“One idea—that satellite technology would shape the future—And, forty-five years later, you built the most influential space industry gathering on the planet, because you showed up, you invested, you built companies, you launched missions, you solved hard problems. This community made satellite what it is, and today we are not the same. Space is no longer a single market. It is infrastructure, intelligence, global connectivity, from cockpit to command center, from shipping lane to battlefield, from farmland to financial. Network connectivity underpins it all, and this is where it aligns.” The opening message of Day two of SatShow Week 2026 reverberated through the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C., reflecting where the industry has been while setting the tone for what comes next.
For much of its history, satellite innovation has been defined by singular breakthroughs such as geostationary orbit (GEO), GPS, high-throughput satellites, and more recently, low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations. Each innovation expanded its possibilities. But, the opening fireside chat featuring Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES, newly named Satellite Executive of the Year, and Ramu Potarazu, CEO of Lynk Global, pointed to a new reality. Satellite is no longer a standalone market. It is infrastructure embedded across industries, integrated across domains, and increasingly inseparable from the broader aerospace and digital ecosystem. The SES-Lynk partnership illustrates that convergence is not just a concept but entirely necessary in this new age.
Moving Faster than Traditional Models Allow
In today’s market, speed and agility are becoming defining factors. “If you sat here last year, you would have a much different view of what’s happening in the space,” Potarazu observed, pointing to the rapid pace of change.
Traditional satellite development cycles often take five to seven years from concept to deployment, much too slow to meet evolving customer needs or competitive pressure. Both SES and Lynk emphasize iterative, software-driven development, where testing, learning, and redeploying happen continuously. “We can’t afford to wait for five years, and we can’t afford to test the system in space five years after we have the idea. We want to be testing in space every year,” said Al-Saleh. Potarazu reinforced this approach, adding, “You are going to have failure. So, imagine what that percentage of failure is. We want to try to reduce that as low as possible. Be able to fail. Reiterate, and keep growing.”
Even as development accelerates, reliability remains non-negotiable. “The customer expects flawless service. There is no excuse,” Al-Saleh said, emphasizing the need for architectures “that allow us to update things we’re building, to be able to quickly resolve issues when we find them.”
Partnership as the Catalyst for Convergence
The SES-Lynk collaboration is part of a larger industry belief that no single company can deliver the full spectrum of capabilities alone. Lynk brings a low-cost, agile, software-centric approach to satellite design, while SES contributes global infrastructure, spectrum access, and multi-orbit integration. “What’s helped us is having a partner like SES that can keep up in this new space and allows us to develop quickly,” Potarazu said. “We’re working together to move as fast as we can, not one slowing up the other. We have the same mission.”
The partnership, announced in March 2025, was driven by the growing importance of the direct-to-device (D2D) market. As Al-Saleh noted at the time, “We recognize D2D as an exciting growth opportunity that complements our multi-orbit network to address a broader set of use cases.” Together, the partnership aims to deliver services more efficiently and at greater scale than either could independently.
Direct-to-Device Expanding Horizons
D2D is quickly emerging as a key driver of new satellite use cases. While consumer connectivity is the most visible application, both leaders emphasized its broader impact. Pontarazu pointed to the scale of the connectivity gap, noting that roughly one-third of the global population still lacks reliable access.
Al-Saleh highlighted the implications for government and defense operations. “A really compelling institution to help is connecting soldiers in the field, in operations,” he said. “Today, we use technologies that connect them with very specific governmental bands and UHF payloads…In the future, we see this being a very attractive connection to the soldiers, their devices, and their equipment in the field.”
Mobile network operators are also central to the model. Potarazu described them as core customers, noting that partnerships with operators will shape how services are deployed and scaled globally. At the same time, demand is not limited to a single provider. As Al-Saleh observed, operators are increasingly looking for “multi-supplier” approaches, integrating multiple capabilities into their networks.
Scaling Amid Constraints
While demand continues to expand, the industry faces constraints that extend beyond technology. Potarazu pointed to launch as a key bottleneck, noting that “putting the assets up in space” remains a major challenge. Access to spectrum and capital further complicates efforts to scale constellations and expand services.
Geopolitics is also reshaping how companies operate. Al-Saleh highlighted the increasing fragmentation of the global market, requiring new approaches to supply chains and regional presence. “We are building supply chains that … give us presence in North America…and it is a different supply chain for European capability, and that’s constantly efficient,” he said, reflecting a shift toward more regionally diversified approaches.
The Future is About Integration
The SES-Lynk conversation is a prime example of how the next phase of satellite growth will be defined by how the industry works together. More important than the technology itself is the ability to integrate systems, share capabilities, and iterate in response to customer demand. Forty-five years of satellite innovation has laid the foundation, but the coming decades will be about leveraging that foundation and intelligence to meet the global demand for connectivity.
