- Ukraine’s Stetman prepares 360-satellite network with SpaceX launch support
- New leadership keeps Ukraine’s ambitious satellite project moving forward
- Billion-euro constellation aims to strengthen Ukraine’s communicative independence
Ukrainian company Stetman is currently preparing to launch its own constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, service of which will begin in 2027.
The company recently lost its founder, Dmytro Stetsenko, but the project remains on track following the appointment of a new CEO, Kateryna Diachenko.
According to the company, its planned constellation will orbit at an altitude of approximately 550 kilometers, and a test satellite is currently planned for launch in October 2026 to validate the underlying technology together with SpaceX engineers.
Constellation with Danish and American partners
Full deployment of the constellation is expected to begin in 2027 and will take three full years to complete across the network.
The finished network will ultimately consist of 360 satellites manufactured by Danish company GomSpace under an ongoing partnership.
Stetman chose SpaceX to handle the launches, citing the company’s lower cost and higher reliability compared to its rivals.
“SpaceX is the best option, since they are the cheapest and most reliable,” Stetsenko had previously told reporters directly.
No formal agreement has yet been reached covering the delivery of the remaining satellites in the constellation beyond the initial launch of the test satellite.
Ukraine itself would need approximately 150 satellites, according to Andrii Kolesnyk, a former adviser to the head of the Ukrainian State Space Agency.
Diachenko has already met in person with GomSpace representatives to confirm the continuity of their joint manufacturing plans in the future.
A billion euro project
According to a Stetman representative, the total cost of the project exceeds one billion euros, although financing will be carried out in several stages.
That budget reportedly covers the satellite constellation itself, software development, launch services, intermediary fees, and staff salaries for the company’s entire workforce.
Manufacturing and launching a single satellite reportedly costs between $2 million and $3 million per unit.
A single SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket can launch several dozen satellites into orbit, and each launch typically costs between $60 million and $70 million, depending on the size of the payload.
With a goal of 360 satellites, those unit costs alone would account for approximately $720 million to more than $1 billion of the total budget.
Stetman is also planning a joint satellite manufacturing facility within Ukraine alongside GomSpace, which is expected to be fully open next year if funding comes in on time.
The factory could require an investment of several hundred million euros, although details on the sources of financing remain undisclosed.
Currently, the company supplies communication equipment to the military, emergency services, police, medical personnel and government institutions of Ukraine.
The company also produces modified communication terminals, including Starmod systems designed for military conditions and UASAT satellite terminals that operate over existing satellite networks.
These products support Ukraine’s broader effort to strengthen communications independence during wartime.
Via The Defender
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