Sateliot adds five Alen Space CubeSats to 5G IoT constellation on Transporter-18

Five small satellites built by Alen Space have reached orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare mission. The spacecraft were developed for Sateliot, the European satellite telecommunications operator, and make up Draconis, a mission intended to expand the capacity of the company's 5G NTN IoT network and increase connection frequency in areas without terrestrial mobile coverage.

For Alen Space, the mission is a further step in the development of its small satellite production capabilities. After building four satellites for Sateliot in 2024, the company has now delivered five more 6U CubeSats, cutting development time while adding new technical capabilities. The maturity of the platform allowed the satellites to be designed and manufactured in half the time needed for the previous mission. Alen Space said Draconis adds to its experience in the serial production of small satellites for commercial constellations.

The mission lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It brings the total number of satellites Sateliot has launched since its foundation to eleven and moves the company further into commercial deployment of a technology it has already validated.

The launch will shorten the time between satellite passes and increase the number of connection opportunities available to devices. On average, the number of daily passes will double and revisit time will be halved. The five new satellites carry technical improvements that include an optimised payload and a more reliable and efficient system for storing data on board.

The satellites also carry upgraded versions of the onboard computer and attitude control system, which provide greater stability and allow more efficient in-orbit manoeuvres, along with memory systems that are more resistant to the harsh conditions of the space environment, particularly radiation.

The five satellites orbit at an altitude of 510 kilometres and carry the connectivity technology Sateliot developed for its 5G NTN IoT network. Each measures 20 x 10 x 35 centimetres, weighs 10 kilograms and has an expected operational lifetime of five years.

The satellites work as telecommunications towers in space, extending mobile operators' coverage through wholesale agreements and allowing them to offer Internet of Things services in areas beyond the reach of terrestrial networks.

Exolaunch handled mission integration and logistics. The constellation's ground segment includes KSAT and Leaf Space as technology partners for tracking and control stations, while Comfone provides IPX connectivity services for the secure interconnection of Sateliot's network with mobile operators.

The five new satellites are part of a single constellation of more than 500 satellites that will evolve through successive technological generations, moving from massive IoT towards higher-capacity and mission-critical services, including D2D capabilities.

From 2027, a generation named Trito will begin that evolution. It will incorporate 5G NR NTN technology and new capabilities for secure, higher-capacity and resilient IoT communications, supported by a store-and-forward technology based on 3GPP Release 19.

Trito will also use a multibeam digital antenna architecture with phased-array technology, able to generate and manage multiple coverage beams dynamically.

"The Draconis mission reflects very clearly where the company stands today. We have validated the technology, and we are now increasing capacity and service frequency to scale the service together with mobile operators," said Jaume Sanpera, CEO and co-founder of Sateliot. "Our goal is to make satellite connectivity a natural extension of their networks wherever terrestrial coverage cannot reach and, on that same standardized and interoperable 5G infrastructure, evolve towards increasingly critical and resilient services. We are building a European telecommunications infrastructure based on proprietary technology and the 3GPP standard, with global ambitions."

Guillermo Lamelas, CEO of Alen Space, added: "This mission is another key step in our close collaboration with Sateliot and in the development of the European 5G NTN ecosystem. Seeing these five satellites reach orbit confirms our ability to take on increasingly complex challenges and deliver the quality and reliability required by the most demanding satellite missions."

CONTACT: https://www.alen.space