Sateliot Launching Five Satellites This Week to Expand 5G NTN IoT Network

Sateliot is preparing to launch five additional LEO satellites on SpaceX's Transporter-18 mission, expanding its standards-based satellite IoT constellation as the company moves towards higher service frequency and commercial scale.

The Draconis mission, scheduled for 1 October from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, will take Sateliot's total number of satellites launched to 11. The five spacecraft will operate at around 510 kilometres and are expected to roughly double the number of daily satellite passes available to connected devices, halving average revisit times compared with the existing network.

Built by Alén Space, each 10-kilogram satellite incorporates improvements over the four spacecraft launched in 2024, including an optimised communications payload, upgraded onboard computer and attitude-control system, and more radiation-resistant memory. The satellites also improve Sateliot's store-and-forward capabilities, allowing IoT data to be retained onboard until it can be delivered through the network.

Sateliot's architecture uses 3GPP-standardised NTN technology to extend mobile operators' IoT coverage beyond terrestrial networks, with the company operating as a wholesale satellite layer rather than selling connectivity directly to end users. KSAT and Leaf Space support the ground segment, while Comfone provides IPX connectivity between Sateliot and mobile operators.

Draconis is an intermediate step towards Sateliot's planned 500-plus-satellite constellation and its next-generation Tritó platform from 2027. Tritó is intended to introduce 5G NR-NTN, Release 19-based store-and-forward capabilities and phased-array multibeam antennas, providing a path from low-data-rate IoT towards higher-capacity, resilient and eventually direct-to-device services. Sateliot is also seeking €100 million in Series C funding to accelerate that next phase of deployment.