AscendArc, a Portland, Oregon-based company, has achieved a major milestone by selling its first small geostationary communications satellite to KT Sat, South Korea’s leading satellite operator. The announcement, made September 4th, revealed plans to deliver the sub-1,000-kilogram spacecraft in the second half of 2027. This follows a successful $4 million funding round earlier this year, enabling AscendArc to enter the burgeoning market for compact, cost-effective alternatives to larger, traditional geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites.

According to AscendArc founder and CEO Chris McLain, the satellite will deliver an impressive 500 gigabits per second (Gbps) of capacity – comparable to EchoStar’s Jupiter-3, despite being approximately one-tenth the launch mass. McLain, a former SpaceX principal engineer, attributes this performance to a proprietary antenna design. This design allows for a 4.5-meter fixed reflector to fit within a Falcon 9 fairing, eliminating the need for complex and expensive unfolding mechanisms. “That allows us to have relatively low power [and] lightweight electronics,” he explained in a SpaceNews interview.

AscendArc’s approach distinguishes itself from competitors like Astranis and Swissto12, who design satellites for ESPA rideshare slots. These slots restrict antenna size and consequently, capacity. By utilizing larger antennas, AscendArc avoids the need for traveling-wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs), traditionally used to boost radio-frequency signals. “The payload is entirely solid state and so that allows you to move to much lower cost components that have shorter lead times,” McLain noted, adding that this allows for manufacturing at scale, resulting in a significantly less expensive payload.

This innovation translates to bandwidth delivered at a cost-per-megabit up to 20 times lower than existing satellite constellations, according to AscendArc. The company is offering its satellites at prices comparable to or lower than other small GEO offerings, and at roughly a quarter of the cost of legacy manufacturers like Boeing, Airbus, or Thales for a medium-sized high-throughput spacecraft. AscendArc satellites are designed for a 10-year lifespan, although the KT Sat satellite will include extra propellant for potential mission extension.

While large GEO satellites can cover a third of the globe, AscendArc’s satellites are optimized for continental-scale markets. McLain confirmed ongoing discussions with other regional operators, larger fleet owners, and nations seeking to strengthen their sovereign capabilities. AscendArc is also actively pursuing U.S. government contracts, having secured a $1.8 million contract from the Air Force to develop high-bandwidth satellite communication technology.

For KT Sat, this represents their first high-throughput, data-oriented satellite, adding to their existing fleet of around six multi-purpose spacecraft. KT Sat CEO Young-soo Seo stated, “The goal for KTSat is not just to compete, but to dramatically expand access to the internet throughout the Asian region,” emphasizing the need to address the high cost of terrestrial fiber in connecting remote or impoverished regions. He added, “And while some recent new satellite options have helped, they simply do not lower the cost enough to penetrate as far as needed.”