- Ukrainian Stetman prepares 360° satellite network with SpaceX launch support
- New leadership advances Ukraine’s ambitious satellite project
- This billion-euro constellation aims to strengthen Ukraine’s independence in communications
Ukrainian company Stetman is currently preparing to launch its own constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, with service expected to begin in 2027.
The company recently lost its founder, Dmytro Stetsenko, but the project is still ongoing after the appointment of a new CEO, Kateryna Diachenko.
According to the company, its planned constellation will orbit at an altitude of approximately 550 kilometers, with a test satellite currently scheduled for launch in October 2026 to validate the underlying technology in collaboration with SpaceX engineers.
Constellation with Danish and American partners
Full deployment of the constellation is expected to begin in 2027 and take three full years to be fully realized across the entire network.
The completed network will ultimately consist of 360 satellites manufactured by Danish company GomSpace as part of an ongoing partnership.
Stetman chose SpaceX to handle the launches, citing the company’s lower cost and greater reliability compared to its competitors.
“SpaceX is the best option, because it is the cheapest and most reliable,” Stetsenko told reporters directly.
No formal agreement has yet been reached regarding the delivery of the remaining satellites in the constellation beyond the initial launch of the test satellite.
Ukraine itself would need around 150 satellites, according to Andrii Kolesnyk, a former adviser to the head of the Ukrainian National Space Agency.
Diachenko has already personally met with GomSpace representatives to confirm the continuity of their joint manufacturing projects in the future.
A billion-euro project
The total cost of the project would exceed 1 billion euros, although financing will take place in several distinct stages, a Stetman representative said.
This budget would cover the satellite constellation itself, software development, launch services, brokerage fees and salaries of all company staff.
Manufacturing and launching a single satellite would cost between $2 million and $3 million per unit.
A single SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket can carry 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, these unit costs alone would represent between $720 million and more than $1 billion of the total budget.
Stetman is also planning a joint satellite manufacturing plant in Ukraine alongside GomSpace, which is expected to fully open next year if funding comes on time.
The factory could require several hundred million euros of investment, although details of the financing sources remain confidential.
The company currently supplies communications equipment to the Ukrainian army, emergency services, police, medical personnel and government institutions.
The company also produces modified communications terminals, including Starmod systems designed for military conditions and UASAT satellite terminals operating via existing satellite networks.
These products support Ukraine’s broader efforts to strengthen the independence of wartime communications.
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