SpaceQ Space news and analysis.
This week on the SpaceQ podcast I spoke with Dan Goldberg, CEO of Telesat. Telesat is a leading global satellite operator based in Ottawa. Dan’s been the Chief Executive at Telesat since 2006. Before working at Telesat he had been CEO at SES New Skies. And for those with long memories, Dan was also Associate General Counsel and Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs at PanAmSat.
Telesat is charting a new course in developing a low earth orbit constellation of satellites, 117 of them plus spares with service starting by 2021. For a company with 15 active geostationary satellites in orbit, funding, designing, building and deploying over a hundred more, albeit much smaller satellites, is a challenging prospect.
Telesat isn’t the only company vying to develop a small satellite constellation in low earth orbit. Competitors include OneWeb, who appear to be making good progress having recently brought online their factory production in France and a new manufacturing facility in Florida being built.
Telesat though has at least one advantage over its competitors. Notably, in the next two months their going go launch their first two prototype satellites.
I spoke to Dan about the constellation, the space advisory board and Canada’s space future, their two new GEO satellites to be launched next year, Telstar Vantage 18 and 19, and what Telstar 19 will mean for Canada’s north.
