Vandenberg Space Force Base, California — On Friday, October 2, 2026, European satellite telecommunications operator Sateliot successfully deployed five new 6U CubeSats into low Earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket during the Transporter-18 rideshare mission.
Manufactured by Spanish aerospace developer Alén Space, the five spacecraft expand the capacity of Sateliot’s Draconis mission and bring the operator’s total orbital fleet count to eleven satellites.
The mission integration and launch logistics were managed by Exolaunch, with ground station tracking and telemetry supported by technology partners KSAT and Leaf Space, alongside Comfone providing IPX connectivity services to link Sateliot’s space segment with commercial mobile network operators.
Network Expansion and Orbital Constellation Scale
Positioned at an orbital altitude of 510 kilometers, the five newly deployed satellites act as orbiting cell towers that connect directly with standard 3GPP Release 17 Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) ground endpoints. By doubling the active satellite presence within the Draconis constellation layer, the deployment halves ground revisit times and doubles average daily pass opportunities for remote industrial devices operating beyond terrestrial cellular coverage.
The expanded space segment serves wholesale telecommunications partners, allowing terrestrial mobile network operators to extend seamless IoT connectivity into remote maritime, agricultural, energy, and transportation sectors without requiring custom ground hardware or proprietary terminals.
Spacecraft Design and Bus Specifications
The five 6U CubeSats reflect an upgraded hardware architecture produced in half the development time required for Sateliot’s four precursor satellites launched in 2024. Each satellite measures 20 by 10 by 35 centimeters, weighs 10 kilograms, and carries a design operational lifespan of five years.
Alén Space integrated reinforced memory components with enhanced radiation resistance to protect onboard systems from high-energy space environment effects. Additional technical upgrades include a modernized onboard computer, an optimized store-and-forward payload, and an improved attitude determination and control system (ADCS) engineered for enhanced operational stability and orbital maneuvering.
Executive Perspectives on Scaling European Space Infrastructure
“The Draconis mission reflects very clearly where the company stands today,” said Jaume Sanpera, CEO and co-founder of Sateliot. “We have validated the technology, and we are now increasing capacity and service frequency to scale the service together with mobile operators. 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.”
“This mission is another key step in our close collaboration with Sateliot and in the development of the European 5G NTN ecosystem,” said Guillermo Lamelas, CEO of Alén Space. “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.”
Constellation Roadmap and Next-Generation Technology Transition
The Draconis expansion represents an intermediate phase toward Sateliot’s long-term plan of operating a constellation of more than 500 satellites. Beginning in 2027, the operator plans to introduce its next-generation Tritó satellite series, which will implement 3GPP Release 19 5G NR NTN technology, enhanced store-and-forward capabilities, and an advanced multibeam phased-array digital antenna architecture designed to support high-capacity payload routing and direct-to-device (D2D) services.