Constellations talked to the Space ISAC team about what to expect from the 2026 Value of Space Summit, what’s new about the event and what they most love about the location.

As Europe accelerates investment in sovereign satellite communications, IRIS², NATO’s HALO initiative and multi-orbit architectures are reshaping how governments balance resilience, security and commercial partnerships.

As AI, cloud computing and cyber threats accelerate the pace of network operations, satellite communications must embrace software-defined, interoperable architectures to keep pace with modern defense and commercial requirements.

AST SpaceMobile is accelerating its satellite deployment toward continuous direct-to-device coverage while expanding its ambitions in government and sovereign communications markets worldwide.

While Europe’s HALO and IRIS² initiatives both aim to strengthen sovereign satellite communications, their ultimate success will depend on building interoperable, sovereign-controlled ground infrastructure that enables secure command, connectivity and cross-border operations.

As direct-to-device services evolve beyond basic coverage, balancing terrestrial and mobile satellite spectrum and navigating a complex regulatory landscape will be critical to unlocking the technology's long-term commercial potential.

The European Commission, ESA and the SpaceRISE consortium (SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat) have finalized the implementation agreement for Europe’s IRIS² satellite constellation, resolving months of negotiations over the program’s architecture, cost and governance.

Univity’s proposed broadband and direct-to-device constellation reflects a new approach to satellite connectivity by putting telecom operators—not satellite providers—at the center of the value chain through a shared, wholesale space infrastructure that seamlessly extends terrestrial 5G networks into space.