Page 84 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2019

SATELLITE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

those schedules hold, SpaceX will have gone from two satellites This is all a very roundabout way of illustrating the fact that once
in orbit to the world’s largest satellite constellation operator – by SpaceX becomes the world’s largest satellite operator, nothing
a large margin – in as few as nine months. In fact, after cresting short of repeated launch failures or the company’s outright
that peak, it will take nothing short of a miracle for SpaceX to be collapse will prevent it from retaining that crown for the indefinite
usurped. The company hopes to launch as many as 24 Starlink future. Once OneWeb has completed all 21 of its planned Soyuz
missions in 2020 and is simply miles ahead of its competitors launches, a milestone unlikely to come before mid-2021, it will
in its efforts to make high-performance orbital launches as have a constellation of ~700 satellites. Even if SpaceX falters
efficient and affordable as possible. If SpaceX and its executives and manages a monthly Starlink launch cadence over the next
are to be believed, as early as the very first dedicated Starlink 13 months, the constellation could surpass OneWeb’s Phase 1
launch (May 2019), the cost of launching Falcon 9 was already plans as early as Q3 2020 – up to as early as June 2020 if SpaceX
significantly less than the cost of its payload of 60 Starlink v0.9 manages a biweekly cadence. By the time OneWeb’s constellation
satellite prototypes. CEO Elon Musk and COO Gwynne Shotwell is complete, SpaceX could potentially have more than 2000
have strongly implied that the per-satellite cost is already well operational satellites in orbit – perhaps ~600 metric tons of
below $500,000, meaning that the absolute worst-case internal spacecraft compared to OneWeb’s ~100 metric tons.
cost of a Falcon 9 launch is less than $30M. If, for example, each
Starlink satellite already costs as little as $250,000 to build, it’s
possible that SpaceX can already launch a dedicated 60-satellite
mission (including launch costs) at an internal cost of less than
$30M ($15M for launch, $15M for 60 satellites). Even in the former
scenario, a single Starlink launch might cost SpaceX has little
as $60M in total. In a best-case scenario for megaconstellation
competitor OneWeb, the company purchased up to 21 Soyuz
launches from Roscosmos for “more than $1 billion”, translating
to roughly $50 million per launch (rocket costs only). Meanwhile,
OneWeb’s satellite design is far more traditional and Soyuz offers
significantly less performance than Falcon 9, resulting in a cap
of 34 ~150 kg (330 lb) per launch. Finally, OneWeb hopes to build
each satellite for about $1M, translating to a best-case per-launch
cost of ~$85 million. OneWeb aims to launch once per month after
its first 34-satellite mission, currently NET January 30th, 2020.

Talia Expands Satellite Services to Five African Countries

Talia Limited, a communications solutions announced that it has signed up three connectivity until terrestrial networks
provider serving the Middle East, Africa, additional local resellers to provide fast extend further into rural areas. It provides
Europe and the Americas, has announced and reliable Ka-band services to a diverse a user-friendly, self-reliant solution that
the successful completion of beta customer base throughout Africa. As the can be deployed anywhere, regardless of
testing of its Ka-band High Throughput access to broadband connectivity remains the locations or existing infrastructure”,
Satellites (HTS) services in additional sought after in many parts of Africa, adds Mr. Amewudah. Being committed to
African countries including Cameroon, Talia’s is working alongside governments, the sustainable and resilient development
DRC, Gambia, Ghana and Congo. The ISP’s and carriers to bridge the digital of sub-Saharans countries, by providing
announcement follows a week of divide by providing affordable high-speed internet connectivity to schools, SME’s
constructive meetings with customers connectivity solutions to different sectors and individual consumers, Talia is not
and partners at AfricaCom 2019 which across the continent. “With low-cost and only helping bridge the digital gap but also
took place in Cape Town earlier this self-installed antennas as small as 74cm, facilitating the social and economic growth
month. Joining other influential industry Talia’s Ka-band platform represents a of African populations. Talia is exploring
players that are driving Africa’s digital robust and affordable solution that can opportunities for collaboration with several
transformation, Talia held informational reach places where fiber is not yet available other governments and resellers across
sessions about its latest connectivity while providing comparable high speeds Central, East and West Africa to deliver its
solutions for Africa throughout the at very reasonable costs”, says Ayes affordable and inclusive Ka-band solution
duration of the show. In addition to the Amewudah, VP Sales of Talia. “Bringing to bring these communities online in a
completion of beta testing in multiple a wealth of benefits to users, Ka-band is more sustainable and accessible way.
West and Central African countries, Talia the most cost-effective way of securing

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