This Special Edition of Space Business Review includes Milbank's top ten space business stories of 2023.
#1 – NGSO Constellations Lead the Way
SpaceX accelerates Starlink deployment, surpassing 5,000 satellites on orbit, and debuts second-generation design; Amazon launches Kuiper test satellites and successfully demonstrates 100 Gbps optical satellite interlink; OneWeb completes first-generation constellation deployment; Telesat secures financing for Lightspeed and selects MDA Ltd. as prime contractor; multi-orbit paradigm develops as Eutelsat acquires OneWeb and strikes deal to provide LEO and GEO capacity to Intelsat; Europe announces IRIS2 constellation.
#2 – Direct-to-Device Services Gain Momentum
Apple and Globalstar collaborate to deliver emergency services; AST SpaceMobile plans deployment of its BlueBird satellites; Omnispace and Ligado announce partnership; SpaceX and T-Mobile receive FCC approval to test services in the United States; Lynk Global moves to go public via SPAC.
#3 – Launches: Up & Counting Down
SpaceX closes in on 100-launch target and performs two test flights for Starship; Arianespace completes static-fire test of Ariane 6 core stage, targets 2024 for first launch; JAXA conducts first test flight of H3; Relativity Space sends Terran 1 on inaugural flight, shifts focus to Terran R; Virgin Galactic’s Spaceship Two, Rocket Lab’s Electron, and Blue Origin’s New Shepard all return to action; market anticipates ULA’s first Vulcan launch, Blue Origin’s first New Glenn launch, ESA’s Vega C return-to-flight and JAXA’s second H3 launch in 2024.
