Via Satellite’s executive interviews provide an in-depth look into the biggest stories of the year. Here is a roundup of 10 of our best and most popular interviews of 2024 with the leaders who drive the satellite industry forward.

Check out more of our 2024 Wrap Up content series: the 2024 year in review podcast with Via Satellite editors, and the round-up of the top news stories of the year. We also polled industry leaders on their most-played song of the year for the annual Spotify Wrapped in Space. 

Adel Al-Saleh on Why Combining SES and Intelsat Fuels the Operator to Scale Up

In this December cover story, SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh talks about his first year at SES and why he believes SES and Intelsat to combine to better compete on a global scale.  — December 2024 

The Viasat/Inmarsat Deal: One Year Out

One year after the Inmarsat acquisition closed, Viasat CEO Mark Dankberg and President Guru Gowrappan take stock of the status of the business integration, the ramifications of the ViaSat-3 failure, and how they see the opportunity for global scale amid a changing industry. — July 2024 

Intelsat CEO David Wajsgras Explains Why the Time was Right for the SES Deal

Intelsat CEO David Wajsgras shares why the time was finally right to do the deal with SES, answers some of the ongoing questions about the acquisition, and talks about the importance of Intelsat’s terminal strategy. — October 2024 

To LEO, GEO, and Beyond: A Conversation With Tom Mueller

Renowned propulsion engineer Tom Mueller started his own company, Impulse Space, after leaving SpaceX. Mueller spoke with Mark Holmes during SATELLITE about his vision for Impulse Space to provide the transportation for the space economy of the future. — March 2024 

New Zealand’s First Space Minister Sets Out an Ambitious Space Roadmap

New Zealand’s first Minister of Space Judith Collins talks about her aspirations and ambitions for the nation’s space sector and why the time was right for New Zealand to have its first Minister of Space. — June 2024 

Ali Al Hashemi on the Opportunity for Space42 and Direct-to-Device

With the closing of the Space42 merger, Via Satellite spoke with Ali Al Hashemi, CEO of Yahsat Space Services, about the unique combination of a satcom and geospatial company, what Space42 means for the UAE, and his bold vision for the direct-to-device market. — October 2024 

Mike Greenley Explains How MDA Space’s Landmark Year in 2023 Unfolded

MDA Space CEO Mike Greenley spoke with Via Satellite after winning Satellite Executive of the Year for 2023 for the manufacturer’s landmark deal to build Telesat Lightspeed. Greenley shares the background on the Telesat deal and how MDA Space is scaling up to meet the new demands. — May 2024 

Verizon Exec Explains the Skylo Deal and the Telco’s D2D Strategy

Verizon made two investments in direct-to-device in 2024 with both AST SpaceMobile and Skylo. Srini Kalapala, senior vice president of Technology and Product Development for Verizon gave the telco perspective on direct-to-device and choosing to partner with multiple satellite companies. — October 2024 

How Planet Works with Partners to Accelerate its Impact With CFO Ashley Johnson

In this episode of the On Orbit podcast, Planet CFO Ashley Johnson talks how satellite data contributes to transparency for peace and security, and how Planet works with partners to accelerate the impact of its data. — May 2024 

Former Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart on the Milestones, Hopes, and Heartbreaks of Virgin Orbit’s Journey

Virgin Orbit made history in 2021 with LauncherOne, the first orbital class, air-launched, liquid-fueled rocket to successfully reach space, but the smallsat launcher became one of the notable losses of the new space era. Former CEO Dan Hart talks about his career, what went wrong at Virgin, and the critical lessons that entrepreneurs can glean from his experiences. — January 2024