today, but the same inflatable technology is being built to harvest asteroids tomorrow. Discover how tackling the orbital debris crisis could ultimately unlock a massive new economy built on millions of tons of space-based materials.

Network Architecture & Infrastructure

China’s D2D Ambitions

ABI Research’s Rachel Kong breaks down mega-constellation filings, 5G NTN trials, and the coordinated state–telco model shaping D2D connectivity. Discover how this approach could influence spectrum access, handset interoperability, and Western operators’ competitive positioning.

Once focused on buying satellites, the region is now building sovereign capabilities that drive economic diversification, security, and technological leadership. Bold investments and local industry growth are positioning the Middle East as an emerging global hub for space innovation.

China’s delegates framed orbital crowding and collision avoidance as priorities for national regulation and international coordination, noting work on a national space traffic management and active debris-removal research. They emphasized using the UN framework and soft-law coordination rather than new treaties while acknowledging gaps in information-sharing and trust between major space powers.

Former U.S. Air Force and Space Force General Counsel Peter Beshar explains why decades-old space treaties must evolve to address commercial space, lunar resource extraction and emerging security threats in an increasingly contested orbital environment.

Boston Consulting Group’s Alessio Bonucci explains why space sovereignty is reshaping global competition, with launch capability, industrial capacity and defense investment emerging as the defining factors in the next generation of national space strategies.

As direct-to-device satellite services move toward commercial scale, operators, regulators and mobile carriers are grappling with how spectrum rights, licensing frameworks and cross-border interference will shape the future of global connectivity. How hybrid use of terrestrial and MSS spectrum is emerging as the most practical path forward, even as questions around sovereignty, regulation and customer control remain unresolved.

The head of the Taiwan Space Agency recently proposed an Asia-Pacific answer to Starlink, kicking off a critical discussion about sovereignty, regional collaboration and the role of commercial partnerships in LEO.

Colonel Tim Trimailo, Director of the Commercial Space Office, drives the Space Force's integration of commercial capabilities into missions. Listen to Colonel Trimailo as he explores how the commercial industry is accelerating the future of military space operations.

Satellite Communications (SATCOM)

FCC Goes All-In on Satellite D2D

The FCC is pushing for U.S. leadership in direct-to-device but still needs a framework to harmonize satellite and mobile network operators’ interests within the constraints of finite spectrum resources.

As global LEO constellations reshape satellite economics through scale and speed, Middle Eastern operators are charting a different path rooted in sovereignty, regulatory alignment and national strategy. How regional satellite companies are leveraging close ties with governments, multi-orbit collaboration and spectrum stewardship to remain relevant and grow.