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Ukraine Eyes $1.1B Satellite Network to Cut Starlink Reliance
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Ukrainian satellite communications company Stetman is continuing plans to deploy a nationally controlled 360-satellite communications constellation beginning in 2027, despite the death of its founder and chief executive, according to DatacenterDynamics on July 23.
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The proposed network would place satellite communications under national control for Ukraine’s government and armed forces and is designed to withstand electronic warfare, reducing the country’s reliance on foreign-operated services.
The constellation is designed to operate in low Earth orbit at an altitude of 550 kilometers, the outlet reported. It would initially serve state and military users, with access for Ukraine’s allies planned at a later stage.
Stetman aims to launch the first 120 satellites with SpaceX in 2027. Deployment of the full constellation is expected to take three years and conclude in 2030, although no formal arrangement has been announced for the remaining 240 satellites.
The constellation, including its software, launch services, broker fees, and staff salaries, is expected to cost more than $1.13 billion, according to a Stetman representative.
DatacenterDynamics reported that Kateryna Diachenko, the new head of Stetman, recently met Jesper Stahl Hein, director of special defense projects at Danish satellite manufacturer GomSpace, during the EU-Ukraine Business Summit in Brussels.
The two reaffirmed their commitment to the project, which the companies agreed to develop through a joint venture called UASAT.
Stetman was founded in 2023 by Dmytro Stetsenko, who died on June 13. In a recent LinkedIn post, the company said its team remained focused on delivering its projects and advancing independently controlled technologies to ensure the security of Ukraine and Europe, in line with the vision and values set by Stetsenko.
When the partnership was announced, Stetsenko described satellite communications as critical to both civilian resilience and national security during crises.
“Through UASAT, we are combining Ukrainian operational experience with GomSpace’s space technology expertise to build an independent capability that strengthens resilience and long-term autonomy,” he stated at the time.
The company also plans to establish a satellite manufacturing facility in Ukraine together with GomSpace. Work is expected to begin next year, provided financing remains on schedule, DatacenterDynamics reported.
Russia’s ability to disrupt satellite links has grown sharply this year. Moscow has begun fielding electronic warfare complexes, identified as the Volna Kupol Garant and produced by a Simferopol-based manufacturer, that jam the Starlink connections guiding Ukrainian long-range drones.
A single complex can destabilize service across roughly 20 square kilometers, and Ukrainian forces have located about 10 of them.
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