Omnispace and Lockheed Martin will partner on exploring development of 5G capability from space, they said Tuesday. They said the proposed space-based network would have commercial, enterprise and government applications. Omnispace would use its 2 GHz S-band spectrum rights, and the network would connect directly to devices from non-geostationary orbit, it said.

In-orbit services such as orbital debris removal are a vital part of end-to-end responsible mission operations, but the market remains challenged due to costs and technological readiness, Northern Sky Research analyst Dallas Kasaboski blogged Tuesday. He said as the tech develops and in-orbit demos continue, active debris removal's attractiveness will grow. Moving beyond being a fringe business requires such clean-up being better integrated into the space marketplace through such things as collaboration and mergers, he said. Satellite servicing company Astroscale said its End-of-Life Services by Astroscale demo successfully launched Monday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It said the demo mission -- involving a "servicer" satellite and a "client" satellite playing the role of orbital debris -- will see the servicer docking with the client under various scenarios.

Astro Digital sought FCC International Bureau OK for a June launch of demo satellites Demo8 and Demo9 on the SpaceX Transporter-2 mission. The earth exploration satellite service company said Friday that previous bureau authorizations covered the launch of five satellites, three of which have gone up, but its license gave it no authority to launch beyond this month.

As part of its purchase by Osprey Technology Acquisition, a special purpose acquisition company, remote sensing company BlackSky Global seeks FCC International Bureau approval of transfer of its satellite license and a pending earth station application and associated special temporary authority authorization, said two bureau applications Friday. BlackSky shareholders and affiliates would get controlling interest in Osprey. The deal, announced last month, would bring BlackSky as much as $450 million and a New York Stock Exchange listing.

Streamlined FAA rules for space launch and reentry operations will help ensure launch vehicles "aren’t tethered to the launch pad with red tape and at the same time protect public safety during commercial space operations,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said Monday. The rules took effect Sunday, the agency said. The changes establish a set of licensing and safety regulations for several types of commercial space operations and vehicles, it said.

Contrary to worries raised by Intelsat (see 2103150055), Spectrum Five’s proposed testing won't affect Intelsat operations, Spectrum Five said in an FCC docket 20-399 post Friday. It said Intelsat's objections aren't because of any threat to operations but because Intelsat wants protection for operations that don't comply with ITU rules and thus lack protection from harmful interference under those rules. Intelsat didn't comment.

SpaceX is going beyond industry standards on satellites maneuvering to mitigate collision risk, company representatives told FCC International Bureau Chief Tom Sullivan, per a filing Tuesday. It said its actions include its own hourly Starlink vs. Starlink collision screening analysis to reduce residual risk to "well below" what NASA recommends for an industry standard. Not counting its initial tranche of satellites, which have all de-orbited or are in the process, SpaceX said its success rate "is approaching 99% ... and continuing steadily to improve."

Astroscale will launch a demonstration mission of its commercial orbital debris removal service Saturday, it said Wednesday. Licensed by the U.K. Space Agency, the mission will demonstrate the core technologies needed for space debris docking and removal, it said.

Astrobotic Technology withdrew its application for OK for its Peregrine Mission 1 vehicle's delivery of NASA and commercial payloads sometime later this year or in 2022 (see 2102090001), per an FCC International Bureau notice Tuesday. Astrobotic told us it withdrew its license application after FCC guidance about using a different process for applying.

Satellite communications faces a period of consolidation, with vertical integration and horizontal solidification going hand in hand, Northern Sky Research analyst Joseph Ibeh blogged Tuesday. Driving it is the increased amount of capacity, with operators relying on more sales to compensate for price erosion, plus declining video revenue and the competitive threat from non-geostationary orbit satellites, he said. He said smaller companies with cash problems will need to combine or declare bankruptcy.