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The evolution of satellite being incorporated into 3GPP standards has been one of the key issues in the industry over the last few years, but it comes with important considerations as satellite operators look to integrate 5G NTN into their networks. I recently spoke with Comtech's Satellite and Space President Daniel Gizinski during World Space Business Week about this integration.  He puts the focus firmly on the utility and says 5G isn't a destination, it's a tactic. While it's easy to get caught up in technology, the goal is to provide a real service to customers. He explains the role that Comtech plays in the NTN landscape and how the company helps its customers as they migrate to new systems and continue services on legacy platforms as well.  This conversation was sponsored by Comtech

Startup PiLogic is taking a unique approach to AI for the space industry, developing what it calls "exact AI," a type of AI in the category of automated reasoning. It differs from LLMs in that it's based on mathematically exact models that don't require high levels of compute. In this week's episode, PiLogic CEO Johannes Waldstein joins On Orbit for a conversation about applying exact AI to anomaly detection, diagnostics, autonomy, and sensor fusion for space systems. Waldstein comes from a tech background and has founded five companies, notably Fan.AI a data platform focused on sports sponsorship. He shares how he met one of his co-founders, former Google exec Mark Chavira through their son's Scouts program, and how their shared interests in AI led to the aerospace startup. He also addresses what people get wrong when they think that AI is just LLMs and what's next for PiLogic as it scales its technology and team.

While orbital data centers have drawn attention and driven headlines this year, there's another story unfolding in spaceborne computing — the evolution of the space edge. It's a shift to higher-powered satellites that can process data at the edge, right where it's collected. Voyager Technologies CTO Paul Tilghman joins On Orbit this week to unpack this shift and how it supports the rise of proliferated data collected in space and applications like missile defense, that demand shorter timelines from sensor-to-decision.  Paul explains some of the underlying trends associated with this shift, the potential for clustered computing in space, and the importance of compatibility and open standards versus bespoke systems. He also shares an update on Space Edge, Voyager's space-hardened, managed cloud infrastructure designed to bring computing power directly to orbit. A prototype platform of Space Edge is flying on the ISS today.  This conversation was sponsored by Voyager Technologies.

As conflicts have erupted around the world, governments and MoDs are recognizing the urgent, immediate need for space-based intelligence. At the same time, the cost to build and launch satellites has dropped significantly, and it's changing how governments acquire satellite imagery and Al-enabled intelligence capabilities, driving them to embrace sovereign solutions from commercial partners. This week, BlackSky CTO Patrick O'Neil joins On Orbit for a conversation about the dynamics underpinning international adoption of sovereign space technologies. Patrick explains the spectrum of needs that begin with subscription-based assured access to commercial imagery and analytics and scale into fully sovereign systems. He also talks about how the speed of modern warfare is fueling demand for real-time dynamic monitoring and how AI helps unlock critical insights from the volumes of Earth observation data collected.

As AI is driving explosive growth in data center construction on Earth, there's accelerating interest in moving some of the computing infrastructure to orbit. The past few months have seen a flurry of announcements for future orbital data centers. Is this the latest hype cycle for the space industry, or a greenfield opportunity? The answer may be somewhere in the middle.  In this week's On Orbit episode, we're bringing you a recent discussion from Via Satellite's Tech Webcast series. It features JJ Jaworski, CEO and co-founder of Edge Aerospace; Rob DeMillo, CEO of Sophia Space; and Ronald Birk, principal director of the Space Enterprise Evolution Directorate for The Aerospace Corporation. The conversation digs into potential architectures for orbital computing, the technological developments and challenges, and realistic use cases and potential early adopters for in-orbit computing.  This conversation was sponsored by Edge Aerospace.

What can the hostile environment of the Arctic teach us about space? David Marsh recently returned from a first-hand journey to find out. He joins On Orbit this week after wrapping up an Arctic expedition where he spent 29 days skiing more than 560 kilometers across Greenland with a group of researchers.  Over the trip he worked on a number of research projects like investigating the use of LEO satellites for navigation, and using a new radio propagation technique to measure space weather. David shares what life was like on the expedition and how the trip took him inside an abandoned Cold War radar station.  As a space industry professional who previously worked for Voyager Technologies and is now a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, David has a particular focus on the relationship between the Arctic and space. His work on the subject includes a recently published piece for War on the Rocks that is referenced in the episode. While the region is critical for downlinking satellite data, David also believes the extreme environment of the Arctic can teach us something about surviving in the extreme environment of space.

Over just a few years, the ability to connect everyday cell phones to satellite has gone from a milestone tech demonstration to a feature that's deployed in millions of phones. Mindel De La Torre has watched this evolution closely and been a part of the regulatory advancements to make it possible. Formerly chief of the FCC's International Bureau, Mindel then led regulatory and international strategy for Omnispace before joining Skylo as head of Global Regulatory Affairs. Mindel joins On Orbit this week to talk about the intersection of spectrum policy, international coordination, and the future of global connectivity. She shares how the regulatory landscape is evolving for D2D, and gives a preview of some upcoming spectrum issues for the WRC-27 conference. From her work in government to startups, Mindel says one through line has been a passion for finding ways to provide service to unserved and underserved communities, which she now gets to see firsthand as D2D expands around the world.

There's a lot of hype in the space industry and bold projections about how demand for satellite broadband, direct-to-device, and more. But every year, the Satellite Industry Association provides a clear view into the industry's financial performance in the annual State of the Satellite Industry Report. This week I'm joined by SIA President Tom Stroup to dig into the 2026 report, which tracked rapid growth — the number of satellites launched to orbit in 2025 increased by 65%. Tom shares some of the broad trends the report has been tracking in recent years, and some of the interesting contrasts — like the number of satellites manufactured compared to the value captured. The report comes at a key time when there's a bright spotlight on the space industry ahead of the SpaceX IPO, and Tom shares how it's used to educate policymakers on the broader satellite industry. We also talk about SIA's work to find consensus among members in its policy positions, and his perspective on the satellite telecom convergence, as someone with deep experience in the wireless industry. Link to the 2026 SIA Report: https://sia.org/news-resources/state-of-the-satellite-industry-report/

SWAP — size, weight, and power — is a defining feature of space engineering constraints. As new technologies and designs have opened up options for size and weight, power is still a limiting constraint.  Longtime space executive Andrew Rush turned his attention to the issue of power in space with Star Catcher, the company he co-founded in 2024. Star Catcher has the bold ambition to break the constraints of power in space by deploying satellites that can function as a power grid in orbit and beam power to client satellites, on demand.  Andrew joined the On Orbit podcast just ahead of Star Catcher's Series A funding announcement. As former CEO of Made in Space and Redwire's first COO, Andrew has had a front row seat to the evolution of commercial space, and considers himself a student of the sector. That experience and hearing from industry colleagues informed the design and business model of Star Catcher.  In this episode, Andrew talks about why he sees power as a fundamental infrastructure need in space, similar to transportation and telecommunications, and how plans for the generation of infrastructure compares to the changes he's seen so far.

How do you future-proof your satellite network to thrive in an increasingly connected world? It's a key question that network operators are asking as they navigate new technologies like 5G, non-terrestrial networks (NTN), multi-orbit architectures, and AI-driven applications. This week, Brian Jakins, senior vice president of Sales at ST Engineering iDirect joins the On Orbit podcast for a conversation about network modernization. Brian works closely with ST Engineering iDirect's customers, which gives him a unique viewpoint at the intersection from both the satellite side and the network operator perspective. In this episode, he talks about the tradeoffs operators are making, how they are approaching emerging technologies and what's truly responding as they look to build scalable, resilient networks. This episode of On Orbit is brought to you by ST Engineering iDirect, a global leader in satellite communications providing technology and solutions that enable its customers to expand their businesses and optimize their satcom networks.

Based in Milan, Italy, SatEnlight is an optical communications technology company with a terminal that stacks multiple beams on top of each other, arranged in what looks like a multi-layered spiral staircase of lasers.  SatEnlight CEO and co-founder Matteo Vismara and his co-founder developed the product based on years of scientific research in Physics and work based at the CERN Large Hadron Collider in Geneva.  Matteo joins On-Orbit this week in a conversation with Via Satellite Executive Editor Jeffrey Hill after he won SATShow's 10th Annual Startup Space entrepreneur pitch contest. In this interview, he explains why he chose the risk of starting a private company over the safety of almost guaranteed university tenure and the details of a slide deck tip he received during pitch coaching that helped him win Startup Space.  Matteo also talks about how Italy is building off of its deep legacy in cutting-edge space science and why he believes the SatEnlight terminal could actually help create new standards for optical transmissions in space.

SSC Space has a mission to help its customers access space — whether that's spacecraft operations and engineering, operating the Esrange launch center in Sweden, or its global ground network. With 54 years of operations, SSC Space has deep experience in space missions.  Now, the company is expanding its ground systems business with SSC Space Go, designed for commercial companies with small satellites in LEO. This week, On Orbit hosts Jonas Åslund, product manager, and Viktor Pankov, product owner, of SSC Space Go to hear about how the service was designed to meet the needs of the evolving commercial space market. Both Åslund and Pankov are ground segment experts, and they share the hardware and software upgrades that went into the service, and how it's designed to enable greater automation and flexibility. This episode of On Orbit is brought to you by SSC Space, a leading global provider of advanced space services in science, ground segment, rocket test and launch services.

As a young electrical engineer at RCA Corporation, Shey Sabripour was inspired by the company's legacy of contributing to space missions, and he wanted to make his own mark by establishing a company that builds technology in the United States. He went on to found CesiumAstro 10 years ago, which is now at a pivotal moment in its growth journey. He joins On Orbit this week after the company recently raised $270 million and secured $200 million EXIM financing to build out its manufacturing capabilities in Texas under the "Make More in America" initiative. In this interview, he shares his deep passion for building in America, and how he sees a crucial link between strong commercial competition, resilient supply chains, and defense readiness. Sabripour also talks about how CesiumAstro has methodically grown from providing software defined radios to now, full-scale missions and previews the launch of the company's first Element satellite, targeted for later this year.

Emile de Rijk started Swissto12 with a simple goal — to make access to Geostationary Orbit (GEO) faster and more affordable. In order to achieve that, the company had to think smaller. From its origins as a startup, Swissto12 is now coming of age as a disruptive European satellite manufacturer. This week, Swissto12 CEO Emile de Rijk joins On Orbit to talk about the company's cutting edge payload technology and the decision trade-offs that come with payload flexibility. De Rijk also talk about how Swissto12's approach to smaller, more flexible GEO satellites fits in with the issue of sovereign space, and how it might also fit into the future concepts of orbital data centers.  The company is at a critical juncture this year with satellite builds for both SES and Viasat underway. De Rijk shares the latest updates on the Hummingsat program.  This episode of On Orbit is brought to you by Swissto12, a manufacturer of advanced satellite radio frequency components, payloads, and systems.

Semiconductors are foundational to satellite operations, powering everything from communications payloads, to sensing, and propulsion control. As CEO of Spirit Electronics, Marti McCurdy's work is at the heart of the semiconductor supply chain.  Spirit Electronics offers semiconductor services that range from ASIC design and foundry, to wafer processing, and qualification. The company has always served a mix of defense and space, but is seeing growth in its space business in recent years with the uptick of growth in the industry. Marti says the work isn't new; it's just applying the company's expertise in semiconductors to a new customer base.  In this episode, Marti shares the ins and outs of semiconductor supply chains and the work that goes into being a trusted manufacturing partner. She also shares what's in store for Spirit Electronics in 2026 and how AI is impacting the company's work in test development. This episode of On Orbit is brought to you by Spirit Electronics is a supplier of high reliability electronic components, engineering services, and superior supply-chain solutions.