Rocket Lab, the space company founded by Peter Beck (the same one who launched a rocket into space with a 3D-printed engine), has announced the acquisition of Iridium Communications. It’s no ordinary company: Iridium operates the only satellite network providing coverage to one hundred percent of the planet, including the oceans, the poles, and the most remote regions of the world.
The deal, valued at more than $3.5 billion, creates what experts call a “vertically integrated” space company. This means Rocket Lab will no longer just design and launch rockets (like its famous Electron, the small reusable rocket), but will also build satellites, own its own orbital network, and offer direct communications services. In practice, it’s like having a company that builds airplanes, flies them, and also sells the tickets.
And how does this affect us mere mortals? Iridium serves millions of people who live or work beyond the coverage of traditional cell towers: ships on the high seas, planes over the Atlantic, rescue teams in areas without roads, and military personnel in any corner of the world. With the acquisition, Rocket Lab wants to modernize the network, make satellite communications services cheaper, and offer alternatives to the telecom giants. The ultimate goal: any device, wherever you are, can connect without depending on a tower on the ground.
— Marta, for intermittent intelligence.
