Lessons from the GEO communication satellite commercial sector on acquisition practices

The geostationary orbit (GEO) communications satellite commercial sector delivers reliable satellites at competitive prices, in short turnaround times, with cutting-edge performance. The authors have examined the evolving commercial satellite market, both from the perspective of established US satellite manufacturers and from that of experienced fleet operators (commercial buyers), with the goal of identifying commercial best practices that could be effectively applied to government space acquisitions.