My choice of title for this month’s column is but a mirror to the complexities of what is to many, but certainly not to all, the rather remote topic of satellite regulation. If perhaps rather obscure, satellite regulation is something we certainly cannot do without; utter chaos would follow from its absence.

We begin 2022 entering the 25th month of the global COVID-19 pandemic, with yet a new variant of the virus wreaking havoc on recovery plans worldwide.  I can only describe the times we live in as Charles Dickens did in a "Tale of Two Cities" that "these are the best of times and these are the worst of times. " And yet there is a lot to be optimistic about 2022 and beyond.  Just to provide some perspective, the number of satellites launched in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic is almost equal to all the satellites launched in the previous three decades. 

On December 28, HISPASAT agreed to acquire from Telemar 19.04% of the shareholding of its Brazilian subsidiary HISPAMAR Satélites, after obtaining the necessary permits and authorizations from the Brazilian government. Consequently, HISPASAT will hold 100% of its subsidiary's share capital.

Euroconsult has released its annual “Space Economy report” report for 2021. In its latest edition, Euroconsult estimates that the global space economy totaled US$ 370 Billion in 2021. This number consists of:

• The space market (US$337 Billion in 2021) which includes commercial space revenues and government procurement for their space activities contracted to the private sector.

The January-February 2022 issue of the Satellite Executive Briefing magazine  is now available.  Featuring:

Industry Trends to Watch in 2022  by Virgil Labrador

Risks and Benefits of Venture Capital for Space Firms by Rotoiti Consulting

Show Report: World Satellite Business Week by Elisabeth Tweedie

Regulatory Imperatives in the Disaster Response Ecosystem​  by Martin Jarrold

Satellites and Climate: "Embalm, Cremate, Bury at Sea..." by Lou Zacharilla

PLUS Mergers and Acquisitions, Executive Moves, Market Briefs, Vital Statistics, Satellite Markets Stock Index and many more. Click here to read or download the file.

 A man receives a telegram reporting the death of his mother-in-law and asks for instructions. He immediately replies back: “Embalm, cremate, bury at sea. Take no chances!” One defining feature of the space and satellite industry is that it knows how to take risks but does not take chances. 

The December 2021 Year in Review issue of the Satellite Executive Briefing magazine sponsored by Gazprom Space Systems is now available.  Featuring:

The Most Significant Storylines in 2021  by Virgil Labrador

Taiwan: A Serious and Up-and-Coming Player in the Space Industry by Aurélie Gillet

Executive Spotlight: Igor Kot, Deputy Secretary-General, Gazprom Space Systems

Company Spotlight: ND SATCOM: Flexibility, Agility and Resilience 

A Year to Remember and A Year Ahead​  by Martin Jarrold

In Skynet We Trust by Robert Bell

PLUS Products Spotlight, Mergers and Acquisitions, Executive Moves, Market Briefs, Vital Statistics, Satellite Markets Stock Index and many more. Click here to read or download the file.

NextGen Acquisition Corp. II (NASDAQ: NGCA) ) stockholders today approved the previously-announced business combination with Vieco USA, Inc., the parent company of Virgin Orbit, at a special meeting of stockholders held today. A Form 8-K disclosing the full voting results is expected to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Unlike the IBC, which was canceled at the last minute, World Satellite Business Week organized by Euroconsult, went ahead in December 2021 in Paris as planned.  Normally an in-person only event, held in September, the December event was both in-person and online, resulting in close to normal attendance.  Euroconsult took extraordinary precautions, including making on-site Covid-19 testing available.

We're finally near the end of 2021 and for most people, it couldn't come fast enough. It's been a very challenging   year not only for the satellite industry but for pretty much the global economy.

As I've pointed out in several previous articles in this publication (The Satellite Industry in a Post-Pandemic World," September 2021 and The Satellite Industry in the Time of Covid-19, April 2020), some sectors may not have been impacted by the pandemic as others, but impacted nonetheless.

Pandemics are Here to Stay