Sateliot Will Launch Four New 5G Satellites On Board SpaceX’s Transporter-11

On May 30th, the Spanish company Sateliot announced that the next four satellites for its constellation will be launched in July by SpaceX, from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, USA. The deployment of the new spacecraft will mark the beginning of the commercial phase of Sateliot’s connectivity services.

Liftoff of SpaceX's Transporter-7 mission with Sateliot's The GroundBreaker spacecraft on board. Credits: SpaceX — *Liftoff of SpaceX’s Transporter-7 mission with Sateliot’s The GroundBreaker spacecraft on board. Credits: SpaceX*

An important launch for the company

The 6U CubeSats will launch on board a Falcon 9 rocket, as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-11 rideshare mission. The previous satellite was also deployed thanks to one of these missions, once again confirming the importance of the service that SpaceX has been offering for more than 3 years through the Rideshare program. The great flexibility and reduced costs allow many new companies like Sateliot to quickly deploy and develop their satellites.

As stated by Gianluca Redolfi, CCO at Sateliot, to Space Voyaging some months ago: “SpaceX is the number 1 company, both in terms of the number of launches and price, and they are the most consistent. They are the obvious choice for us, unless something unexpected happens.”

Sateliot LEO constellation. Credits: Sateliot — *Sateliot’s LEO constellation. Credits: Sateliot*

Each spacecraft measures 20 x 10 x 35 centimeters, weighs 10 kilograms, and represents an investment of half a million euros. They will orbit at an altitude of 600 kilometers and will have a lifespan of over five years. Thanks to these satellites, the company will provide connectivity to more than eight million devices already subscribed to the service. In 2025, more of them are set to be deployed.

“With this launch, the company enters a new dimension that will allow Spain to lead IoT connectivity on a global scale.”
— Jaume Sanpera, CEO and co-founder of Sateliot

Worldwide affordable 5G connectivity

Founded in Spain in 2018, Sateliot is developing the world’s first LEO constellation based on the 5G standard, allowing unmodified commercial cellular NB-IoT devices to connect from space at low costs. The company’s goal is to make IoT connectivity available everywhere and for everyone. In fact, thanks to technology based on 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) standards, end-users will be able to switch from terrestrial to satellite 5G networks seamlessly, using low-cost commercial devices.

Artistic impression of a Sateliot's spacecraft in space. Credits: Sateliot — *Artistic impression of a Sateliot’s spacecraft in space. Credits: Sateliot*

This revolutionary service could transform many industries, especially in rural areas, from transportation and logistics to defense and agriculture.

Since 2018, Sateliot has raised €25 million in funding and has already signed important partnerships with many MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) to expand service coverage through standard roaming agreements. In July 2023, in collaboration with the Spanish company Telefonica, they achieved the world’s first 5G connection from space.